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Native name | Soundarya |
---|---|
Born | 18 July 1972[1][2] Mulbagal, Kolar, Karnataka, India |
Died | 17 April 2004 (aged 31) |
Cause of death | Plane crash |
Years active | 1992–2004 |
Spouse(s) | G. S. Raghu (m.2003-2004) |
Parents |
|
Soundarya Sathyanarayana (18 July 1972 – 17 April 2004)[2] was an Indian actress and producer who worked predominantly in Telugu films and few Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi films in lead roles.[3]
In 2002, she received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film as producer for the Kannada filmDweepa. She received two Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Actress, several Filmfare Awards South and the Nandi Awards for her performances in films such as Ammoru (1994), Anthapuram (1998), Raja (1999), Dweepa (2002) and Aaptamitra (2004).[3][4] At the peak of her career, Soundarya died in an aircraft crash near Bangalore on 17 April 2004, when she was on her way to Andhra Pradesh to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party.[5][6] Soundarya's first movie was the Kannada movie Gandharva in 1992, produced and directed by Hamsalekha. In the same year, she entered Telugu movies ('Tollywood') through the movie Raithu Bharatham opposite Krishna.[citation needed]
Tamil Movies is an South India's No:1 YouTube Channel for discovering and watching thousands of Kollywood full length movies, songs and scenes. Get all the L. Aramm Movie Review When the movie ends, the audience give a standing ovation to the filmmaker Gopi Nainar but as a matter of fact, it should also go to the production house KJR studios which.
- 3Continuous success, critical acclaim and popularity (1995–2002)
Personal life
Soundarya was born in a Kannada family to industrialist and Kannada film writer-producer K. S. Satyanarayana. She discontinued her M.B.B.S. first year in Bangalore. She married G. S. Raghu who is a childhood friend and a Software Engineer. She had wide popularity and tremendous goodwill among Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and is probably the most successful actress after Mahanati Savitri in the history of Telugu cinema and is often called the 'Savitri of modern Telugu cinema'. She died in 2004 aircraft crash along with her brother Amarnath in Bangalore during an election campaign.[7]
Early career
Soundarya's first movie was the Kannada film Gandharva in 1992. Then in the same year, she acted in the Telugu movie Raithu Bharatham, opposite superstar Krishna, directed by Tripuraneni Sriprasad alias Varaprasad. She made more than 120 movies, predominantly in Telugu, in a span of 12 years. Telugu actor Venkatesh once described her as 'a thorough actress' of Indian cinema.[8]
She'd started off hoping to be a doctor but ended up an actress. She began with insignificant roles in Kannada, her mother tongue, and went on to become the most popular actress in Telugu films. In her first hit in Telugu, in 1993, she acted in the leading role alongside Rajendra Prasad (actor) in Rajendrudu Gajendrudu, directed by S.V. Krishna Reddy.[citation needed] The real commercial recognition came with Hello Brother (1994), directed by commercial director E.V.V Satyanarayana, in which she starred alongside Nagarjuna and Ramya Krishna.[citation needed] She had an award-winning role in Ammoru, directed by Kodi Ramakrishna. She starred alongside Ramya Krishna and Suresh where she played the role of Bhavani, a devotee of Goddess Ammoru. She had eleven movie releases in 1995.[8]In Tamil, she was introduced by Ammoru dubbing as Amman. She got major acclaim with Ponnumani, starring with Karthik and Sivakumar. She played the role of a mentally disabled person and received good reviews for her acting.
Continuous success, critical acclaim and popularity (1995–2002)
According to D. Ramanaidu, the 'Most Beautiful Pairs of Telugu cinema' are NTR and Savitri, ANR and Vanisri and Daggubati Venkatesh and Soundarya.
