The mausoleum
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
Is a funerary monument that was completed in -350 BC and was demolished definitively during the 15th century, after its stones were reused to build the castle St Peter. Halicarnassus was an important city of the kingdom of Caria, a kingdom become independent under the governor Mausole for which the monument was built. Nowadays the city is called Bodrum, it is a well-known Turkish tourist destination.
Where does the word Mausoleum come from
Where does the word Mausoleum come from
The word "Mausoleum" comes from Governor Mausole, the king of Caria, who lived in the 4th century BC and who, on his death, received a fantastic tomb from his wife Artemis II. joined him in the grave two years after the death of her husband. This tomb was so imposing, so decorated, that it was part of the 7 wonders of the ancient world and gave the name of Mausoleum to all constructions of this type.
It is amusing to note that another marvel of the world, the lighthouse of Alexandria, provoked the same phenomenon: Built on the Alexandrian island of Pharos, it was thus that one designated all the constructions in heights destined to directing the boats in the open sea.
General description of the mausoleum
It is amusing to note that another marvel of the world, the lighthouse of Alexandria, provoked the same phenomenon: Built on the Alexandrian island of Pharos, it was thus that one designated all the constructions in heights destined to directing the boats in the open sea.
General description of the mausoleum
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
The tomb was erected on a hill overlooking the city. The whole structure was girded in a closed court of 242.5m by 105. In the center of the courtyard there was a stone platform on which lay the tomb. A staircase flanked by stone lions led to the top of the platform, which had numerous statues of gods and goddesses on its outer walls. At each corner, stone warriors mounted on horseback guarded the tomb. In the center of the platform, the rectangular marble tomb rose like a tapered block in the form of a truncated pyramid, a pyramid so slightly bent that it appears to be a cube. The base of the tomb was almost square: 38.4m by 32.5. This section was decorated with a bas-relief frieze at its base and top. The scenes depicted battles of centaurs with lapiths and the Greeks in combat with the Amazons, a race of warrior women.
At the top of this section of the tomb were thirty-six thin columns, ten on each side, with each corner dividing a column between two sides. These columns still increased the height of the monument by a good third. Each column was 12m high and was separated from its neighbor by 3m. The space was occupied by a statue. Behind the columns was a solid cell-like block bearing the weight of the massive roof of the tomb. This roof, which was the same height as the columns, was pyramidal and was made of 24 steps concentrating at the highest point. On the top was a pedestal and its famous quadriga, a statue composed of four massive horses pulling a chariot in which was reproduced the couple Mausole and Artemis II, for a height of 6m.
Tomb: 13m
Colonnade: 12m
Roof: 12m
Quadriga: 6m
At the top of this section of the tomb were thirty-six thin columns, ten on each side, with each corner dividing a column between two sides. These columns still increased the height of the monument by a good third. Each column was 12m high and was separated from its neighbor by 3m. The space was occupied by a statue. Behind the columns was a solid cell-like block bearing the weight of the massive roof of the tomb. This roof, which was the same height as the columns, was pyramidal and was made of 24 steps concentrating at the highest point. On the top was a pedestal and its famous quadriga, a statue composed of four massive horses pulling a chariot in which was reproduced the couple Mausole and Artemis II, for a height of 6m.
The total height of the building is 43m - according to the most recent studies - we have the following distribution
Tomb: 13m
Colonnade: 12m
Roof: 12m
Quadriga: 6m
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
The dimensions
the mausoleum was 19 cubits to the north and south, was slightly shorter on the other fronts, and was 125 meters long and 11.4 meters high (25 cubits). The authors called this part the pteron, the pteron also encompassing the 36 columns above. The only other author who gives the dimensions of the Mausoleum is Hyginus, a grammarian of the time of Augustus. It describes the monument as being constructed of shiny stones, 24 meters (80 feet) high and 410 meters (1,340 feet)
The mausoleum had a rectangular stone basement that was quite spectacular. It was stepped, ie its sides were in fact a succession of steps leading to the feet of the mausoleum. He himself was tall, he measured 43m in height and was surrounded by 36 columns that supported the roof. The latter was square in shape, with a slight slope made of 24 steps. At the top of the roof was a large statue depicting Mausole leading a quadriga, a 4-horse-drawn, 2-wheeled chariot, all made of marble.
