AMMAN - Petra will be the first of the New Seven Wonders of the World to be inaugurated later this year, New 7 Wonders President Bernard Weber and Minister of Tourism Osama Dabbas announced on Wednesday.
The inauguration will take place in mid-December, making Petra the first validated new wonder of the world. The other six wonders will be unveiled over the next two years.
Petra was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World at a special ceremony in Lisbon on July 7, 2007.
The 2000-year-old rose- red city ranked second, with the Great Wall of China taking first place.
Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer, Peru's Machu Picchu, Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid, the Colosseum in Rome and India's Taj Mahal were named the other New 7 Wonders of the World.
According to the New 7 Wonders organisers, a tally of 100 million votes were cast since voting for the global campaign kicked off in March 2006. People around the world cast their votes over the Internet and by cell phone text messages.
Media from across the world will cover the inauguration, which will feature live entertainment, a possible re-enactment of Nabataean life, and the unveiling of a large tablet inscribed with the distinction.
"The culture of Jordan will be transported to citizens around the world," Weber said, adding that it is not enough to merely make an announcement. He stressed that his organisation is committed to the long-term preservation and promotion of the new seven wonders.
Future plans includes 3D mapping of each site, forums on sustainable tourism, and perhaps a permanent museum to preserve their legacy and history, he added.
Weber highlighted the importance of 3D mapping as it would provide an opportunity to recreate each of the seven wonders for a travelling tour, and give officials a map to work by in case a site is damaged by a natural disaster.
He said the forums on sustainable tourism would work on how such magnets can attract tourists, adding that lesser known sites in the Kingdom could benefit from Petra's newfound international attention.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit met with Weber to discuss the event, and Petra's importance to Jordan's future in tourism.
Carved into soft sandstone more than two millennia ago, the once bustling city was the capital of the Nabataean Arabs, who controlled the trading routes that passed through Petra to Gaza in the west, Basra and Damascus in the north, Aqaba in the south, and across the desert to the Arabian Gulf.
Although Petra's uniqueness made it stand out in the global competition, it was the Jordanian people who made the distinction possible, according to the campaign organisers.
"Jordan had such palpable enthusiasm - from officials and ministers to the average person," New 7 Wonders Communication Director Tia Viering told The Jordan Times.
"When Petra won, it was not just a celebration, but recognition of what it could do for the country and transform its image," she added.
According to Viering, making Petra the first new world wonder to be inaugurated is an important part of an overall effort to break negative perceptions of the Arab world and shed a positive light on a region marred by war, economic hardship and political tensions.
Meanwhile, the rest of world is beginning to take notice of the New 7 Wonders of the World, which are entering textbooks and are the subject of student projects submitted by 5,000 schools. Petra's status was even in a question on the US quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"
Also on Wednesday, Weber promoted the 7 Wonders of the Natural World - sites, monuments, and landscapes which have not been significantly altered by man. The Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, is eligible to be nominated, giving Jordan yet another chance to be recognised on the world stage. Nominations will continue until late 2008, when experts will select the final 21 sites to be voted on in 2009.
Taylor Luck
© Jordan Times 2007
