Bodrum’s Famous Mausoleum
One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Tomb of King Maus
The Gümüskesen is an elaborate Roman tomb that is a miniature version of the tomb of King Mausolus at Halikarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The Gümüskesen is an elaborate Roman tomb that lies near the centre of the Turkish town of Milas. It’s a miniature version of the tomb of King Mausolus at Halikarnassus with Corinthian pillars supporting a stepped pyramid roof. It’s rather impressive but imagine it multiplied in size seven times, put a chariot on top and it’s possible to get some idea of why the Tomb of Mausolus was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The ancient town of Halikarnassus is now the holiday resort of Bodrum. Its most famous resident, born here in 484 BC, was Herodotus who wrote the world’s first history. Later, in 353 BC, Halikarnassus became famed for the Mausoleum, a colossal memorial which thereafter lent its name to other ‘mausoleums’. King Mausolus designed the immense and ornate tomb for himself and his wife Artemis. He died before it was finished but Artemis completed it.
Standing 180 feet tall it was a massive black block surrounded by pillars, with a stepped roof topped by a large golden chariot and horses. A series of friezes and lions around the roof completed the decoration. It was partially destroyed by an earthquake in the 14th century then the Knights of St John finished the job a century later when they cannibalised the stone to build the Castle of St Peter. Today all that remains of the Mausoleum is an enormous hole in the ground at the level of the King’s burial chamber.
The Castle however still stands and is an important part of Bodrum’s history. It is now the top historical attraction and houses a number of small museums. The Glass Wreck Hall displays the wreck of a Byzantine ship, along with its cargo of coloured glass and finished glassware, bound for the glass workshops along the Black Sea. The Hall of the Carian Princess has the sarcophagus, skeleton and jewels of a noblewoman from the time of King Mausolus and continuing the gory theme, the dungeon is hung with chains and doom-laden warnings, while above it the bones of galley slaves are on display.
