"If you build new statues in these niches you destroy those remains," he said.
In light of the strong Islamist presence in Afghanistan, Manhart also insisted it would be difficult to rebuild another religion's "idols" in the country.
"Mr Weber does not have a mandate from the Afghan government, and without a mandate you can't do anything," he said.
Egypt, home of the Giza pyramids, was also critical, dismissing the new list of wonders as worthless.
"This contest will not detract from the value of the pyramids, which is the only real wonder of the world," Egypt's antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass told AFP. "This competition has no value because it is not the masses who write history."
China did not broadcast the event, leaving thousands of tourists at the Great Wall unaware of its new status.
"As usual there are a lot of tourists here today, but I don't think they came here because the Great Wall was chosen as one of the seven wonders of the world," Hu Yang, an official at the Badaling Great Wall near Beijing, told AFP.
"All the same it is a great honour for all of China."
Indians handed out sweets and set off fireworks outside the Taj Mahal, a 17th century marble mausoleum built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan in memory of his wife.
"It's a victory of love, the message which the Taj stands for," said Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotel and Restaurant Association.
Faruq Hadidi, head of Jordan's tourism ministry, meanwhile said the flow of tourists to Petra would "double" from its current level of 400,000 visitors a year.
In Peru, hundreds gathered at 2,430 meters to greet the announcement that the ruins of Machu Picchu had made it on the new list.
"The selection of Machu Picchu is an example of what Peruvians can achieve when we unite" as they did by voting in favour of "the new marvel", trade and tourism minister Mercedes Araoz told reporters.
Thousands also cheered, waved flags and broke into Mayan dances at the archaeological ruins on Mexico's Yucatan, when Chichen Itza, which attracts more than one million tourists a year, made it to the final list.
In Rio de Janeiro, which hosted one of the Live Earth concerts, hundreds of thousands of singing and dancing revellers broke into huge applause as they were told the city's landmark Christ the Redeemer statue was a new "wonder".
AFP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/news/unesco-slams-seven-new-wonders/2007/07/09/1183833387393.html?page=2