None of Turkey’s others holiday destinations have such a different image as Bodrum. Everyone has a different Bodrum of their own. If you like let us begin with the Fisherman of Halicarnassos, who promoted Bodrum in Turkey and internationally. " In the past, houses were built on high hills for protection from war or for defence. These were not called house but "towers". But with the longing for the sea, with their admiration for the blue, with their clogs that had the scent of pine, with a clanging they


slide down from the hills and lined up between the creaking gravel stones of two coves. Those who were in the back tiptoed and stared in surprise at the sea over the shoulders of their sisters. Some of the more courageous houses dipped into the sea and became a caique (small Turkish boat) and became joyous and playful on the waves, teasing their diffident sisters. This is why houses, caiques and mandarin fields have a fast kindred spirit. The caiques that are tired of coming and going from the sea either became houses or mandarin fields." For those who do know Bodrum what Cevat þakir writes might sound like a lie but believe it, is exactly as he says.

 

Bodrum is one of Turkey’s most talked about holiday resorts in Turkey. This fame is greatly due to the Fisherman of Halicarnassos who did so much to promote it, who caused our intellectuals to fall in love with the place, so much so that now many of our writers and artists can be found for most the year in Bodrum. There are so many stories or novels by famous writers such as Selim Ýleri, Vedat Türkali that are based in Bodrum. In Bodrum, whose fame and number of visitors are increasing parallel to each other, you can surely come across one of our poets, authors or artist that you know. However, the town’s fame does not just spring from this.

 

The big hearted sponge divers, captains who are in love with sea, the fishermen, the white washed houses, the purple flowering begonias that climb the walls, the clean coves around it and most of all the long entertaining nights that stretch to dawn all add to Bodurm’s fame.

 

Bodrum is not only a place to rest. Entertainment is definitely added to holidays in the town. In Bodrum holidays days are divided into two. During the day it is time to swim in extremely blue coves, to leave your body to the hot sunshine and in other words to rest and get ready for the night. Once the sun sets and the stars begins to fill the sky another call of life is heard. It is impossible to close your ears to this call. This is the call of the Bodrum nights. Who can resist the call of friendship, dreams and love, especially if a full moon decorates the sky?

 

The restaurants are ready for the night, on the water front, in nearby villages, on streets of white houses and on the hills. The fish, the grouper, stuffed mussels and especially the octopus, that were caught in the nets of master fishermen or on the rods of anglers, have been laid on ice and are waiting. If you sit at a table where the traditional Turkish drink raký is drunk you cannot do without the octopus salad. It is not known whether this is due to the taste of the octopus or the talents of the cooks but this is how it is. In Bodrum, everyone can find a place according to their preferences to pass the evening. There are both the fishermen’s meyhanes (small eating places featuring a wide range of entrees) and pizza parlours. There are places that play traditional Turkish music called fasýl and places that play rock. The street lined with bars are Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi, Azmakbaþý; in brief everywhere is full of bars and meyhanes. It is your choice.

 

Bodrum is not only a town of sea, sun and fun nights. The story of civilisation in Bodrum has a history going back 3,000 years. The historian Herodotus says that the city was founded in 1000 BC by the Dorians on the location where the castle is today. In those days the place was an island. The height of Halicarnassus was in the 4th century BC. During the 24 years rule of King Mausolus he made the city the capital of Caria and began construction of the magnificent monument, the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Unfortunately, all that remains of the Mausoleum are its foundations. King Mausolus died before the monumental tomb was completed and the work was continued under the direction of his wife and his sister, Artemisia II. However, before its completion she also died, though artisans completed the work. In the end a marvellous architecture, an Ionic style temple of 42 metres square surrounded with 36 columns, was built on top of a pyramid which was climbed by 24 steps, surmounted by a statue of Mausolus and his wife riding a chariot. Some of the statues and pieces from the Mausoleum are today displayed in the British Museum. They were not looted, with permission for the artworks to be taken to Britain given by the sultan of the day. After the death of Artemisia, Isruis replaced her and then Princess Ada took the throne. Ada who was overthrown by her younger brother and sister, was returned to the throne by Alexander the Great when he took the city in 334 BC. We will visit Princess Ada in the Bodrum Castle.