In 1997, she continued her success with Pelli Chesukundam, Pavitra Bandam, Amma Donga, Maa Aayana Bangaram, Osi Na Maradala and Aaro Pranam, winning acclaim from all over the industry for her performances. She also starred alongside South Indian superstar Rajinikanth in Arunachalam, which became the highest-grossing film of 1997 in Tamil cinema. This stardom made her come out of the shadow of mainstream heroines and she chose scripts which had a wide potential of performance even alongside big stars which was clearly reflected in her movies.. Though the industry regarded her to be the golden hand, as a former director's daughter, she always regarded the success not as a one-man show, but the teamwork between 36 departments.[8]
Furthermore, the critical success of Chudalani Vundi, directed by Gunashekar, opposite Chiranjeevi in 1998 made her reach the pinnacle of her cinema career. She also starred along Kamal Haasan and Prabhudeva in Kaathala Kaathala in Tamil in the same year, dubbed in Telugu as Navvandi Lavvandi, directed by Singeetam Srinivas. Pelli Peetalu and Sri Ramulayya, Ninne Premista in Telugu and Doni Saagali in Kannada were commercially highly successful. Anthapuram, directed by Krishnavamshi, stood as one of the finest performances of Soundarya in her career, winning her a State Nandi Award for Best Actress and also her second consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The producers and directors realized Soundarya's ability to be a crowd puller and the biggest plus for the promotion of the movie. Her 1999 release Raja, opposite Venkatesh, was another blockbuster and won her her third Filmfare Award. Her other releases, Padayappa opposite Rajinikanth, Azad opposite Nagarjuna and Premaku Velayera, Premaku Swagatam and Arundathi further solidified her position. In the same year, she starred opposite Amitabh Bachchan in Sooryavansham, which was one of the few failures of her career, and prevented her from entering into the Bollywood business.[8]
In 2000, she starred in yet another commercial success, Annayya, opposite Chiranjeevi, Jayam Manadera and Deviputrudu, opposite Venkatesh, Ninne premista, opposite Nagarjuna and Srikanth and several others and went on displaying her acting abilities, continuing her successful journey with films such as Eduruleni Manishi and Sri Manjunatha, opposite Chiranjeevi, Arjun Sarja, Ambareesh and Sumalatha and Narasimha, opposite Rajinikanth and Ramyakrishna, Pelli peetalu, Dongata and Nagadevatha.[8]
She has also given special songs in a few movies. alongside Akkineni Nageswara Rao in Mayabazar, directed by Dasari Narayana Rao, In Adhipathi, alongside Akkineni Nagarjuna and in Shubalagnam, alongside Ali Also.She had about 10 film releases each year, most of them in Telugu, from 1993 to 2001, which reflects her path-breaking success. After the entry of the budding next generation, she slowed down, but even later she went on acting in eight films each year till 2004. She has never been proud about stardom, she has been recognized for her super talent, her directors and costars describe her as an honest, grounded and friendly person.[8]
During the period, Balakrishna is announced plans to act and direct in the remake of Nartanasala, and a launch event was held in Hyderabad during March 2004.Soundarya was signed to play Draupadi.[9] The remake was shelved later due to the death of Soundarya in an flight accident.
She worked with almost all the top Directors of Film Industry's like Dasari Narayana Rao, K. Raghavendra Rao, Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, A. Kodandarami Reddy, Priyadarshan, Girish Kasaravalli, S.V. Krishna Reddy, K.S.Ravikumar, Krishna Vamsi, Kodi Ramakrishna, E. V. V. Satyanarayana, Muthyala Subbaiah, Gunasekhar, P.Vasu, Muppalaneni Shiva, Bharathi Kannan, Sundar C. and many more.
She starred along with many actors such as megastar super-star Krishna for 5 movies, Chiranjeevi for 4 in Telugu and 1 in Kannada movies, Balakrishna in only one movie, Nagarjuna for 5 movies, Venkatesh for 8 movies, Jagapathi Babu for 7 movies, Mohan Babu for 5 movies, Rajashekar for 5 movies, Suman for 3 movies, Harikrishna for 2 movies, Srikanth, Saikumar for 5 movies and Rajendra Prasad for 4 movies and has given films with all heroes such as Vinod Kumar, Naresh, Suresh, Harish, Abbas, Vineeth, Vadde Navven, Ramesh Babu, Avinash, Bhanu Chander and J.D. Chakravarthy.[8]
In Tamil, she also collaborated with superstar Rajinikanth for 3 movies, Kamal Hassan for one movie, Karthik for 3 movies, Arjun Sarja for 4 movies, Vijaykanth for 3 movies, Parthiban for 3 movies,and along with chiyaan vikram, Anand, Rehman, etc. and also she shared screen with Shivaji Ganesan in Padayappa[8]
Kannada Cinema
In Kannada movies, she has acted with Vishunuvardhan, Anant Nag, Ravichandran, Shashikumar, Ramesh Arvind and Avinash. In 1996, she acted in the musical blockbuster Sipayi, along with Ravichandran and Chiranjeevi, dubbed in Telugu as Major. In 2002, she received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film (producer) for Dweepa. She also acted beside Ambareesh in Sri Manjunatha. Her last film was the Kannada film Apthamitra, a runaway hit with Vishnuvardhan. The film won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress posthumously in 2004.
