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Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Bodrum

The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus site: column drums and marble blocks on the grass, white Bodrum houses behind
Photo: FollowingHadrian, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
€3 for foreign visitors aged 8+, under-8s free; at the gate or online via the official portal
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Hours
8:30–17:30 all year; last tickets 17:15 October–May, 17:00 in summer
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
45 min
With kids
Fine with kids
Closed
Mondays
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Museum Pass The Aegean
Valid: €95 for 7 days, museums in İzmir, Aydın, Muğla and Denizli
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
MüzeKart
For Turkish citizens and residents
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Time needed
30–45 minutes
Address
Tepecik Mahallesi, Turgutreis Caddesi No:93, central Bodrum
officialConfirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator.
Coordinates
37.03794, 27.42410YesGo MapGoogleApple
Getting there
On foot: ≈ 10 min uphill from the harbour or bus station
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Shade
Very little — shelters cover only some of the blocks

Key facts

1 of 7Wonders of the Ancient World — the tomb of Mausolus, ruler of Caria
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaGo Türkiye
45–55 mestimated height: about 45 m in Wikipedia and Go Türkiye, about 50 m per the Turkish Ministry of Culture, about 55 m after Pliny
4 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaGo TürkiyeTurkish Ministry of Culture museum portalTurkish Wikipedia
Foundationsand scattered blocks are all that remain on site
SourceEnglish, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia
353 BCMausolus died; his sister and wife Artemisia carried on the work
SourceEnglish, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia
4 sculptorsScopas, Bryaxis, Leochares and Timotheus — one side each
SourceEnglish, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia
Satyros & Pythiusthe architects
2 sourcesEnglish and Russian WikipediaTurkish Wikipedia names Pytheos only
36 columnsIonic colonnade, topped by a stepped pyramid and a four-horse chariot
SourceRussian and Turkish Wikipedia
12th–15th c.a series of earthquakes brought it down
3 sourcesEnglish WikipediaGo TürkiyeTurkish Wikipedia
1494 & 1522the Knights of St John quarried it for Bodrum Castle
SourceEnglish, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia
1857Charles Newton shipped the sculptures he found to the British Museum
SourceEnglish, Russian and Turkish Wikipedia
“Mausoleum”the word for any grand tomb comes from Mausolus’s name
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia
1966–1977Danish excavations led by Kristian Jeppesen
SourceEnglish and Russian Wikipedia

Can you visit the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus today?

Yes — but you visit the site, not the building. Earthquakes between the 12th and 15th centuries toppled the tomb, and in 1494 and 1522 the Knights of St John broke up what was left to build Bodrum Castle. What you see today is an open-air archaeological site: the cut of the foundations, column drums, steps and cornice blocks.

The best sculpture left long ago. The figures known as Mausolus and Artemisia and slabs of the Amazon frieze have been in the British Museum in London since the 19th century. In Bodrum, a small hall by the entrance has a scale model and casts of the reliefs.

Tickets and opening hours

The entrance fee for foreign visitors aged 8 and over is €3; children under 8 go free. You pay at the gate, in lira at the day’s rate, or in advance on the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s official museum portal. The site is open 8:30–17:30 all year, with last tickets at 17:15 from October to May and at 17:00 from June to September.

It is closed on Mondays. That is what the Ministry’s portal says, although some travel guides still list the site as open daily — plan your Bodrum days around it. The Mausoleum is included in the Museum Pass The Aegean, the Ministry’s 7-day card for €95 covering museums in İzmir, Aydın, Muğla and Denizli; it pays off if Ephesus and Bodrum Castle are also on your list, not for this site alone. Turkish citizens and residents use the MüzeKart, which we are still verifying here. Carry a little lira cash in case card payment is down, and check the portal for holiday hours.

Is the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus worth visiting?

Worth it if you love the ancient world and want to stand where a Wonder stood. It is short, close to everything and rarely crowded. Skip it if you have only a few hours in Bodrum: the castle is the better single choice, and it literally contains the Mausoleum’s stones in its walls.

The real payoff is the connection: walk from the dig down to the castle and look for reused marble in the towers, then up to the ancient theatre, which Mausolus also began. Together they tell the story of Halicarnassus far better than any one of them alone.

