About Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: today! The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was an enormous, elaborately decorated tomb built for Mausolus, a Persian regional ruler, and his wife Artemisia. It combined Greek, Egyptian, and Lycian architectural styles into one spectacular monument covered in sculpture. Its name is where we get the modern word 'mausoleum' — used for any grand tomb. A Word That Outlived the Building — Long after the building itself crumbled, its name lives on in languages around the world.

Location: Halicarnassus (modern Bodrum, Turkey) · Built: Around 350 BC · Height: About 45 m (148 ft) tall · Purpose: A royal tomb · Builders: Mausolus & Artemisia · Architecture: Greek, Egyptian & Lycian styles · Destruction: Toppled by earthquakes · Status Today: Only foundations remain · Legacy: Gave us the word 'mausoleum'