 

Following the Alexanderian era, the region came under the rule of Lysimachos in 301 BC and later was controlled by Ptolemid kings. In 180 BC, Bodrum was associated with Rhodes and then, in 167 BC, to the Kingdom of Bergama. It was in 4th century AD, under the rule of the Carians, that the region became a centre of an episcopacy. In 1247, the Menteþe Beyliði (Turkic kingdom) was founded here and during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent it became a part of the Ottomans. Little has been done in the way of excavation in Bodrum as each new city was built atop the remains of its predecessor. The theatre, built during the time of Mausolus, is an exception. Sited on a hill above the present town, it was uncovered while a road was being constructed and has been restored.

 

 

 

In the hall where the finds from the Yassýada shipwreck, found off the coast of the Bodrum Peninsula are on show, there is also a model of the wreck that you can walk over. In the ship, which was dated to the 6th century AD, there were many amphorae that were filled with wine was the cargo of the ship. During excavations, kitchen utensils, the remains of food and equipment of the vessel were salvaged. All the iron original artefacts that were salvaged were so badly corroded by the effects of the salt water that their character could not be made out. The most interesting find was the plaque bearing the name of the ship’s captain, George, engraved on it. The plaque has on it an image of a pig’s face. The room in which the ship is displayed was once used as a chapel by the knights.

 

The Exhibition Hall of Bronze Age Wrecks: This exhibition is to the east of the castle, in front of the British Tower, where are displayed pieces salvaged from the oldest shipwrecks found in Turkish waters. The þeytanderesi Bataðý (The Streamlet of Satan Wreck) was found in a crevice in the Gulf of Gökova and the finds consist of cups and jars. While there was no information on the ship itself, the pieces recovered were dated to the 16th century BC and highly believed to come from the city of Keramos, named for its pottery production centre. The second wreck in the hall is the famous Gelindonya Point Wreck, which was carrying bronze plates, an anvil and shipping and agricultural tools when it sank.

 

The Gelindonya Wreck is believed to be the oldest shipwreck in Turkey. The vessel started its journey from the Caananite state in Palestine and according, to Egyptian records, was a merchant ship. In the vessel, which was dated to the 13th century BC, there was a cup from the Mycenaean world. Another wreck on display is that from Kaþ-Uluburun. The finds from this wreck are displayed as they found in a full scale replica of the ship’s skeleton. Most of the pieces are merchandise that came from Egypt, Caanan and Cyprus. The items of ivory and ebony in the cargo section are of African origin. There were copper blocks from Cyprus, and Caananite amphorae that were filled with Arab mastic incense. Moreover, many extraordinary pieces such as the golden seal belonging to the Egyptian Queen Nerfertiti that was sold to a scrap collector, an ivory fringed wooden book, a statue of the goddess of Caanan that protected ships and Egyptian blue glass blocks were recovered. With the study of the rings in the wood of the ship the vessel was dated to around 1316 BC. You have to pay an extra fee to visit this section of the museum.

 

 

This wreck, so named because of the numerous glass items that were recovered, sank in the 11th century after striking rocks near the port of Serçe. The shipwreck was lying in 32 metres, and was excavated between 1977 and 1979 by Professor George Bass, who found it to be in a fairly good condition. After clearing the cargo of blocks of commercial glass, the belongings of a merchant who used to travel freely between the Islamic states and Byzantine were found. While the bulk glass was being loaded to be melted and shaped, the new products were sold in different ports. Many pieces from the early Islamic period, such as swords, cups with holes to drain and the checker pieces were found. With the help of the discoveries, it was established the ship sank around 1025. To visit this display there is an extra charge and you are allowed to enter in of groups of fifteen. 

 

 

In Bodrum Castle, in the hall behind the Italian Tower, there is the display of the private belongings and grave of Princess Ada (In Turkish this word means island) of the Carian dynasty of Hekatomnos. The identification of the skeleton, which was unearthed while foundations were being dug, was proven to be the Carian princess. A reconstruction of the flesh made in England based on the skeleton gave an indication that the face had similarities to a portrait of Princess Ada that was found in Priene, the jewellery also recovered has a Persian influence, while anthropologic studies showing that she had given birth multiple times made the argument even stronger. This woman, who died when she was 44, had had her jewellery, a drinking cup and gold embrioded clothing placed in her burial chamber. The princess died around 330 BC and, along with her skeleton, the skeleton of a mouse that had got in before the top of her tomb was shut with the large stone was also recovered. After the tomb was closed it was covered with very large stones. In the Princess Ada exhibition hall you can see the videotape of the recovering of the finds, a chronology of her family tree, a meeting room decorated and furnished according to the same period and a plaster copy of the face of the princess that was developed in England where the skull of the princess had been sent to the British Museum from Priene. You are charged for an extra fee to see this display.

