Built: Circa 353 BC
Location: In the city of Bodrum (Halicarnassus) on the Aegean Sea, in southwestern Turkey
History:
The Mausoleum is an enormous marble tomb built to hold the body of the provincial king in the Persian Empire, Mausolus (Mausollos), and his wife and sister, Artemisia. Construction of it begun in the king’s lifetime, and was completed around 350 BC, three years after Maussollos’ death and one year after Artemisia’s.
The Mausoleum remained in good condition for 16 centuries until an earthquake damaged the roof. In the early 15th century, it was disassembled and the stones were used to build a massive crusader castle.
Today, all that remains at the site of the Mausoleum today is the foundation. The massive castle still stands in Bodrum, however, and the marble blocks of the Mausoleum can still be seen within its walls.
Description:
The Mausoleum was rectangular in shape, with a base dimensions of about 40 m (120 ft) by 30 m (100 ft), and a height of 45 m (140 ft). The burial chamber and sarcophagus was made of white alabaster and decorated with gold. It was located on a podium in the centre of the structure and surrounded by Ionic columns. A statue of four horses pulling a chariot decorated the top of the tomb.
The structure was heavily adorned with life-size statues of people and animals. Greek sculptors Bryaxis, Leochares, Scopas, and Timotheus carved the statues, each being responsible for one side of the building.
Interesting Facts:
- Mausolus’s queen, Artemisia, was so grief-struck by his death that she mixed his ashes with her drink