Egypt's pyramids out of seven wonders contest

CAIRO: The pyramids of Giza have been removed from an Internet competition to name the new seven wonders of the world, but the anger of Egypt s antiquities chief remained unmollified on Thursday. Swiss-Canadian filmmaker Bernard Weber s contest to choose the seven new wonders of the world through global voting enraged Egyptian officials when the pyramids — the one of the original wonder still standing — were included in the competition. After careful consideration, the New 7 Wonders Foundation designates the Pyramids of Giza — the only remaining of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World — as an Honorary New7Wonders Candidate, said a statement on the website which added that votes could no longer be cast for the pyramids. This decision has also taken into account the views of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt and the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, added the site, recognising the expressions of outrage that greeted Weber s January visit to Egypt and his announcement that the pyramids were among the 21 finalists. After the competition was announced, Egyptian antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass told local newspapers that the pyramids are the only one of the seven wonders of the ancient world that still exists… it s ridiculous, they don t need to be put to a vote. Thursday s move has done little to dim his anger over what he calls a crass publicity stunt. We didn t ask anything from these people and we reject the tourist company that is trying to choose the seven wonders — they are cheating the Egyptians, Hawass told AFP, referring to Weber s organisation. I am against this subject totally. I cannot accept a Greek historian choosing the seven wonders of antiquity and have a tourist company choosing the new ones, he added. Other countries have been more welcoming after their monuments were included in the competition. Weber, a former assistant to Italian filmmaking legend Federico Fellini, launched a website where Internet users can vote and choose the world s new seven wonders. Greek historian Herotodus chose the original seven, which included the hanging gardens of Babylon, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Colossus of Rhodes and the lighthouse of Alexandria. Among the 21 sites short-listed for the new competition are Angkor Wat in Cambodia, the Eiffel Tower, the Acropolis in Athens, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China. The results of the vote will be declared in Lisbon on July 7.