What type of structure was the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus?

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a monumental tomb.

It was built at Halicarnassus for Mausolus, the ruler of Caria, and his wife Artemisia II. Mausolus died in the fourth century BC, and Artemisia continued the project. The building combined a high podium, a colonnade, a pyramid-like roof, and sculptural decoration.

The monument was exceptional because it blended Greek, Near Eastern, and Egyptian influences. Four prominent Greek sculptors—Scopas, Bryaxis, Timotheus, and Leochares—are traditionally connected with its sculpture. A four-horse chariot group crowned the structure.

The word “mausoleum” later became a general term for an above-ground monumental tomb, derived from Mausolus’s name. Earthquakes damaged the building in the Middle Ages, and its stones were reused in the Castle of St. Peter at nearby Bodrum.