Mausoleum of halicarnassus when was it built

Halicarnassus was located in the South-East of modern-day Turkey and had a special history. Even though it was an ancient Greek city, it remained also loyal to the Persians and even was part of the Persian Empire the moment the mausoleum was built. This was until Alexander the Great conquered Halicarnassus in B. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was built around B. He ruled over the region for 24, together with his sister, Artemisia II of Caria , who would also become his wife.

When Masusolus died in the year B. Construction started shortly after his death, and, likely, Artemisia never saw the finished project as she died merely 2 years later. The Mausoleum was built on a hill overlooking the city of Halicarnassus. It sat on a huge base that elevated it, making it stand about 45 meters ft tall. The tomb itself was located in an enclosed courtyard with a massive stairway flanked by stone lions leading up to it.

On top of the mausoleum, there was an area flanked by 36 columns , each having a statue of gods and goddesses in between them. The base itself had a huge number of bas-reliefs depicting scenes of battles. These include the battle of the centaurs with the Lapiths , and Greeks in battle with the Amazons , a group of warrior women. The most logical conclusion is that it was destroyed by an earthquake.

Artemisia hired famous Greek artists to build the tomb. Two Greek architects Pytheos and Satyros designed the shape of the tomb. There were also a variety of artists who contributed various cultural influences to the tomb, including Greek, Lycian and Egyptian.

Artemisia died two years after Mausolus, before the tomb was completed. At the top of the tomb there was a sculpture created by Pytheos. The carving depicted Mausolus and Artemisia in a chariot being pulled by four massive horses. Most of the mausoleum was made of marble.

It was surrounded by a courtyard. In B. It was in that year the ruler of this land, Hecatomnus of Mylasa, died and left control of the kingdom to his son, Mausolus. Hecatomnus, a local satrap to the Persians, had been ambitious and had taken control of several of the neighboring cities and districts. Mausolus in his time, extended the territory even further so that it finally included most of southwestern Asia Minor. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.

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Share Flipboard Email. Jennifer Rosenberg. History Expert. Jennifer Rosenberg is a historian and writer who specializes in 20th-century history. Updated November 05, Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Rosenberg, Jennifer.