Other languages
Soundarya acted in the Hindi film Sooryavansham, alongside Amitabh Bachchan. She also starred in Kollywood super-hits such as Arunachalam and Padayappa, alongside Rajinikanth and Kaadhala Kaadhala, alongside Kamal Haasan. She acted in Mollywood as female lead in Kilichundan Mambhazham, with Mohanlal and Sreenivasan. And also with Jayaram in Yathrakarude Shradaykku in 2002, which was her first movie in Malayalam.
Politics and accidental death
Soundarya joined in Bharatiya Janata Party in the year 2004. Vijayashanti (joined in 1998) and Soundarya are star actresses to host the meetings of Lal Krishna Advani in Nirmal and Adilabad.[10] Soundarya and her brother Amarnath died in an aircraft crash near Bangalore on 17 April 2004, when she was on her way to Karimnagar to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party and Telugu Desam Party candidate for the upcoming elections. She was 5 months pregnant when she died.[5][6][7] The aircraft, a Cessna 180 owned by Agni Aerosports, took off at 11:05 a.m. and turned in a westerly direction before crashing on the campus of the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra of the University of Agricultural Sciences. It had reached only a height of 100 feet before it crashed and burst into flames. B.N. Ganapathi, one of the two persons working on the experimental fields of the university, who rushed to the aircraft to save the occupants, said the plane wobbled before the crash.
Social reforms
Before death, only Soundarya started 3 schools for orphan children in Bangalore in the name of her father, after Soundarya's death, her mother Manjula started schools, institutions and orphanages in the name Amarsoundarya Vidalaya's in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1992 | Nannai Thangi | Kannada | Debut movie | |
1992 | Gandharva | Sudha | Kannada | |
1992 | Raithu Bharatham | Soundarya | Telugu | |
1992 | Baa Nanna Preethisu | Kannada | ||
1992 | Manavarali Pelli | Soundarya | Telugu | |
1993 | Vijaya Kranthi | Kannada | ||
1993 | Ponnumani | Chinthamani | Tamil | |
1993 | Rajendrudu Gajendrudu | Lalita | Telugu | |
1993 | Amma Naa Kodala | Neelima | Telugu | |
1993 | Number One | Soundarya | Telugu | |
1993 | Mayalodu | Siri | Telugu | |
1993 | Inspector Jhansi | Jhansi | Telugu | |
1993 | Asalae Pellaina Vanni | Telugu | ||
1993 | Donga Alludu | Latha | Telugu | |
1993 | Urmlia (film) | Cameo Role | Telugu | |
1994 | Thooguve Krishnana | Kannada | ||
1994 | Madam | Soundarya | Telugu | |
1994 | Hello Brother | Ooha | Telugu | |
1994 | Allari Premikudu | Jhansi | Telugu | |
1994 | Top Hero | Chitra | Telugu | |
1994 | Super Police | Bharathi | Telugu | |
1995 | Amma Donga | Kumari Padma Priya | Telugu | |
1995 | Muthu Kaalai | Poonjolai | Tamil | |
1995 | Dear Son Maruthu | Raani | Tamil | |
1995 | Rikshavodu | Narasakka | Telugu | |
1995 | Ammoru | Bhavani | Telugu | Nandi Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu Dubbed in Tamil as Amman |
1995 | Bhale Bullodu | Raadha | Telugu | |
1995 | Amma Naa Kodala | Neelam | Telugu | |
1995 | Peddarayudu | Bharathi | Telugu | |
1995 | Chilakapachcha Kaapuram | Satyavathi | Telugu | |
1995 | Raja Simham | Sundari | Telugu | |
1995 | Vetagadu | Telugu | ||
1995 | Balaraju Bangaru Pellam | Telugu | ||
1995 | Maya Bazaar | Herself | Telugu | |
1996 | Jagadekaveerudu | Soundarya | Telugu | |
1996 | Pavithra Bandham | Radha | Telugu | Nandi Award for Best Actress |
1996 | Maa Voori Maraju | Satyavathi | Telugu | |
1996 | Ramudochadu | Soundaryaananda Aravindha Vadhana SundaraLakshmi | Telugu | |
