Often referred to as ‘The Lost City of the Incas’, Machu Picchu was built around 1450 and — incredibly, given the scale of the city — abandoned just a hundred years later thanks to the Spanish arriving with smallpox and swords.

The city lay forgotten for centuries by all but a few locals and the encroaching jungle until Hiram Bingham, an American historian, controversially ‘discovered’ the city in 1911. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Historians still aren’t sure if it was a royal retreat for Inca nobles, a traditional birthplace or the spiritual centre of the “virgins of the suns”, but the 140 temples, sanctuaries, parks and residences are certainly impressive. All built in the classic Inca style of polished dry-stone walls — no mortar was used — the highlights of the city are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows, all located in what is known as the ‘Sacred District’.

Travel tip: Just 70-kilometres northwest of the capital Cusco, tourism threatens to accomplish what the Spanish conquistadors failed to do; destroy Machu Picchu. Although daily tourism numbers are now limited, thousands of visitors tramp across Machu Picchu each year and the pounding of footsteps and need for more infrastructure could damage the temples forever. Tread lightly!

Colosseum, Rome
Incredibly for a continent brimming with history, Rome’s Colosseum is Europe’s only winner amongst the New7Wonders.

Essentially a stadium for bloodfests of days gone by, the Amphitheatrum Flavium — to give its original name — was the largest ever built in the Roman Empire, and is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture.

Completed in 80 AD, for over 500 years the amphitheatre would welcome up to 50 000 spectators who would come to watch gladiators in action, mock sea battles, animal hunts, and executions. Civilised folk, those Romans!

Travel tip: Watch out for the ‘friendly’ Romans in gladiator-garb outside the Colosseum offering to be in your photos. Once you’ve got your snap they’re quick to demand a handful of Euros for the privilege and get stroppy when you refuse. And remember… they’ve got swords!

Taj Mahal, India
Just picture the scene: Over 1000 elephants pulling loads of building materials brought from all over Asia and India, teams of oxen dragging marble from Rajasthan, workmen arriving with crystal from China while artisans decorate the building with turquoise from Tibet and sapphires from Sri Lanka. Quite a sight, and no surprise then that India’s Taj Mahal is known as one of the world’s greatest monuments to love.

Built by the Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth, the Taj is considered to be the world’s finest example of Mughal architecture and is one of India’s most popular tourist attractions, drawing up to three million visitors each year.

The centerpiece of the Taj is the iconic white marble dome above the mausoleum. Surrounded by what appear to be four towers, these are in fact functioning minarets used to call the faithful to prayer. Incredibly, the towers were constructed so that in the event of collapse they would fall away from the tomb of Jahan’s beloved.

Travel tip: Try and time your visit to the Taj with the full moon, when the white marble dome is at its most impressive.

Chichén Itzá, Mexico
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s most famous archaeological monuments, Chichén Itzá is a large complex of pre-Columbian temples and buildings in the northern centre of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Often visited as a day-trip from the fleshpot beach resorts of Cancun, the temples were built by the Maya civilization around 1500 years ago, and the city was once a major economic power in the northern Maya lowlands, trading with central and southern America. It was not to last though, and archaeological data suggests that the fall of Chichén Itzá was violent.

Dominating the complex is the impressive Temple of Kukulcan, which is often referred to as ‘El Castillo’ (the castle). Just as breathtaking is the ‘Temple of the Warriors’, which consists of a large stepped pyramid fronted and flanked by rows of carved columns depicting warriors. Once you’ve ticked off those highlights you can wander through more enigmatic sites such as the High Priest’s Temple, Las Monjas palace, Great Ball Court and ‘El Caracol’, a lunar observatory.

Travel tip: Make sure you visit on the Spring and Fall equinox at the rising or setting of the sun, when the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent — Kukulcan — which slithers down the northern side of the pyramid.