Top Five World Wonders Additions

In order to be an addition to the list, a landmark must conform to the rules for inclusion on the original list and be sited in a country not already represented on the original list.

1. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Italy is on the list already, but since St. Peter's is in the sovereign territory of the Vatican City State, it can still qualify. Basically, St. Peter's is huge. The cavernous interior of the basilica is made of brightly colored and highlypolished marble, with ornate flourishes and statues inside. If any structure, just standing alone, could inspire conversion to a religion, it's St. Peter's.

2. Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
If a second structure, standing alone, could inspire conversion to a religion, it would be the Kaaba. The holiest site for Muslims is a black cube, constructed of marble and remnants of a meteorite, and standing 43 feet tall. It is surrounded by the Al-Haram Mosque which can accomodate 820,000 worshippers and covers 85 acres. During the Hajj, it is completely filled with worshippers, who pray in concentric circles around the Kaaba. It is also the only mosque in the world with seven minarets.

3. CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
The CN Tower's exclusion from the original list is striking, since it is far more remarkable from an engineering standpoint than the iconic but the less monumental Sydney Opera House. Simply put, the CN Tower is the world's tallest free-standing structure. At 1,815 feet, it towers over any skyscaper in the world. The observation deck is fitted with glass floors, allowing for a vertigo-inducing look straight down.

4. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
For a while, these twin towers were the tallest buildings in the world, as measured to the tip of their spires. While they have been surpassed in that category, they remain the world's highest twin towers. The towers provide a firm yet gentle punctuation mark on the burgeoning skyline of Kuala Lumpur. The steel and glass the composes the facade glistens in the morning sunlight. If you look closely, you will notice that the towers are not circular but rather resemble this Islamic motif of seven-pointed stars.

5. Lalibela, Ethiopia
Lalibela contains eleven monolithic churches, each one hewn out of a single rock. The churches are all below ground accessible through a pit surrounding the church, with roofs level with the surface. The most famous of these churches is the Church of St. George, which was carved out of the ground in the shape of the cross. These churches are believed to date from the 12th century.