1996 | Intlo Illalu Vantintlo Priyuralu | Seeta | Telugu | |
1996 | Puttinti Gowravam | Telugu | ||
1996 | Maa Inti Adapadachu | Janaki | Telugu | |
1996 | Sipayi | Kannada | ||
1996 | Urmila | |||
1996 | Senathipathi | Aishwarya | Tamil | |
1996 | Prema Pranayam | Telugu | ||
1997 | Pellichesukundam | Shanti | Telugu | |
1997 | Adirindi Guru | Telugu | ||
1997 | Taraka Ramudu | Taraka | Telugu | Dubbed in Tamil as 'Velli Nilave' |
1997 | Maa Aayana Bangaram | Vennela, Sruthi | Telugu | |
1997 | Oosi Na Maradala | Manisha Koirala, Kanchana Mala | Telugu | |
1997 | Aaro Pranam | Maknaa, Aakaanksha | Telugu | |
1997 | Arunachalam | Vedhavalli | Tamil | |
1997 | Priyaragalu | Priya | Telugu | |
1998 | Choodalani Vundi | Padmavathi | Telugu | |
1998 | Pelli Peetalu | Anjali | Telugu | |
1998 | Sri Ramulayya | Seethamma | Telugu | |
1998 | Sooryudu | Panthulamma Prameela | Telugu | |
1998 | Doni Saagali | Kannada | Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress | |
1998 | Anthapuram/Anthapuram | Bhanumathi | Telugu/Tamil | Nandi Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu |
1998 | Thambulalu | Telugu | ||
1998 | Dongata | SubbaLakshmi | Telugu | |
1998 | Subha Vaartha | Meghana | Telugu | |
1998 | Rayudu | Madhavi | Telugu | |
1998 | Kaathala Kaathala | Sundari | Tamil | |
1999 | Mannavaru Chinnavaru | Tamil | ||
1999 | Raja | Anjali | Telugu | Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu |
1999 | Aryabhata | Bharathi | Kannada | |
1999 | Anaganaga O Ammayi | Sandhya | Telugu | |
1999 | Arundhati | Arundhati | Telugu | |
1999 | Premaku Velayara | Madhavi, Malathi | Telugu | |
1999 | Manavudu Danavudu | Telugu | ||
1999 | Padayappa | Vasundhara | Tamil | Dubbed in Telugu as 'Narasimha' |
1999 | Naanu Nanna Hendthiru | Seetha | Kannada | |
1999 | Sooryavansham | Radha Singh | Hindi | |
1999 | Mayadari Mosagadu | Latha | Telugu | |
2000 | Annayya | Gajjela Kanaka Maha Lakshmi Devi | Telugu | |
2000 | Jayam Manade Raa | Uma | Telugu | |
2000 | Ninne Premistha | Meghamala | Telugu | |
2000 | Moodu Mukkalata | Shravani | Telugu | |
2000 | Ravanna | pirralamma Sirisha | Telugu | |
2000 | Azad | Anjali | Telugu | Dubbed in Tamil as 'Gurushethram' and Dubbed in Hindi as 'Mission Azad' |
2000 | Naga Devathe/Naga Devatha | Goddess Nagamma | Kannada / Telugu bilingual | Dubbed in Tamil as 'Nagadevathai' |
2000 | Postman | Archana | Telugu | |
2001 | Devi Putrudu | Karna | Telugu | Dubbed in Tamil as 'Paapa' and Dubbed in Hindi as 'Aaj Ka Deviputra' |
2001 | Sri Manjunatha | Katyaayini | Kannada / Telugu bilingual | |
2001 | Eduruleni Manishi | Vasundhara | Telugu | |
2001 | Sarduku Podam Randi | Raadha | Telugu | |
2001 | Naa Manasisthaa Raa | Nandhini | Telugu | |
2001 | 9 Nelalu | Savithri | Telugu | Dubbed in Tamil as 'Kanden Seethaiyai' |
2001 | Adhipati | Jagan's fiancée | Telugu | |
2001 | Eshwar Allah | Telugu | ||
2001 | Vijayadasami/Thaye Bhuvaneswary | Goddess Bhuvaneswary | Kannada / Tamil bilingual | Dubbed in Telugu as 'Peddamma Talli' |
2001 | Thavasi | Priyadarshini | Tamil | |
2001 | Kalisi Naduddam | Vijaya | Telugu | |
2002 | Kondaveeti Simhasanam | Chitti | Telugu | |
2002 | Premaku Swagatham | Lahari | Telugu | |
2002 | Yathrakarude Sradhakku | Jyothi | Malayalam | |
2002 | Gelupu | Telugu | ||
2002 | Ivan | Dikshanya | Tamil | |
2002 | Dweepa | Nagi | Kannada | Also as Producer National Film Award for Best Feature Film Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada |
2003 | Chokka Thangam | Pavala | Tamil | |
2003 | Prema Donga | Telugu | ||
2003 | Seetayya | Seetha | Telugu | |
2003 | Kilichundan Mampazham | Amina | Malayalam | |
