Let’s face it, not many people can claim to live on the same street as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. No trip to Bodrum is complete without a look around the meagre ruins of the once magnificent Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (Bodrum that was) which are located a few hundred metres from our house. The vast tomb was constructed to inter the remains of King Mausolus in 350 BC (hence the origin of the word mausoleum). Remarkably, the monument survived virtually intact for seventeen centuries before it was felled by an earthquake in the middle ages. What remained was plundered by the Knights of St John to build the imposing crusader castle that now dominates the town. The fortress rises above the same strategic promontory where Mausolus’ palace once stood.
Admittedly, visitors need a vivid imagination to visualise how the monument once looked. All that really remains is a large hole in the ground with multiple fragments of pillars and dressed stones scattered about randomly. There is a bijou and rather tired museum which attempts to fill in some of the detail. It features a naff video on a loop: more of a tourist board advert for Bodrum. Typically, there’s more to be seen in the British Museum in London.
Still, there’s something about the place. A pretty overgrown precinct provides a welcome tranquil respite from the heat, hassle and bustle of the modern town. We visited on a sunny spring day. The shrubbery was verdant and winter waters still trickled through the foundations covering the stones with algae and creating a pool in Mausolus’ burial chamber. It was teeming with tadpoles and other pond life. After an hour or so tumbling over the ruins, we popped home for a welcome cuppa.
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Perking the Pansies 
This is Turkey full of history and I love living here the British took most of it but you can’t put the setting in a museum. I just love and live it. As long as you can put up with all the crap that often comes along with it.
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So true
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Riveting post. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you
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. . there was once ‘life’ in Bodrum? – Amazing!
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You should have been here last night when Galatasaray won the Super League!
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Wow…love that you just popped down the road to see this…I mean I get all excited about a 30min tube ride into London to seebits of Roman walls. Hope you’ll have some local history to ‘pop’ to in Norfolk.
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It is wonderful and we will miss it but there are plenty of things to see in Norwich though without the sunshine!
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I’m back in Turkey for 2 weeks from tomorrow and staying in Marmaris, so might get the bus to Bodrum and have a little mooch around the place.
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A trip to Bodrum is well worth it though not just for the Mausoleum. Have you been to Cleopatra’s Island? Much closer to Marmaris. Now that’s worth the trip.
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The dangling, purple [steady on!] flower in one of your pictures looks just like a banana blossom – could that be the case?
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Yes, I think it was.But then, what do I know?
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Yes, it is an ornamental banana plant. We have half a zillion of them in Jamaica (a touch of Harry Belafontes, the banana man etc!) Seriously though, this is just my kind of place – a quiet little corner with history attached… Bodrum looks just lovely – Norwich will be a bit of a culture shock?
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I think Norwich will be relatively peaceful compared to Bodrum now the season is in full swing!
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Definitely doing Cleopatra’s Island, especially as that’s one of the trips Hasan sells in his new job! should get it for free me thinks!
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Enjoyed the photos, would love to see this in person someday. Definitely think ‘lived down the street from one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World’ belongs on your CV…
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I never thought of that. Better than no 10 or 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest?
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What a lot of people are still unaware of are the (as yet unsuccessful) efforts of various individuals to have the rest of the Mausoleum returned from the British Museum to its original location. Now that would be worth coming to look at!
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I wish them luck but, as the remains were removed legally, I suspect it won’t succeed.
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