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Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Best time to visit
Go early morning around 8 AM to beat the tour buses and cruise crowds. The soft morning light also highlights the marble fragments beautifully for photos.
Budget tips
Entry costs about 60 Turkish Lira (roughly $2 USD). Your Museum Pass Turkey covers admission save money if you are visiting multiple sites in Bodrum or nearby Ephesus.
Recommended for
History buffs, Photography enthusiasts, Solo travelers, Architecture lovers
Plan your visit
30-45 minutes
About
Quick facts: Four ancient Greek sculptors each took one side of the monument, making it a friendly competition carved in stone. The structure stood 45 meters tall, roughly the height of a 14-story building, and its name gave us the modern word "mausoleum" for any grand tomb.
Highlights: The monument was topped with a massive marble chariot pulled by four horses, large enough that a person could stand inside the chariot. The surviving sculpted lion one of only a handful of pieces left is so lifelike you can nearly see its ribs move as it breathes.
Insider tips
- Walk behind the main excavation area to the small grassy platform for the best view of where the monument once stood.
- The Bodrum Castle of St. Peter across the harbor contains the original greenstone blocks from the mausoleum's base, built into the castle walls.
- Skip the small on-site museum display and instead head to the British Museum in London if you want to see the surviving statues and friezes.
- Bring water and sun protection, the site has almost no shade and the Aegean sun gets fierce by mid-morning.
Where to Stay in Bodrum
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