In our continuing series of Ancient Wonders that are no more, meet what remains of the mighty tomb of King Mausolus, otherwise known as the Mausoleum.
Mausolus’ wife and sister, Artemisia, was heartbroken upon his death. She ordered a 45-meter high tomb erected in his memory, coated in white marble. Nobody’s quite sure what it looked like. Only the foundation of the tomb remained in 1494 when the Knights of St. John grabbed the stones to build a new castle during the Crusades.
Today, the guidebooks furiously engage in expectations management, warning the wary Bodrum clubber or yachtsman that there really isn’t much left to see. But that’s what I like about it.
