Halicarnassus

Bodrum was the ancient Halicarnassus, a Hellenistic city, an important port, the birthplace of Herodotus (the father of history), and, most famously, the site of the great Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Mausoleus' Mausoleum. Mausoleus was king in Halicarnassus. Anyhow, said Mausoleum was one of the Seven Wonders of the (Ancient) World, according to Pliny. Thanks to time, earthquakes, Crusaders, and the British Museum, very, very little of it remains today, but it is one of those sites you have to visit when you're in the neighborhood. Especially if you spent much of your childhood reading Richard Halliburton's Book of Marvels.

Just in case you have forgotten the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the 
ticket office provides this helpful reminder; 3 out 7 isn't bad; Vicki will have 
seen 4

This a model of what it looked like; very high, statues all over, 
columned main part, topped by stepped pyramid and then four

horse-power chariot; fit for a king

Artist's rendering off the web

Here is what's left

There were friezes all around; the Brits hauled them off 
for the British Museum, but later generously supplied casts 
for the locals to copy

One  of the copies

The original?




Spare parts; most of those that survived the Mausoleum's first 1400 years 
were carried off by Crusaders seeking (vainly) to fortify nearby Bodrum 
Castle against the Ottomans; ironically, when the Ottomans captured the
Crusaders' headquarters at Rhodes, Bodrum Castle surrendered without a 
fight

Thought to be the tomb site

Scale...

BIG blocks

We really wanted to collect the whole set of Seven Wonders 
of the Ancient World postcards, but everybody in town was 
all sold out...maybe when we get to the Temple of Artemis 
in a few days...