Seven wonders of the world in ancient times.Part4.

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus - one of the Seven wonders of antiquity. A city called Halicarnassus, is not there. That is, the city this place is, but it's called Bodrum. In this Turkish town many tourists come to see what is left of this wonder of the world – mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
Now the ruins of the Mausoleum is a Museum. Compared to other ancient Wonders of the world, the Mausoleum of Halikarnas "preserved" not bad – lots of statues, fragments of bas-reliefs are the exhibits in the local Museum in Bodrum.
In the IV century BC, Halicarnassus was the capital of the province of Caria, which was then part of the Persian Empire. It was one of the most beautiful cities of the region. Located on the Mediterranean coast in Asia Minor, Halikarnas was almost inaccessible from the sea. His fleet could easily, if necessary, to block a small channel that led to the Harbor.
Special flourishing of the city reached during the reign of Mausolus with 377 for 352 (353) BC
King Mavsol was a great diplomat and a great warrior. He was able to use for his purposes a mercenary army and Navy. Mavsol almost achieved the independence of Halicarnassus from Persian rule, and seized the whole of the South-Eastern part of Asia Minor.
The king was married to his sister Artemisia. Such marriages in the noble families practiced often, not only among the Carian rulers, but Roman.
Mavsol and Artemisia ruled Caria together for 24 years. Artemisia's contemporaries loved Mausolus.
In the centre of Halicarnassus, shortly before the death of the king took place under the Mausoleum. Construction was headed by Artemisia. She was not considered with costs and has thrown all forces and means for the construction of the tomb, where hitherto the world had never seen.
Designed the Mausoleum of the famous Greek architects Satyr and Pipa. The sculptors Skopas, Leaher, Timothy, Biaxin was adorned with majestic buildings.
For the first time in Greek architecture, the Mausoleum was connected to all three famous styles - the Doric, ionic and Corinthian.
In the center of the complex was elevated stone platform that served as a pedestal for the temple.
The pedestal was in the form of a rectangle with dimensions of approximately 19х11 meters. It was a temple-tomb, surrounded by 36 ionic columns carrying a roof in the form of a 24-step pyramid. The intervals between the columns, external mills Tombs were richly decorated with sculptures. Fragments of marble lions and mythological figures found here during the excavations, suggests that the sculptures executed the great masters. The top of the pyramid crowned with a platform on which stood a marble Quadriga – a chariot drawn by four horses, driven by Mawsool by Artemisia. The total height of the Mausoleum from bottom to top of the sculptural group is 46 meters.
The mausoleum was still unfinished when, in 353 BC, died Mavsol. The corpse of the ruler was cremated. Grief-stricken widow ordered to mix with the aromatics and water to the ashes and then drank, hoping to reunite with the spirit of the deceased husband. Artemisia reigned for another 2 years, until death overtook her. The body of the Queen was also burned, and then buried beside her husband. After the couple found their final resting place, the entrance to the tomb was walled up with stones.
The mausoleum of Halicarnassus stood for many centuries. Halicarnassus was already ruined and turned from a luxury city in the small coastal settlement, and a magnificent Mausoleum in prezhnemy towered over him. XIII century earthquake slightly damaged the tomb of the king, but in the XV century the mausoleum was destroyed by the knights of Rhodes, which took its stones for the construction of the fortress of St. Peter.
In the nineteenth century had excavated the remains of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. Ideas that were embodied in its construction, inspired many modern architects.