The mausoleum had a rectangular stone basement that was quite spectacular. It was stepped, ie its sides were in fact a succession of steps leading to the feet of the mausoleum. He himself was tall, he measured 43m in height and was surrounded by 36 columns that supported the roof. The latter was square in shape, with a slight slope made of 24 steps. At the top of the roof was a large statue depicting Mausole leading a quadriga, a 4-horse-drawn, 2-wheeled chariot, all made of marble.
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
The decorations
The decorations of the mausoleum were, it seems, splendid. It was surrounded by numerous statues in round-bumps (of which one can go around, a normal statue, what ...) or high relief (that is to say coming out strongly of the stone from which it is extracted, on the contrary bas-reliefs whose representations do not come out very much from the stone.) The whole building was surrounded by carved friezes representing various episodes of the governor's life or representative of the peculiarities of his time. For example there is a race of tanks, lions, combat scenes, etc. Each side of the building was made, it seems, by a different artist. The friezes were also used to magnify the Greek culture. Indeed, Mausole was of Greek culture, in spite of his belonging to the Persian Empire. The decorations of the mausoleum were therefore of Greek inspiration and showed battles between the Greeks and the Amazons or the Centaurs, two original themes for the time. Note that many statues were larger than the actual animals they represent
The statue depicts a horse standing with its head held up and turned to its left. It transmits a feeling of great energy and vitality demonstrated by prominent muscles, open mouth, prominent veins and bulbous eye. The teeth are perfectly carved in an open mouth whose tongue is underlined. The horse's mane runs along the neck on both sides and a lock of horsehair floats around the right eye. Around the body are two strips which form part of the harness which are joined to the crest by a collar. This is a normal harness for a four-horse chariot. The original bronze flange and wick are still fixed by studs. The curved cheeks are of the Corinthian type. The statue is reconstructed from several fragments. Traces of paint still exist.
The whole of the mausoleum was surrounded by a protective enclosure open to the east by a room serving as a vestibule (from a practical point of view) and purgatory (from a religious point of view). Indeed, it was often that the city of the living were separated from the places of burial by a room, a garden or any other symbolic place that served as a transition between temporal and spiritual places. A good example is the Taj Mahal, with a site surrounded by a wall and divided into three parts: the terrestrial part, the purgatory and the celestial part (the mausoleum proper)
The decorations of the mausoleum were, it seems, splendid. It was surrounded by numerous statues in round-bumps (of which one can go around, a normal statue, what ...) or high relief (that is to say coming out strongly of the stone from which it is extracted, on the contrary bas-reliefs whose representations do not come out very much from the stone.) The whole building was surrounded by carved friezes representing various episodes of the governor's life or representative of the peculiarities of his time. For example there is a race of tanks, lions, combat scenes, etc. Each side of the building was made, it seems, by a different artist. The friezes were also used to magnify the Greek culture. Indeed, Mausole was of Greek culture, in spite of his belonging to the Persian Empire. The decorations of the mausoleum were therefore of Greek inspiration and showed battles between the Greeks and the Amazons or the Centaurs, two original themes for the time. Note that many statues were larger than the actual animals they represent
The statue depicts a horse standing with its head held up and turned to its left. It transmits a feeling of great energy and vitality demonstrated by prominent muscles, open mouth, prominent veins and bulbous eye. The teeth are perfectly carved in an open mouth whose tongue is underlined. The horse's mane runs along the neck on both sides and a lock of horsehair floats around the right eye. Around the body are two strips which form part of the harness which are joined to the crest by a collar. This is a normal harness for a four-horse chariot. The original bronze flange and wick are still fixed by studs. The curved cheeks are of the Corinthian type. The statue is reconstructed from several fragments. Traces of paint still exist.
