Egypt does not like that the pyramids must fight again for the title of wonder of the world

Cairo - Egypt has reservations about the selection of the new seven wonders of the world. It is unhappy that the pyramids of Giza - the last of the ancient wonders of the planet that still stands - must compete again for a spot among the chosen ones. According to Egyptian officials, the pyramids should automatically belong among the wonders of the world.
    The competition for the new jewels of human ingenuity was announced by the Swiss foundation New7Wonders Foundation in 2005. A shortlist of 21 structures has been compiled, for which people can vote by phone, on the website www.new7wonders.com, or via SMS until early July. The winner will be announced symbolically on July 7, 2007, in Lisbon, Portugal.
    Among the 21 chosen are modern structures such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Statue of Liberty in New York, or the Sydney Opera House in Australia, as well as older landmarks like the Jordanian rock city Petra, the British megalithic circle Stonehenge, the Acropolis in Athens, the Cambodian temple Angkor Wat, and of course, the Egyptian pyramids.
    However, their inclusion in the competition is opposed by the head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and prominent Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, who claims that the pyramids are "the living heart of humanity and do not need to be selected among the wonders of the world." Egyptian officials also previously refused to meet with the organizers of the poll. According to a foundation spokesperson, they also did not allow its leader, Swiss businessman Bernard Weber, to hold a press conference at the pyramids.
    The organizers, however, defend themselves against the Egyptian objections. According to them, the purpose of this venture is to increase global interest in culture and history. "The competition is not about taking something away, but about bringing something into the modern age," said foundation spokesperson Tia Viering, according to the AP agency.
    The original seven ancient wonders of the world were declared by the Hellenistic philosopher Philo of Byzantium in the second century BC. In addition to the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, they included the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Lighthouse of Alexandria on the island of Pharos, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.