Palm Jumeirah belongs to the Common Era — dated here to c. 2006 CE at Dubai, UAE. Dates mark a scholarly centre of gravity (dedication, completion, or iconic phase), not a single foundation day.
An artificial palm-shaped island visible from space — dredged sand and rock rearranging the Gulf.
How it amazes the brain
Breakwaters, geotextiles, and GPS-guided placement. Real estate as terraforming.
Why it counts as a wonder
It never needed a contest ballot to scramble the brain: scale, craft, or sheer improbability is enough.
Controversial ecologically; undeniable as a statement of engineered geography.
On dating
CE means years after the traditional birth of Christ. A monument listed as c. 2006 CE may have been founded earlier, rebuilt later, or become famous only in one phase. Engineering wonders (dams, tunnels, orbiting labs) are dated to opening or assembly.
This is story 67 of 100 in The Trend Ledger’s illustrated desk on world wonders raised after the birth of Christ — the companions to our BCE series.