2003 | Sri Renukadevi | Goddess Renuka Devi | Kannada | Dubbed in Tamil as 'Namma Ooru Ellaiamman' and Dubbed in Hindi as 'Ma Ka Chamatkar' |
2004 | Shwetha Nagu/Shwetha Naagara | Madhu | Telugu / Kannada bilingual | Dubbed in Tamil as 'Madhumathi' |
2004 | Shiva Shankar | Padma | Telugu | Posthumously released |
2004 | Apthamitra | Ganga / Nagavalli | Kannada | Posthumously released Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada |
Awards
- National Film Awards
- 2003 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film : Dweepa as (Producer)
- Karnataka State Film Awards
- 1998-Best Actress : Doni Saagali
- 2003-Best Actress : Dweepa
Tamil Full Movie Free Download
- Filmfare Awards South
- 1995 -Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu: Ammoru
- 1998 -Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu: Anthapuram
- 1999 -Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu: Raja
- 2003 -Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada: Dweepa
- 2003 -Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada: Dweepa (Won as Producer)[11]
- 2004 -Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Kannada: Apthamitra (Posthumously awarded)
- Nandi Awards
2.0 Full Movie In Tamil
- 1994 -Best Actress: Ammoru
- 1996 -Best Actress: Pavithra Bandham
- 1998 -Best Actress: Anthapuram
References
- ^Pandya, Haresh (10 May 2004). 'Obituary: Soundarya'. The Guardian. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ^ ab'Soundarya'. IMDb.
- ^ abPandya, Haresh (10 May 2004). 'Soundarya'. Online edition. The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ^'International Film Festival of India-2002'. Pib.nic.in. 26 September 2002. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
- ^ ab'Indian Actress Soundarya Dies in Plane Crash'. online edition. Voice of America news. 17 April 2004. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ^ abHemant Raj, Ashwin (17 April 2005). 'Soundarya dies in plane crash'. Online edition. Times of India. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ^ abPress Trust of India (17 April 2004). 'Soundarya killed in plane crash. its a tragedy'. The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ^ abcdefghKumar, Ch Sushil (28 March 1998). 'Child, woman, star'. Interview. Rediff.com. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- ^'PressReader.com - Connecting People Through News'. www.pressreader.com.
- ^'The Hindu : Glamour queens to grace Advani's meetings'. www.thehindu.com.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2009.Cite uses deprecated parameter
deadurl=
(help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Soundarya on IMDb
Contents
The amazing works of art and architecture known as the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World serve as a testament to the ingenuity, imagination and sheer hard work of which human beings are capable. They are also, however, reminders of the human capacity for disagreement, destruction and, possibly, embellishment. As soon as ancient writers compiled a list of “seven wonders,” it became fodder for debate over which achievements deserved inclusion. The original list comes from a work by Philo of Byzantium written in 225 B.C. called On The Seven Wonders. Ultimately, human hands joined with natural forces to destroy all but one of the wonders. Furthermore, it is possible that at least one of the wonders might not have existed at all. Still, all seven continue to inspire and be celebrated as the remarkable products of the creativity and skill of Earth’s early civilizations.
Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt
See more:10 Awe-Inspiring Photos of the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids
The Great Pyramid, located at Giza on the west bank of the Nile River north of Cairo in Egypt, is the only wonder of the ancient world that has survived to the present day. It is part of a group of three pyramids–Khufu (Cheops), Khafra (Chephren) and Menkaura (Mycerimus)–that were built between 2700 B.C. and 2500 B.C. as royal tombs. The largest and most impressive is Khufu, known as “The Great Pyramid,” which covers 13 acres and is believed to contain more than 2 million stone blocks that weigh from two to 30 tons each. For more than 4,000 years, Khufu reigned as the tallest building in the world. In fact, it took modern man until the 19th century to build a taller structure. Amazingly, the nearly symmetrical Egyptian pyramids were built without the aid of modern tools or surveying equipment. So, how did Egyptians build the pyramids? Scientists believe that the Egyptians used log rollers and sledges to move the stones into place. The sloped walls, which were intended to mimic the rays of Ra, the sun god, were originally built as steps, and then filled in with limestone. The interior of the pyramids included narrow corridors and hidden chambers in an unsuccessful attempt to foil grave robbers. Although modern archeologists have found some great treasures among the ruins, they believe most of what the pyramids once contained was looted within 250 years of their completion.
Did you know? The Colossus of Rhodes was an inspiration for the Statue of Liberty.
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Hanging Gardens of Babylon
According to ancient Greek poets, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built near the Euphrates River in modern-day Iraq by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II around 600 B.C. The gardens were said to have been planted as high as 75 feet in the air on a huge square brick terrace that was laid out in steps like a theater. The king allegedly built the towering gardens to ease his lover Amytis’ homesickness for the natural beauty of her home in Media (the northwestern part of modern-day Iran). Later writers described how people could walk underneath the beautiful gardens, which rested on tall stone columns. Modern scientists have deduced that for the gardens to survive they would have had to be irrigated using a system consisting of a pump, waterwheel and cisterns to carry water from the Euphrates many feet into the air. Though there are multiple accounts of the gardens in both Greek and Roman literature, none of them are firsthand, and no mention of the gardens has been found in Babylonian cuneiform inscriptions. As a result, most modern scholars believe that the existence of the gardens was part of an inspired and widely believed but still fictional tale.
Statue of Zeus at Olympia
See more: Striking Photos of Classical Greek Architecture
The famed statue of Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek Mythology, was crafted by the Athenian sculptor Phidias and completed and placed in the temple of Zeus at Olympia, site of the ancient Olympics, around the mid-fifth century B.C. The statue depicted the god of thunder seated bare-chested at a wooden throne. Holding up the thrones’ armrests were two carved sphinxes, mythical creatures with the head and chest of a woman, the body of lion and the wings of a bird. The statue of Zeus was richly decorated with gold and ivory. At 40 feet, it was so tall that its head nearly touched the top of the temple. According to legend, the sculptor Phidias asked Zeus for a sign of his approval after finishing the statue; soon after, the temple was struck by lightning. The Zeus statue graced the temple at Olympia for more than eight centuries before Christian priests persuaded the Roman emperor to close the temple in the fourth century A.D. At that time, the statue was moved to a temple in Constantinople, where it is believed to have been destroyed in a fire in the year 462.
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
There was actually more than one Temple of Artemis: A series of several altars and temples was destroyed and then restored on the same site in Ephesus, a Greek port city on the west coast of modern-day Turkey. The most fabulous of these structures were two marble temples built around 550 B.C. and 350 B.C., respectively. “Apart from Olympus, the Sun never looked on anything so grand,” the writer Antipater of Sidon wrote of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.
The original Temple of Artemis was designed by the Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes and decorated by some of the most celebrated artists of the ancient world. The building burned on July 21, 356 B.C., according to legend the same night that Alexander the Great was born. It was torched by a Greek citizen named Herostratus, who claimed he burned the marvel so that his name would be known to history. He was put to death and the government declared it illegal to utter his name.
