Transfers
Transfers
Transfers
Transfers
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Mausolus Tomb
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the massive tomb built for Mausolus, governor of the southwestern Anatolian province of Caria from 377 to 353 b.c., lies in ruins at the center of the ancient city of Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum. Meager blocks from the monument are scattered where once stood a 14-story-tall structure clad in shining white marble and covered with decorative columns, immense sculptures, and expressive friezes designed by the most famous sculptors of the day. In their efforts to visualize this now-ruined monument, scholars have more to go on than for some of the other Seven Wonders.
​The Mausoleum was erected on a hill overlooking the city of Halicarnassus. The structure was positioned within an enclosed courtyard, at the center of which the Mausoleum sat atop a great stone platform. Visitors to the Mausoleum would have needed to ascend a monumental staircase, flanked on each side by marble lions. The platform was decorated with statues of gods and goddesses from the Classical world. The tomb itself, in the center of this stone platform, was a grand marble edifice
Hecatomnus Tomb
In addition to the surviving sculptures and reliefs, parts of a structure exist that may have served as a model for the mausoleum. This tomb in the ancient city of Milas, some 25 miles from Bodrum, likely belonged to Mausolus’ father, Hecatomnus. An inscription embedded in the southern wall of a sanctuary surrounding the tomb provides a crucial clue regarding its connection to Mausolus’ family. It reads “Mausolus, son of Hecatomnus, dedicated this altar.” “This constitutes valuable evidence linking the sanctuary to the lineage of Hecatomnus,” says art historian Ali Yalçın, director of the Milas Archaeology Museum. Hecatomnus’ tomb has three components. Its podium measures 118 feet long, 138 feet wide, and 18 feet tall at the highest preserved point. Atop this sits a burial chamber containing a sarcophagus. Archaeologists investigated and conserved an upper chamber about a decade ago, after looters attacked the monument in 2008.
Mausolus & Artemisia
Mausolus was a ruler of Caria (377–353 BCE) and a satrap of the Achaemenid Empire. He enjoyed the status of king or dynast by virtue of the powerful position created by his father Hecatomnus, who was the first satrap of Caria from the hereditary Hecatomnid dynasty. Alongside Caria, Mausolus also ruled Lycia and parts of Ionia & the Dodecanese islands. He is best known for his monumental tomb and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the construction of which has traditionally been ascribed to his wife and sister Artemisia.
Artemisia II of Caria was a naval strategist, commander and the sister (and later spouse) and the successor of Mausolus, ruler of Caria.
After the death of her brother/husband, Artemisia reigned for two years, from 353 to 351 BCE. Her ascension to the throne prompted a revolt in some of the island and coastal cities under her command due to their objection to a female ruler.
Her administration was conducted on the same principles as that of her husband; in particular, she supported the oligarchical party on the island of Rhodes.
