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You’ve surely heard of the ancient Greek city of Halicarnassus (Ἀλικαρνασσός) and its famous mausoleum, but where was it located? The modern city of Bodrum in Turkey. Only a few bits and pieces of the ancient city are still around to this day.
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
What’s left of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, can be seen at the Bodrum Mausoleum Museum. Admission for foreigners is €3 (as of May 2024) and it’s open daily. The mausoleum was built in 353 BC for King Mausolus of Caria and his wife and sister, Artemisia II. The word “mausoleum” is derived from the name of King Mausolus.
As the biggest attraction in Bodrum after Bodrum Castle, the mausoleum might be disappointing to most visitors. All that’s left are a few scattered columns and the burial chamber which is sometimes flooded with water.
The mausoleum, which once stood 45 meters high, was ruined in a series of earthquakes between the 12th and 14th centuries. The Knights of St. John plundered the remains to fortify their castle. Many items were removed by British archaeologists and now reside in the British Museum in London.
While exploring the site, you’ll be able to see some pre-mausoleum tombs as well as a mosaic rescued from a construction site elsewhere on the Bodrum Peninsula. The mosaic dates back to 100 BC during the Hellenistic period.
Finally, a small museum at the site explaining the history and construction of the mausoleum helps visitors better understand the significance of the structure. For a virtual tour, click here.
Theatre
Located across a busy highway above the city center is the Halicarnassus Theatre. Admission is free (as of May 2024) and it’s open daily except Mondays. The Halicarnassus Theatre has an incredible backdrop of the harbor and Bodrum Castle.
The theatre was built during the reign of King Mausolus in the 4th century BC and may have held up to 10,000 people. The present seating capacity is about 4,000 and there are about 45 rows of seats. When excavations began in 1976, only a few rows were visible.
Myndos Gate
On the western side of town is the Myndos Gate. This is the last surviving gate of the walls of Halicarnassus, which once spanned seven kilometers. They are quite significant historically. In the remains of the moat in front of the gate, Alexander the Great lost many soldiers during his attempt to take over the city.
There are a few ancient Roman tombs scattered near the gate, some with impressive mosaics.
