The 11 Wonders of the Middle Ages, sometimes incorrectly referred to as the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World, are famous monuments across Europe, Africa, and Asia.
19th-century writers chose the medieval wonders they considered the greatest monuments of the Middle Ages, following the idea of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Ten of the 11 medieval wonders still stand today, and all ten are open to visitors.
The 11 Wonders of the Middle Ages are the following.
The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World are the seven wonders chosen by the early writers of medieval wonder lists: Hagia Sophia, Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China, the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Porcelain Tower of Nanjing and the Colosseum.
Other notable writers chose different medieval wonders. The list of Wonders of the Middle Ages expanded to include their choices: the Cairo Citadel, Cluny Abbey, Ely Cathedral, and the Taj Mahal, making a total of 11 wonders.
Ebenezer Cobham Brewer chose seven Wonders of the Middle Ages in his 1876 Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.
Edward Latham gave the same seven wonders in his Dictionary of Names, Nicknames and Surnames in 1904.
The name "Middle Ages" was invented by Italian humanists during the Renaissance, so the lists of Wonders of the Middle Ages were made after the period ended.
No, only six of the 11 Wonders of the Middle Ages were built in the Middle Ages, the period from the 5th to the 15th century. The six medieval monuments on the list are Hagia Sophia, the Cairo Citadel, Cluny Abbey, Ely Cathedral, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Porcelain Tower.
Stonehenge, the Colosseum and the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa are older than the Middle Ages.
The Great Wall of China was built over many centuries, before, during, and after the Middle Ages.
The Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century, after the Middle Ages ended.