The whole of the mausoleum was surrounded by a protective enclosure open to the east by a room serving as a vestibule (from a practical point of view) and purgatory (from a religious point of view). Indeed, it was often that the city of the living were separated from the places of burial by a room, a garden or any other symbolic place that served as a transition between temporal and spiritual places. A good example is the Taj Mahal, with a site surrounded by a wall and divided into three parts: the terrestrial part, the purgatory and the celestial part (the mausoleum proper)
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
Location of the mausoleum
The mausoleum of Halicarnassus is in the city of Bodrum, a town on the west coast of Turkey. The ruins are still visible today, they are exactly in the city center, just north of the port, along the artery which cuts the city in two lengthways. A bird's eye view is not even a kilometer from Bodrum beach. The site is protected of course
The mausoleum of Halicarnassus is in the city of Bodrum, a town on the west coast of Turkey. The ruins are still visible today, they are exactly in the city center, just north of the port, along the artery which cuts the city in two lengthways. A bird's eye view is not even a kilometer from Bodrum beach. The site is protected of course
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
The mausoleum of Halicarnassus appears in the 4th century BC, in the town of Halicarnassus, a town in the kingdom of Caria. This kingdom was in fact a province of the Persian Empire, but it was so far from the capital that it was governed almost autonomously. Created very long before, from the fifteenth century BC, it is found in -392 under the governorate of Hecatomnos, who received it from the Persian Emperor Artaxerxes II. The authority was transferred to his son Mausole in -377 who took the destiny of this province in hand before joining, towards -365, the other provinces that had revolted against the Persian Emperor. In -360 Caria had returned to Persia, but Mausole had sufficiently played an intermediary role that not only was he not threatened but was even rewarded by the expansion of his territory.
He moved his capital from Mylasa to Halicarnassus between 370 and 365 BC, where he built ramparts and monuments, including a major theater. Married to his sister Artemis II as the authorized tradition, Mausole left no trace of his way of governing, although we have proofs of his official acts. Mausole died in 353 BC, it is on this date that the mausoleum enters history.
He moved his capital from Mylasa to Halicarnassus between 370 and 365 BC, where he built ramparts and monuments, including a major theater. Married to his sister Artemis II as the authorized tradition, Mausole left no trace of his way of governing, although we have proofs of his official acts. Mausole died in 353 BC, it is on this date that the mausoleum enters history.
History of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
Little is known about the history of the mausoleum. Finished in -350, it was still intact a few years later, in 334 BC, during the conquest by Alexander the Great. In 62, then in 58 BC pirates came to plunder the city but there too the tomb was not damaged. It seems to have been well maintained until the twelfth century but during the Middle Ages it gradually fell into decrepitude. Over time the walls and roofs collapsed and the stones were used to build the surrounding buildings. It is not known exactly when and how the mausoleum fell into ruin. Eustathius wrote in the twelfth century on his commentary on the Iliad that "it was and is a marvel", which concludes that the building was ruined, probably by an earthquake, between this period and 1404, when the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem arrived and noted that it was in ruins. However, Luttrell no
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
In the fifteenth century there remained only the foundations (1404), it is the hospitals that made it disappear definitively in 1494 using the stones of the bases to construct the castle St Pierre as well as to repair the walls of the cities. In 1522 there was nothing left of the mausoleum, the hospitals having finished recovering the last stones to reinforce the castle following a rumor of attack of the Ottomans. However, if the Hospitallers used the stones to fortify their castle, they also recovered the bas-reliefs with which they decorated the building they built on the spot, which saved them a while. On the other hand a large part of the marble was burned with lime to make plaster. Fortunately, there are still stones in the city of Bodrum, which come from the mausoleum of Halicarnassus. They are recognized by the fact that they are perfectly polished.
Subsequently Soliman the Magnificent conquered the positions of the hospitable knights of the island of Rhodes, who then moved briefly to Sicily and later permanently to Malta, leaving the Castle and Bodrum to the Ottoman Empire.
