Bodrum occupies the site of Halicarnassus, the ancient city that housed the Mausoleum of Mausolus.
Halicarnassus stood on the coast of Caria in southwestern Anatolia, now part of Turkey. The city was the capital of the Carian satrap Mausolus, whose monumental tomb was commissioned by his wife and successor, Artemisia II, after his death. The tomb became so famous that “mausoleum” entered many languages as a general word for an imposing burial monument.
The modern city of Bodrum developed around the ancient site. A medieval castle, Bodrum Castle, was built nearby using stone from the ruins of the Mausoleum. Some surviving architectural fragments and sculptures are preserved in the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology and the British Museum.
Halicarnassus should not be confused with Ephesus, the city associated with the Temple of Artemis. Both ancient cities were in Asia Minor, but they were separate centers with different wonders.