The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is located in the city of Bodrum (f.k.a. Halicarnassus) on the Aegean Sea, in south-west Turkey. This tomb is similar to the Great Pyramid because like Pyramid, it was also a burial place of an ancient king. But the Mausoleum was so diifferent from the Great Pyramid and it has got its place in the Wonders list for other reasons. One of the reasons are that the size of this Mausoleum is fascinating huge. Another reason, rather than the size that fascinated its visitors is the beauty ofMausoleum. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus is located near the Temple of Artemis.

                When the Persians expanded their ancient kingdom to include Mesopotamia, Northern India, Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor, the king could not control his vast empire without the help of local governors or rulers -- the Satraps. Like many other provinces, the kingdom of Caria in the western part of Asia Minor (Turkey) was so far from the Persian capital that it was practically autonomous. From 377 to 353 BC, king Mausollos of Caria reigned and moved his capital to Halicarnassus. Nothing is exciting about Maussollos life except the construction of his tomb. The project was conceived by his wife and sister Artemisia, and the construction might have started during the king's lifetime. The Mausoleum was completed around 350 BC, three years after Maussollos death, and one year after Artemisia's.

              For 16 centuries, the Mausoleum remained in good condition until an earthquake caused some damage to the roof and colonnade. In the early fifteenth century, the Knights of St John of Malta invaded the region and built a massive crusader castle. When they decided to fortify it in 1494, they used the stones of the Mausoleum. By 1522, almost every block of the Mausoleum had been disassembled and used for construction.

              Today, the massive castle still stands in Bodrum, and the polished stone and marble blocks of the Mausoleum can be spotted within the walls of the structure. Some of the sculptures survived and are today on display at the British Museum in London. These include fragment of statues and many slabs of the frieze showing the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. At the site of the Mausoleum itself, only the foundation remains of the once magnificent Wonder.

              The structure of the Mausoleum was rectangular in plan with base dimensions of about 40 m (120 ft) by 30 m (100 ft). Mausolus is a provincial king in the Persian Empire and Artemisia, who was his wife and sister. Satyrus and Pythius are Greek architects who design the tomb with approximately 135 feet and four famous Grecian sculptors added an decorated band around its exterior.When Artemisia planning for the construction, they decided not to spend anything. She decided to send messengers to Greece to find the most talented artists in that time. This included Scopas, the one who supervise the re-construction of the Temple of Artemis. Other famous artists such as Bryaxix, Leochares and Timotheus. The tomb was build on a hill overlooking the city. The whole structure is closed countryard. At the center of the countryard was a stoneplatform on which the tomb itself is placed. It was made of mostly marble and the structures rose as a square.The foundation was a stepped podium which sides were decoratied with statues of gods and goddess. The staircase is made by stoned lion leading to the top of this platform. One of the paintings on the wall is the battle of the Centaurs with Lapiths, Another is the combat with Amazons which is the race of the warrior women.
 
 

Copyright© 2005-2006. ThinkQuestTeam® ID.NYC062731

All Rights Reserved.