There once was a king named Maussollos. His wife decided
to have the Mausoleum built for him to be buried under when he
died. It was built in the city of Bodrum, in south-west Turkey.
It was finished being built in about 350 b.c.
The Mausoleum was 140 feet (45 m) in height. It was rectangular
in plan, and 120 feet (40 m) by 100 feet (30 m). Statues decorated
the outside, such as ones of people, lions, and horses. They
were carved by the Greek sculptors Bryaxis, Leochares, Scopas,
and Timotheus.
The Mausoleum stayed in good shape for 16 centuries until an
earthquake hit. It caused some damage to the roof and colonnade.
Then, the Knights of St. John of Matla invaded the area. In
about 1494 they decided to use the Mausoleum's stones to fortify
a crusader castle they built. By 1522, almost every block had
been disabled.