A short history of the tomb

Mausolus governed Caria for the Persian king and made Halicarnassus his capital. He died in 353 BC, and his sister and wife Artemisia carried on the tomb, dying herself not long after. Sources give different dates for the building, from the late 350s to about 350 BC.

The architects were Satyros and Pythius. Four of the greatest sculptors of the age — Scopas, Bryaxis, Leochares and Timotheus — each took one side. A tall podium carried a ring of 36 Ionic columns, a stepped pyramid roof and a marble four-horse chariot. Most estimates put the height at about 45 m, the Turkish Ministry of Culture says about 50, and Pliny’s measurements suggest closer to 55.

It stood for well over a thousand years, and its fame outlived it: every grand tomb since has been called a mausoleum.

What to see at the site

  • The model hall by the entrance — a reconstruction of the tomb, a plan of the dig and casts of the reliefs now in London.
  • The foundation pit, which shows just how big the base was.
  • Column drums, capitals and pyramid steps laid out on the grass under shelters.
  • Traces of the burial stairway and the passage towards the tomb chamber.
  • The view towards the castle, whose walls are built partly from this monument.

How to get to the Mausoleum from the harbour

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Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

  • Bodrum Ancient Theatre is about 13 min away on foot.
  • Bodrum Old Town is about 17 min away on foot.
  • Bodrum Castle is about 19 min away on foot.

More tips

  1. Start at Bodrum Castle and the harbourfront, or at the town bus station (otogar) on Cevat Şakir Caddesi — travel guides say the Havaş shuttle from Milas–Bodrum airport (BJV) ends there after about 45 minutes; we are still verifying its timetable.
  2. From the bus station, walk west to Turgutreis Caddesi — about 10 minutes on a gentle uphill.
  3. From the harbour, head inland from the Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi waterfront through the lanes — also about 10 minutes.
  4. Look for the gate signed Mausoleion / Mozole; the ticket office is just inside.
  5. Carry on about 10 minutes uphill to the ancient theatre, or back down into Bodrum Old Town. Skip taxis — the lanes are quicker on foot.

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Mausoleum vs Bodrum Castle vs the ancient theatre

Mausoleumyou are hereDig of a 4th-century BC tombFoundations, blocks, model€3Mondays30–45 minAncient-history fans
Bodrum Castle15th-century Knights’ castle with the Museum of Underwater ArchaeologyTowers, halls, ancient shipwrecks€20 incl. museumNo closing day2–3 hEveryone
Ancient theatreHillside theatre begun under MausolusSeating tiers and a bay viewFreeMondays20–30 minViews and photos

Time for only one? Pick the castle — it holds the Mausoleum’s stones and Bodrum’s best museum. The Mausoleum is the second stop for anyone curious about Halicarnassus.

Bodrum’s historic sights compared

Every historic place in Bodrum rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassusyou are here6445 min€3, under-8s free—
Bodrum Old Town562 hFree9 min walk
Ephesus453 h≈ €40, Terrace Houses ≈ €15100.6 km
Bodrum Ancient Theatre4430 minFree6 min walk
Bodrum Windmills4330 minFree29 min walk
Myndos Gate4330 minFree16 min walk
Pedasa401 hFree, no ticket office37 min walk
Bodrum Castle392 h€20, under 8 free15 min walk
Gümüşlük243 hFree16.7 km

Ancient Halicarnassus in half a day

The castle, the bazaar, the Mausoleum, the hillside theatre and the last surviving city gate — all on foot. Add them to your route and YesGo fits in the timing and walks.

