Wonders of The World

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• The Longest Natural Arch
• Manuscripts of a Bygone Age NEW
• Sanchi's Great Stupa
• The Brooklyn Bridge
• The Oldest Known Shipwreck
• A House Under The Ocean
• Telescope Atop a Volcano
• Britain's Treasure Trove
• The Dare-devils of La Quebrada
• The Chunnel
• The Tallest Living Things
• An Island Comes to life again
• The Skeleton Stretch
• The Glowing Caves
• The Great Shells
• The Mighty Corridor
• Drawings in the Sand
• The World's largest Flower
• The Swaying Minarets
• The Screaming Skull
• A Tower of Perfection!
• Ajanta
• World's Highest Capitals
• The Ziggurat of Ur
• The Oldest Footprints
• The smallest country
• Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum
• Mountain of Light
• A Piece from the Past
• Crop Circles
• Cleopatra’s Needle
• The Oldest Throne
• Giant Waves
• The Lord's Arch
• A Mad King's Dream Castle

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The Leaning Pisa

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built as a bell tower for the nearby cathedral. The construction of the tower began in 1174 A.D. but was not completed for nearly 200 years. The tower started to lean right from the start. The top three storeys were added at a slight angle in an attempt to correct the tilt but it didn’t help. The tower continues to lean and each year it tilts a little more. Some experts feel it might not be possible to prevent the tower from toppling over eventually.

Updated Information
THE TOWER NO LONGER LEANS
The angle of inclination of the white marbled leaning tower at Pisa, Italy, which started to tilt shortly after building began 800 years ago, has imperceptibly moved back about 40cm during delicate engineering works carried out in 2000-2001. The tower is built on sandy soil, and there is water not far below ground. Engineers discovered that by gradually excavating earth from under the foundations, the tilt could be corrected without resorting to dismantling the famous landmark, which once seemed the only way to prevent it collapsing.
Among the more curious solutions offered to save the tower was one plan to drill 10,000 holes to reduce the weight of the building, and a Chinese project to build a replica of the leaning tower next to it - leaning in the opposite direction in order to prop it up!
In December 2001, the Tower of Pisa re-opened to visitors. It was closed in 1990, because it was in danger of falling over. After work to shore up its foundations was completed, tourists were once again able to climb the 284 steps to the top of the 800 year-old tower. Engineers say that the $25 million re-construction will ensure that the Tower lasts at least another 200 years.

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Last updated on :9/30/2003