Ancient City Halikarnassos-Mausoleum

The origins of Halicarnassus date back to the Bronze Age, with evidence of a Mycenaean settlement. In the 5th century BC, the city was part of the Delian League. Halicarnassus experienced its golden age under the Hecatomnid dynasty, when Maussolos made the city the capital of his realm. He had extensive fortifications, a harbor, and a Greek theater built. After his death around 353 BC, his consort and sister Artemisia II commissioned the construction of the famous Mausoleum, a magnificent tomb in which renowned artists such as Leochares and Scopas participated. The structure, which gave the name Maussolos its current meaning as a generic term for large tombs, was completed only after Artemisia's death. In 334 BC, Halicarnassus was besieged and conquered during Alexander the Great's campaigns. Later, it belonged to the Ptolemaic Kingdom and from 129 BC, to the Roman province of Asia. The Mausoleum was damaged by an earthquake in the 12th century and dismantled in the 15th and early 16th centuries by the Knights Hospitaller for building material for St. Peter's Castle.

The ancient city of Halicarnassus-Mausoleum is located in Bodrum, in the Muğla district, in the Aegean region of Turkey. The site is situated at an elevation of approximately 11 meters above sea level.

Today, visitors can explore the remains of the ancient city of Halicarnassus. Although the Mausoleum itself has been dismantled down to its foundations, the excavations and preserved artifacts offer insight into the former splendor of this World Wonder.

• Ancient City of Halicarnassus-Theater (Ancient Structures), approx. 0.3 km away
• Ancient City of Bargylia (Ancient Structures), approx. 22.7 km away
• Ancient City of Iasos (Ancient Structures), approx. 30.3 km away
• Ancient City of Knidos (Ancient Structures), approx. 39.1 km away