The city wall of Halicarnassus is the fortifications in a city which was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the birthplace of Herodotus, the Father of History. This wall, along with its gate, Mylasa, Pedasa and Myndos, and dozens of towers, are all monumental structures that have survived from 2,400 years ago to the present day.

The wall was constructed between 377 and 362 BCE during the reign of Mausolus, the King of Caria. After the death of his father, Hecatomnus, in 377–376 BCE, Mausolus left his native city of Mylasa and moved the capital to Halicarnassus. Mausolus’ project to create a new city is recognized as one of the most significant undertakings in the cultural history of Caria. Collaborating with the most renowned architects, planners, and artists of his time, Mausolus aimed to build a metropolis that could rival Athens, the cultural capital of the western Aegean, not only in terms of urbanization and architecture but also in culture.

In 334 BCE, the walls suffered significant destruction during Alexander the Great’s siege of Halicarnassus. Although the siege lasted about a month and Alexander managed to breach the outer walls, the city did not completely surrender, ultimately choosing to negotiate its surrender. This event highlights the strategic, architectural, and engineering excellence of the city walls.

Encircling the city centre like a ring, the original length of the wall was 7 kilometres. Although parts of the walls have suffered severe damage over time, 5 kilometres remain intact today. The Halicarnassus City Wall is protected under the city’s urban planning regulations, with an outer buffer zone of 20 metres and an inner buffer zone of 10 metres. This area has been designated as a first-degree archaeological site. While parts of the land containing the walls have been expropriated, some sections remain under private ownership still.

The primary goal of our project is to preserve, sustain, and revive the cultural heritage of Halicarnassus, a city founded by King Mausolus, as a source of pride and memory for modern generations, ensuring its legacy for the future.

Founded in 1994, the Akademia Foundation is committed to protecting and revitalizing the monumental structures of Halicarnassus, which was a major port city in the classical Mediterranean world, the capital of Caria, and a melting pot of diverse cultures.

The scientific consultancy for our project was provided by Prof. Adnan Diler until his passing in 2022. Since then, the project has been overseen by Associate Professor Harun Özdaş from Dokuz Eylül University.

To date, the first phase of the project, comprising the cleaning, excavation, and landscaping of a 1.5-kilometer section of the 7-kilometer wall, has been completed. During these excavations, numerous artefacts from the Classical and Hellenistic periods were handed over to the Bodrum Museum.

For the next phase, the Foundation plans to focus on a 2-kilometer stretch between the Myndos Gate and Göktepe.