  1. Bodrum Castle2 h · €20, under 8 free
  2. 6 min walk from the previous stopBodrum Old Town2 h · Free, open 24/7
  3. 9 min walk from the previous stopMausoleum at Halicarnassusyou are here45 min · €3, under-8s free
  4. 6 min walk from the previous stopBodrum Ancient Theatre30 min · Free
  5. 13 min walk from the previous stopMyndos Gate30 min · Free

5 places · about 6 h 19 min with walks · 34 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Bodrum Ancient Theatre

Bodrum, Turkey

30 min · Free · 6 min walk

Bodrum Old Town

Bodrum, Turkey

2 h · Free, open 24/7 · 9 min walk

Bodrum Castle

Bodrum, Turkey

2 h · €20, under 8 free · 15 min walk

Myndos Gate

Bodrum, Turkey

30 min · Free · 16 min walk

How to do it right

  • Model hall first, then the dig — it turns the stones into a building.
  • Afterwards, look closely at the walls of Bodrum Castle: the Mausoleum’s marble is in them.
  • Climb about 10 minutes to the ancient theatre for the best view over the bay.
  • In summer, come at opening time — the site has almost no shade.
  • Short on time? Do the castle and see the Mausoleum on your next visit.
  • Passing through London? The British Museum has the tomb’s finest sculptures.

Questions

Can you visit the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus?

Yes. The site is an open-air museum in central Bodrum with the foundations, scattered marble blocks and a hall with a scale model. The building itself no longer stands.

What is left of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus?

The foundation pit, column drums, steps and cornice pieces on site. The best sculptures and frieze slabs are in the British Museum in London.

Where is the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus?

In Bodrum, on Turkey’s south-west coast — ancient Halicarnassus is modern Bodrum. The site is on Turgutreis Caddesi, about 10 minutes’ walk from the harbour and the town bus station.

What is the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus entrance fee?

€3 for foreign visitors aged 8 and over; under-8s go free, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture’s museum portal. Tickets are sold at the gate and online, and the Museum Pass The Aegean is valid.

What are the Mausoleum’s opening hours?

8:30–17:30 all year. Last tickets are at 17:15 from October to May and at 17:00 from June to September.

Is the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus open on Mondays?

No. The Ministry’s portal lists Monday as the closing day, even though some guides say it opens daily. Bodrum Castle, by contrast, opens every day.

Is the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus worth it?

For ancient-history fans, yes — it is short and close to the castle. If you have only a few hours, choose Bodrum Castle instead.

How long do you need at the Mausoleum?

30–45 minutes for the model hall and the site; about an hour if you add the ancient theatre just uphill.

How was the Mausoleum destroyed?

Earthquakes between the 12th and 15th centuries toppled it, and in 1494 and 1522 the Knights of St John took its stone for Bodrum Castle.

Where are the Mausoleum’s sculptures now?

Mostly in the British Museum in London, including the figures known as Mausolus and Artemisia.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia: Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
  • Russian Wikipedia: Мавзолей в Галикарнасе; Wikidata Q45368
  • Turkish Wikipedia: Halikarnas Mozolesi
  • Go Türkiye (Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism): See Bodrum
  • Wikivoyage: Bodrum — the site and surroundings
  • Turkish Museums, the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism museum portal: Muğla Bodrum Mausoleum Memorial Museum, Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum, Bodrum Ancient Theater — fees, hours, closing days, address, 30.10.2026
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 30.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThe fee, opening hours, closing day, address and Museum Pass The Aegean were checked on 30.10.2026 on the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s official museum portal (Turkish Museums), as were the castle and theatre figures in the comparison. Third-party guides disagree — some say open daily, others closed on Mondays, and their fees range across lira and euro figures from different years — so we show the Ministry’s data. The site page does not mention MüzeKart, so that is marked “verifying”, as is the Havaş airport shuttle timetable. Historical facts are checked against at least two sources. The height differs — about 45 m in English and Russian Wikipedia and Go Türkiye, about 50 m per the Ministry, about 55 m in Turkish Wikipedia following Pliny — so we show all three. Building dates also differ (from 359–353 to 353–351 BC), so we give the century and the year Mausolus died. The walking route follows the town-centre plan. The English questions come from the live English results for the site and its entrance fee and hours on 30.10.2026: what is left today, the fee, the hours and Monday closing, the walk from the centre and the sculptures in London.

Top YesGo picks: Bodrum

Ephesus

Bodrum, Turkey

3 h · ≈ €40, Terrace Houses ≈ €15

Bodrum Windmills

Bodrum, Turkey

30 min · Free

Pedasa

Bodrum, Turkey

1 h · Free, no ticket office

Yalıkavak

Bodrum, Turkey

2 h · Free

Gümüşlük

Bodrum, Turkey

3 h · Free

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