About six years later, the building of the new Temple of Artemis was begun. The new building was surrounded by marble steps that led to a more than 400-foot-long terrace. Inside stood 127 60-foot marble columns and a statue of Artemis, the Greek Goddess of the hunt. Archeologists disagree as to whether the building had an open-air ceiling or was topped with wood tiles. The temple was largely destroyed by Ostrogoths in A.D. 262, and it was not until the 1860s that archeologists dug up the first of the ruins of the temple’s columns at the bottom of the Cayster River.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Located in what is now southeastern Turkey, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a tomb built by Artemisia for her husband, Mausolus, the king of Carnia in Asia Minor, after his death in 353 B.C. Mausolus was also Artemisia’s brother, and, according to legend, she was so grief-stricken at his passing that she mixed his ashes with water and drank them in addition to ordering the mausoleum’s construction. The massive mausoleum was made entirely of white marble and is thought to have been about 135 feet high. The building’s complicated design, consisting of three rectangular layers, may have been an attempt to reconcile Lycian, Greek and Egyptian architectural styles. The first layer was a 60-foot base of steps, followed by a middle layer of 36 Ionic columns and a stepped, pyramid-shaped roof. At the very top of the roof lay the tomb, decorated by the work of four sculptors, and a 20-foot marble rendition of a four-horse chariot. The mausoleum was largely destroyed in an earthquake in the 13th century and its remains were later used in the fortification of a castle. In 1846, pieces of one of the mausoleum’s friezes were extracted from the castle and now reside, along with other relics from the Halicarnassus site, in London’s British Museum.
Colossus of Rhodes
The Colossus of Rhodes was an enormous bronze sculpture of the sun god Helios built by the Rhodians over 12 years in the third century B.C. The city was the target of a Macedonian siege early in the fourth century B.C. and, according to legend, the Rhodians sold the tools and equipment left behind by the Macedonians to pay for the Colossus. Designed by the sculptor Chares, the statue was, at 100 feet, the tallest of the ancient world. It was completed around 280 B.C. and stood for sixty years until it was toppled in an earthquake. It was never rebuilt. Hundreds of years later, Arabs invaded Rhodes and sold the remains of the statue as scrap metal. Because of this, archeologists do not know much about the exact location of the statue or what it looked like. Most believe that it depicted the sun god standing naked while he lifted a torch with one hand and held a spear in the other. It was once believed that the statue stood with one leg on each side of a harbor, but most scholars now agree that the statue’s legs were most likely built close together to support its immense weight.
Lighthouse of Alexandria
The Lighthouse of Alexandria was located on a small island called Pharos near the city of Alexandria. Designed by the Greek architect Sostratos and completed around 270 B.C. during the reign of Ptolemy II, the lighthouse helped to guide Nile River ships in and out of the city’s busy harbor. Archeologists have found ancient coins on which the lighthouse was depicted, and from them deduced that the structure had three tiers: a square level at the bottom, an octagonal level in the middle and a cylindrical top. Above that stood a 16-foot statue, most likely of Ptolemy II or Alexander the Great, for whom the city was named. Although estimates of the lighthouse’s height have ranged from 200 to 600 feet, most modern scholars believe it was about 380 feet tall. The lighthouse was gradually destroyed during a series of earthquakes from 956 to 1323. Some of its remains have since been discovered at the bottom of the Nile.
New 7 Wonders of the World
In 2007, the New 7 Wonders Foundation held a contest to name the “New 7 Wonders of the World.” Tens of millions of people voted for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites that made the list. They span four continents and attract thousands of tourists each year. They are:
- The Great Wall of China (Built 220 BC to 1644 AD)
- The Taj Mahal, India (Built 1632-1648 AD)
- Petra, Jordan (Built 4 Century BC-2 Century AD)
- The Colosseum in Rome, Italy (Built AD 72-82)
- Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Built 1926-1931)
- Chichen Itza, Mexico (Built 5-13 century AD)
- Machu Picchu, Peru (Build mid-15 century AD)
PLUS: The Many Places Claiming to Be the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’