Jeita Grotto among Finalists in New 7 Wonders of Nature Campaign
Lebanon”s Jeita Grotto on Tuesday was selected as one of 28 finalists for the seven natural wonders of the world, facing the Amazon, Mount Vesuvius and others for a spot on the prestigious list.
"This is a moment every Lebanese should be proud of," said Nabil Haddad, who heads Jeita”s national support committee.
"The Jeita Grotto is a medal of honor for Lebanon and has placed Lebanon on the global tourism map again."
Other finalists from the Middle East include the Dead Sea and UAE”s Bu Tinah Shoals.
Jeita, in a river valley near the capital Beirut, comprises two limestone caves, upper galleries and a lower cave through which an underground river runs.
A cement bridge allows tourists to walk through the palatial structure and view the glistening stalactites and stalagmites formed over millennia by drops of water creating new pathways around rock too hard to dissolve.
The cave is 10,000 meters (close to 33,000 feet) long and features one of the biggest stalactites in the world, hanging 8.2 meters (27 feet) from the ceiling.
Among the winner are the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, Azerbaijan”s Mud Volcanoes, Ireland”s Moher Cliffs, Germany”s Black Forest, the Amazon rain forest, Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and Ecuador”s Galapagos islands.
The Swiss-based non-profit organization New7Wonders Foundation is to announce the new wonders of nature in 2011.
A panel of experts nominated the initial batch of candidates, online voters selected finalists and an estimated one billion online voters are to select the final seven on the site www.new7wonders.com