Which ancient wonder was a tomb built for Mausolus, a Persian satrap?
Answer
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
Answer
Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The ancient wonder that was a tomb built for Mausolus, a Persian satrap, was the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was constructed between about 353 and 351 BCE in Halicarnassus, a city in Caria corresponding to modern Bodrum in Turkey. It served as the monumental tomb of Mausolus, a ruler of Caria and satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, as well as his sister-wife and successor, Artemisia II. The building’s name became the source of the modern word “mausoleum.”
Greek architects Satyros and Pythius designed the structure, while prominent sculptors including Scopas and Bryaxis created its elaborate reliefs and statues. Rising roughly 45 meters, it combined a high burial chamber with columns, a stepped pyramid-like roof, and a chariot group at the summit. Ancient writers considered its sculpture and architecture exceptionally impressive.
The Mausoleum was damaged and eventually destroyed by a series of earthquakes between the 12th and 15th centuries. Knights later reused some of its stones in Bodrum Castle. It is easy to confuse this wonder with the Egyptian pyramids, but the Mausoleum was specifically the tomb of Mausolus and was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026