MAUSOLEUM OF HALICARNASSUS

As the 5th wonder of the world, the capital of the Ancient Carian kingdom of Asia Minor was located in Halicarnassus, that is, in the modern city of Bodrum in Turkey. It was a magnificent mausoleum (crypt) built over the tomb of the Carian king Mausolus at the request of his widow in the middle of the 4th century BC.

 

The word "mausoleum" also comes from the name Mausolus. The mausoleum collapsed as a result of an earthquake. The place where the monument stands today has remained a pit. The height of the mausoleum is 55 meters, which corresponds to the height of a 20-storey building. In ancient sources it is written that the statue of the four horsemen and the mausoleum belonged to Phidias.

 

The construction of the mausoleum was begun by Mausolus, the owner of Caria, around 355 BC. After his death, his wife and other brothers Mavsola continued the construction of the mausoleum. Some sources indicate that when the construction of the mausoleum was half completed, the funds allocated to Halicarnassus ended and money was collected from the people for completion.