 

 

Besides the ancient city of Halicarnassos there are 12 other ancient settlements on the peninsula. These cities are Pedasa, Telmossos (Gürece), Termera and the Castle of Aspat, Müsgebi (Ortakent), the old and new Myndos, Uranion, Madnasa, Sibda (Side), Yeni (New) Karyanda, Syangela, Theangela, Kindye (Sýðýrtmaç), Eski (Old) Karyanda, and Bargylia. A large proportion of these are Leleg settlements. During the reign of the Halicarnassos’ King Mausolus II the citizens of six of these cities were forced to migrate to Halicarnassos while those of Myndos and Syangela were moved to other places and the cities rebuilt in the Hellenistic style. Thus, instead of the having a scattered and weak population, Halicarnassos was made stronger and prosperous. Barring the ancient city of Bargylia, most of what remains from these settlements are parts of walls and towers. The settlements are generally on hills and mountains. A visit to one or all is recommended to those interested in archaeology and for those who want to discover nature by walking. We should mention that the view is much more impressive than the ruins. (For details for these walking paths section see the Bodrum guide pages.)

 

Pedasa is four kilometres away as the crow flies, on the top of a hill covered with trees. As there is no road and you can only get there on foot. For those who are interested this trip will give them a pleasant hike and great satisfaction. The ruins can be seen on the top of the hill, within a circle of 150 metres in diameter. The remains are generally of the walls and the inner castle. To the south and south east of this area you can see tombs in the style of the Lelegs.

 

Telmossos is on the Bodrum-Turgutreis road, three kilometres past Ortakent. The site is in the village of Güirece, which is two kilometres before the turn for Gümüþlük, with the hill where the remains are to be found to the north of the main road. You can see remains of the Hellenistic period, mainly the towers of the city’s walls. The historian Herodotus say that there was the Temple of Apollo here and that is was famed for its oracles. However, no traces of the temple have survived.

 

Müsgebi in Ortakent was also a Leleg settlement. During the excavations conducted in the necropolis of this city, pottery from the 15th and 13th centuries BC from Mycea was unearthed.

 

The Aspat Kalesi (Castle of Aspat) is on the top of the conical hill facing Aspat Cove in Akyarlar. The ancient settlement of Termera is two kilometres further along on Asarlýk Hill, one kilometre from the village of Mandra. You can only walk there. However, you can get to Mandra by car by following the road from the village of Gürece where Telmossos is located.

 

The city of Termara is like the other Leleg cities, with very few traces or ruins that have survived to our time. The inner castle on the top of the hill is completely destroyed, though some part of the lower wall is standing.

 

Eski Myndos (Old Myndos) was also a Leleg city. Its ruins are located on Bozdað Hill, one kilometre inland from Kadikalesi. There is no road to the hill and walking up takes about an hour. On top you will the ruins of the city walls and the remains of a square building. The view from the top, which encompasses the whole of modern Gümüþlük and a large part of the peninsula, is extremely impressive. The people of Old Myndos were relocated to New Myndos during the rule of Mausolus II.

 

Yeni Myndos (New Myndos) is intertwined with the village of Gümüþlük. The city was not much added to after the reign of Mausolus II and was almost forgotten in the Roman period. This is another reason why little remains from the city, as is the case with some other ancient cities on the peninsula. The walls that surrounded the city can be also seen from the islet Gümüþlük. If from Turgut Reis you follow the road to Gümüþlük and drive for one kilometre, at the side of the road you can see tombs hewn into the rock.

 

Three kilometres to the south west of Yalýkaval, on the two hills above the village of Geriþ, there are the ruins of the Leleg settlement that was believed to be Uranion. On the top of the hill near the shore there is the ruins of a mausoleum, walls and towers.