During the fortification work, a group of knights entered the base of the monument and discovered the room containing a large coffin. In many of the stories in the Mausoleum, we find the following story about the events that took place at that time: The discoverer of the site, deciding that it was too late to open the coffin that day, came back the next morning to find the tomb and any treasure he could have contained, but unfortunately he was already plundered. The bodies of Mausolus and Artemisia were also lacking
Subsequently Soliman the Magnificent conquered the positions of the hospitable knights of the island of Rhodes, who then moved briefly to Sicily and later permanently to Malta, leaving the Castle and Bodrum to the Ottoman Empire.
During the fortification work, a group of knights entered the base of the monument and discovered the room containing a large coffin. In many of the stories in the Mausoleum, we find the following story about the events that took place at that time: The discoverer of the site, deciding that it was too late to open the coffin that day, came back the next morning to find the tomb and any treasure he could have contained, but unfortunately he was already plundered. The bodies of Mausolus and Artemisia were also lacking
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On the spot are the ruins of the mausoleum, with, in a large rectangular space, numerous Doric columns, stones and a few vestiges of statues. Some ruins are protected by modern buildings. The small museum next to the site tells its story. Research carried out by archaeologists in the 1960s shows that long before the arrival of the knights, the tombsters had already dug a tunnel under the funerary chamber, stealing its contents, but as far as the theft of the bodies is concerned, it is much more probably that the deceased were cremated before being deposited in the monument, as the local tradition of antiquity wished. Thus, if thieves have acted in this chamber, which seems to be true, they have only been able to steal the urns. This also explains why no bodies were found in the funerary chamber
On the spot are the ruins of the mausoleum, with, in a large rectangular space, numerous Doric columns, stones and a few vestiges of statues. Some ruins are protected by modern buildings. The small museum next to the site tells its story. Research carried out by archaeologists in the 1960s shows that long before the arrival of the knights, the tombsters had already dug a tunnel under the funerary chamber, stealing its contents, but as far as the theft of the bodies is concerned, it is much more probably that the deceased were cremated before being deposited in the monument, as the local tradition of antiquity wished. Thus, if thieves have acted in this chamber, which seems to be true, they have only been able to steal the urns. This also explains why no bodies were found in the funerary chamber
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
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Archaeological excavations
The archaeological excavations of the Halicarnassian mausoleum are intimately connected with Charles Thomas Newton, a British archaeologist of the nineteenth century (1816-1894), a future curator at the British Museum for whom he traveled to the antiquities where he brought back a large number of objects still exposed there today.
In 1846 Lord Stratford of Redcliffe obtained permission to remove these reliefs from Bodrum. On the original site, all that remained in the 19th century were the foundations and some broken sculptures. This site was initially suggested by Professor Donaldson and was definitively discovered by Charles Newton, after which an expedition was sent by the British government. The expedition lasted three years and ended with the sending of the remaining marbles to London, which explains why the remains of this mausoleum are found at the British Museum. Newton found sections of reliefs that decorated the building's wall and parts of the staircase roof. He also discovered a broken stone cart wheel about 2 m (6.7 ft) in diameter, which was a part of the top sculpture. Finally, he found the statues of Mausole and Artemise which were at the top in the chariot.
Archaeological excavations
The archaeological excavations of the Halicarnassian mausoleum are intimately connected with Charles Thomas Newton, a British archaeologist of the nineteenth century (1816-1894), a future curator at the British Museum for whom he traveled to the antiquities where he brought back a large number of objects still exposed there today.
In 1846 Lord Stratford of Redcliffe obtained permission to remove these reliefs from Bodrum. On the original site, all that remained in the 19th century were the foundations and some broken sculptures. This site was initially suggested by Professor Donaldson and was definitively discovered by Charles Newton, after which an expedition was sent by the British government. The expedition lasted three years and ended with the sending of the remaining marbles to London, which explains why the remains of this mausoleum are found at the British Museum. Newton found sections of reliefs that decorated the building's wall and parts of the staircase roof. He also discovered a broken stone cart wheel about 2 m (6.7 ft) in diameter, which was a part of the top sculpture. Finally, he found the statues of Mausole and Artemise which were at the top in the chariot.
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| The mausoleum of Halicarnassus |
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