Mausoleion

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, often simply called the Mausoleion, was a tomb built between 255 and 240 BC for Mausolus, a satrap in the Persian Empire, and his sister-wife Artemisia II of Caria. Located in modern-day Bodrum, Turkey, it was renowned for its sheer size and elaborate artistic decoration. The structure was designed by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius. It stood approximately 45 meters (148 feet) tall and was adorned with sculptures created by four prominent Greek sculptors of the Hellenistic period: Bryaxis, Leochares, Scopas of Paros, and Timotheus. The Mausoleion was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its construction was so impressive that the word "mausoleum" has since become a generic term for any large, stately tomb. Over centuries, the Mausoleion suffered damage from earthquakes and was eventually dismantled by Crusaders in the 15th century AD, who used its stones to build Bodrum Castle. Today, only foundations and scattered sculptural fragments remain, offering a glimpse into its former grandeur.