The structure before you is what the archaeology world calls the "discovery of the century" — brought to light in 2010 and what we found here rewrote everything we thought we knew about the ancient world.
This monumental tomb belonged to Hekatomnos, Satrap of Karia. In the early 4th century BCE, Hekatomnos governed the region of Karia on behalf of the Persian Empire; but more importantly, he was the father of Maussollos. The name Maussollos might be unfamiliar to you, but the monument he created is world-renowned: the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. And yes, the word \"mausoleum\" itself comes from this man's name.
What you're standing at now, the Hekatomnos Monument Tomb, is the forerunner of that world wonder. Upon his father's sudden death, Maussollos commissioned this magnificent tomb for him. But when Maussollos decided to move the capital from Mylasa to Halicarnassus, the work was left unfinished — he would build an even grander, even more spectacular one in Bodrum.
Here's an intriguing detail: the Hekatomnos Monument Tomb has a base measuring 91 by 110 meters — exactly the same dimensions as the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. The relief carvings on the Hekatomnos Frieze Sarcophagus are of unparalleled quality in Anatolia: banquet scenes, mourning, the passing of duties, lion hunts — an entire dynasty's story carved into stone.
