Mausoleum at Halicarnassus – Bodrum, Muğla
Built for Mausolus by Artemisia II (mid-4th c. BC) at Halicarnassus (Bodrum), the Mausoleum was one of the Seven Wonders. Designed by Pythius of Priene and Satyrus, with sculptural programs by Scopas, Bryaxis, Timotheus, and Leochares, it combined a high podium, colonnaded peristyle, stepped pyramidal roof, and a quadriga crowning statue. Earthquakes and later spoliation reduced it to ruins; many reliefs and sculptures are now in the British Museum.
Significance:
- Prototype for later “mausolea” worldwide; fused Greek and Anatolian dynastic traditions.
- Showcases Classical Greek sculpture at its peak; friezes depict Amazonomachy and centaur battles.
- Medieval reuse (Bodrum Castle) and modern excavations trace its destruction and afterlife.
Sources
- Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mausoleum_at_Halicarnassus
- British Museum – Mausoleum sculptures collection notes
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı – Halikarnas Mozolesi tanıtımı