When the Persians expanded their ancient kingdom to include Mesopotamia, Northern India, Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor, the king could not control his vast empire without the help of local governors or rulers -- the Satraps. Like many other provinces, the kingdom of Caria in the western part of Asia Minor (Turkey) was so far from the Persian capital that it was practically autonomous. From 377 to 353 BC, king Mausollos of Caria reigned and moved his capital to Halicarnassus. Nothing is exciting about Maussollos life except the construction of his tomb. The project was conceived by his wife and sister Artemisia, and the construction might have started during the king's lifetime. The Mausoleum was completed around 350 BC, three years after Maussollos death, and one year after Artemisia's.
For 16 centuries, the Mausoleum remained in good condition until an earthquake caused some damage to the roof and colonnade. In the early fifteenth century, the Knights of St John of Malta invaded the region and built a massive crusader castle. When they decided to fortify it in 1494, they used the stones of the Mausoleum. By 1522, almost every block of the Mausoleum had been disassembled and used for construction.
Today, the massive castle still stands in Bodrum, and the polished stone and marble blocks of the Mausoleum can be spotted within the walls of the structure. Some of the sculptures survived and are today on display at the British Museum in London. These include fragment of statues and many slabs of the frieze showing the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons. At the site of the Mausoleum itself, only the foundation remains of the once magnificent Wonder
Seven Wonders of the World:
1. The Pyramids of Giza
Built in the 3rd millenium BC,are the oldest of the seven wonders and the
Only ones remaining intact today.
.
2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Perhaps built by King Nebuchadnezzar II about 600 BC, were a mountainlike
Series of planted terraces.
3. The Statue of Zeus
(5th century BC) in Olympia, Greece, was created by Greek sculptor Phidias.
4. The Temple of Artemis
(356 BC) was located at Ephesus in Greece.
5. The Colossus of Rhodes
(280 BC) was a bronze statue of the Greek sun god Helios.
6. The Pharos of Alexandria
(3rd century BC), located in Alexandria, Egypt, was a famous ancient lighthouse.
Note: The color painting at the top of the page is of artistic nature and does not necessarily Represent an accurate reconstruction of the Wonder.
