Haroun Amayra completes his visit to the New Seven Wonders of the World after 12 years of traveling around the world

Bethlehem - Ofoq News - After a trip that extended through more than 80 countries around the world, Palestinian traveler and journalist Haroun Amayreh announced the completion of his visit to the New Seven Wonders of the World, which were chosen in 2007 through a global vote, in an achievement through which he seeks to be the first Palestinian traveler to document visits to all seven of these landmarks, as part of a broader project to document peoples’ cultures and civilizations.

This trip was completed with Amayra's visit to the archaeological site of Machu Picchu in Peru, concluding his series of visits to the Seven Wonders of the World, which began with the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, then the Colosseum in the Italian capital, Rome, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal in India, the ancient city of Chichen Itza in Mexico, all the way to Machu Picchu, the historical city of the Inca civilization in the Andes of Peru.

Amayreh said that completing a visit to these landmarks represents an important milestone in his career that spanned over 12 years, during which he moved between more than 80 countries, with the aim of learning about people’s cultures, customs and traditions, and exploring the history of civilizations and archaeological and natural sites that formed part of human heritage.

He added that his trips were not just tourist visits or an attempt to reach the largest number of countries, but rather came out of his passion for journalism and travel, and his desire to present a different picture of the world through direct experience, contact with local communities, and learning about diverse lifestyles and cultures.

Machu Picchu is the most difficult...and the Taj Mahal and Petra are the most beautiful

In his personal evaluation of the experience of visiting the Seven Wonders of the World, Amayra explained that Machu Picchu in Peru was the most difficult to reach, due to its geographical location between the Andes Mountains, and the multiple movements required to visit it, in addition to the mountainous heights that may pose a challenge to some visitors.

On the other hand, he considered that the Colosseum in the Italian capital, Rome, was the easiest to reach, due to its location in the heart of the city and the ease of reaching it using various means of transportation.

In terms of beauty, Amayreh stressed that the Taj Mahal in India and the ancient city of Petra in Jordan hold a special place for him, pointing out that the Taj Mahal is distinguished by its exceptional architectural beauty and artistic details, while Petra enjoys a unique historical charm, especially its landmarks carved into the pink rocks, which reflect the genius of the Nabataean civilization.

Amayra said: “Although these sites were chosen among the Seven Wonders of the World, each site has a different story and an experience that is not similar to the other, but the Taj Mahal and Petra were, for me, among the most beautiful things I saw during this trip.”

A project to document the first 100 countries in a book

Amayreh revealed a project that he is working on during the next stage, which is to publish a book documenting his experience in visiting the first 100 countries around the world, in which he deals with the cultures, customs and traditions of peoples, in addition to the human attitudes and experiences that he lived during his travels.

He explained that the book will not be just a narration of the tourist sites he visited, but rather an attempt to provide a journalistic and humanitarian experience that reflects cultural and civilizational diversity among peoples, and sheds light on details of daily life that may not appear in traditional tourist guides.

He pointed out that about two years ago he began a new phase of documenting his travels with audio and video, by producing and publishing videos on his YouTube channel, covering the history of the countries he visits, their most prominent tourist and archaeological landmarks, and the cultures of their residents, while being careful to provide information from the sites of the events and in a manner that combines journalistic work and personal experience.

An ambition to enhance the presence of Palestinian travelers globally

Amayreh stressed that one of his most prominent motivations for continuing to travel is his desire to enhance the presence of Palestinian travelers in the field of documenting people’s cultures, noting that their presence in this field is still limited compared to many Arab countries from which travelers and content makers specializing in travel and exploration have emerged.

He said: “Today we see many Arab travelers traveling the world and documenting their experiences, but the presence of Palestinian travelers in this field is still limited. I hope that, through my experience, I can contribute to encouraging more Palestinian youth to discover the world, learn about people’s cultures, and pass on their experiences to others.”

He added that his Palestinian identity accompanied him on all his travels, and that he seeks to provide a model for the Palestinian traveler who is able to reach various parts of the world, interact with cultures and civilizations, and convey his experiences from a journalistic and humanitarian perspective.

Amayreh concluded his speech by stressing that reaching the Seven Wonders of the World is not the end of his journey, but rather a stop within a long project through which he seeks to continue traveling and documenting the first 100 countries in a book, in addition to developing his visual content to form an archive of his experiences around the world.

He said: “For me, travel is not just moving from one country to another, but rather a journey to understand man, his culture and history. Every country I visit adds a new story to my experience that deserves to be told.”