Location:
In the city of Bodrum (a.k.a. Halicarnassus) on the Aegean sea, South-west turkey
Descripton:
The structure was rectangular in plan. With the base dimension of about 40 m (120 ft) by 30 m (100 ft). Built in its foundation was a stepped podium which sides were decorated with statues. The burial chamber was surrounded by ionic columns (much like the ones in the temple of artemis)
On its top one will find a statue of a chariot pulled by foru horses which symbolizes the power of the great king. The total height of the building (140 ft), are composed of the following:
The free-standing statues of people, lions, warriors, horses, and other animals were sculpted by the great sculptors in that time: Bryaxis, Leochares, Scopas and Timotheus.
History:
When the city of Halicarnassus became the ca pital city of King Mausollos� empire, he decided to settle there along with his family. The project was conceived by his wife and sister Artemisia, and the construction might have started during the king�s lifetime. The years after the king�s death, the building was completed (around 350 BC).
For 16 centuries, the Mausoleum remained a visible wonder until such time a great earthquake deteriorated some parts of the roof and the colonnade. In 1494, upon the invasion of the Knights of St. John of Malta they built a crusader tower. By 1522, almost every block of the Mausoleum had be disassembled and used for construction.
At present, the remnants of the stones of the mausoleum can be seen at the crusader tower in Bodrum. The fragments of the statues can be found at the British Museum in London.
