Not far from the Turkish town of Bodrum is one of the seven wonders of the world - the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. It arose in this place not by chance, because in ancient times there was the capital of the Persian satrapy of Kariya, known as Halicarnassus.
History
The city of Halicarnassus was founded by the Greeks in the 2nd millennium BC. e. In the middle of the 1st millennium, he was under the rule of the Persian state. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was built in the 4th century BC. BC. as a tomb for the Carian satrap Mausolus (377-353 BC) and his wife Artemisia II. Thanks to Mausolus, this building began to be called a mausoleum (Greek Mausoleion). The construction of the tomb began during the life of Mausolus, however, he did not live to see the final construction. According to legend, the construction of the mausoleum was led by Artemisia, who loved her husband very much and dreamed of perpetuating his memory. Therefore, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus is often called a monument of love. It attracts thousands of tourists.
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus captured the imagination of travelers for 1800 years, but in the 13th century it was destroyed by a strong earthquake. In the 15th century, the crusaders built the castle of St. Peter on the ruins of the mausoleum. To build thisbuildings were used marble blocks of the former tomb. When the crusaders were expelled, this castle turned into the Turkish fortress of Bodrum. By the 19th century, the foundation and several sculptures remained from the mausoleum. St. Peter's Castle stands in Bodrum to this day and the stones of the mausoleum are visible in its structure. On the territory of the tomb itself, you can see the ruins and a small museum of the history of Halicarnassus.
Architecture
The Mausoleum in Halicarnassus simultaneously played the role of a temple and a tomb. Its construction was carried out by Greek architects Satir and Pytheas. Not less important role in the creation of the mausoleum was played by such famous sculptors as Scopas, Bricasides, Leohar and Timothy.
In terms of architecture, there was a mixture of styles in this building. In addition, the tomb of Mausolus was distinguished by its unusual shape and gigantic size. The area of the Halicarnassus mausoleum was 5000 m², and the height was 20 m. The base was a 5-tiered rectangle, which was lined with white marble slabs. The building was decorated with a sculptural frieze - marble reliefs depicting the battle of the Greeks with the Amazons. The length of the described frieze was 117 m. Now some of the reliefs of the tomb are in the British Museum.
The tomb was located in a peripter that was placed on the base. He, in turn, was surrounded by 39 11-meter columns. They served as a support for the roof. The latter was designed in the form of a stepped pyramid, consisting of 24 steps. On top of the roof architectsplaced a marble quadriga. It was an ancient chariot drawn by four horses. It contained sculptures of Mausolus and Artemisia. Inside the tomb were placed marble sarcophagi of the royal couple. Statues of horsemen and marble lions located at the foot of the mausoleum served as an excellent addition to the building. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was not like all the tombs that existed before it, so it was quite rightly considered a wonder of the world.