 

On one of the hills that face Türkbükü and Gölköy is Madnasa (Kökpýnar Tepesi) and the other hill Sibda/Side (Karadað). In both cities there are the remains of walls and towers from the acropolis and some ceramic and pottery pieces. In order to get to Sibda you have to turn off the road to Yukarý Gölköy and go to the village of Belen by car. By walking from Belen for 40 minutes you get to the ruins of a church and a castle. Another 40 minutes walk gets you to Karadað where the ruins of Sibda are to be found. While the ruins are not very spectacular the view that gives you a panorama of the peninsula are.

 

In the Gulf of Gökova region, on the hill above the Alazeytin district of the village of Çiftlik, there are the ruins of the ancient city of Syangela. You get to the ruins after a 20 minute walk through olive trees from the end of Alazeytin. All that remains from the ancient city are ruins of houses and other buildings. From the hilltop you can see the Gulf of Gökova and Orak Island.

 

The city of Theangela, where Maudolus II relocated the people of Syangela, is on a hill one kilometre from the village of Pýnarbelen, along the Mumcular-Bodrum road. The path leading from the village to the hill is very steep and the walk takes some time. It is recommended to take a guide from the village. However, the ruins at the top are worth the effort. If you feel energetic, if it is not too hot and you have the time, this trip of exploration might be interesting.

 

Kndye: The ancient site is near the Milas-Bodrum road, past the turn for Güllük on the hillside between the villages of Kemikler and Sýðýrtmaç. Little remains of the ancient city of Kndye apart from rough stone walls.

 

If you head towards the Gulf of Güllük and get to the edge of the peninsula and the Cove of Varvil you will find the ancient city of Bargylia. The site where there are remains is four kilometres off the main road. You can get there by four wheel drive, though it is much easier to get here by boat from Güllük. At the site of the ancient city, which had its heyday during the Hellenistic and Roman eras, you can see the columns, the walls of a Roman temple, an altar with reliefs, a small part of a theatre, the ruined foundations of a stoa, fragments of a Roman era aqueduct, city walls and the town’s cemetery.

 

There is talk about some ruins from the ancient city of Karyanda on Salih Island opposite Güvercinlik. It is claimed that Yeni Karyanda (New One) was located on the site of the current settlement of Gölköy. However, there are no remains to prove that these were the locations of these ancient cities.

 

 

Halicarnassos developed in the region of the castle, where there used to be a tiny town called Zephyria. According to legend, its founder was called Anthes of Troezen, the son of Poseidon. The Aiolloes, Ionians and other later comers to the Aegean, the Dorians, formed a union between the six cities in the region.

 

The growth of Halicarnassos was jump started in the era of the Carian satrap Mausolus. Mausolus was aware of the opportunities of possessing a port city and formed the city according to the Hellenic tradition. Halicarnassos was blessed by being one of the few cities in the region not to be struck by earthquakes during the period of Roman rule and was twice blessed by being the birthplace of the historian Herodotus. In 1291, Bodrum was captured by the Menteþe Turks, in turn falling to the Ottomans in 1424, being made part of the province of Menteþe.

 

The Mausoleum: The Mausoleum was completed in 350 BC after the death of the Carian satrap Mausolus by his wife and sister Artemisia II, the actual construction being done by the architect Pytheos. The monument tomb was in the centre of Halicarnassos, rising over a large plot of land, with sections of the walls bearing inscriptions and was decorated with statues. In its centre are Ionian columns and the inner walls were covered with reliefs. On the top of the pyramid there was a chariot drawn by four horses, with the figures of the King and Queen riding in it. The famous sculptors Skopas, Leokhares, Bryaksis and Tomotheos worked on the status and reliefs. As can be seen, the city had its heyday in terms of art at this time and its most famous work of art has passed into all languages with the word "mausoleum". At his death, Mausolus was cremated in a huge fire and, after some gifts were left in the burial chamber, the tomb was closed with a huge rock. On the staircases of the monument there were bones of animals sacrificed as part of the ceremonies to mark his farewell.

 

In the 15th century, the Knights Hospitaller of St John, then based in Rhodes, came to the region and demolished much of the mausoleum, using the stone to build the castle, named after St Peter. In 1857, Charles Newton conducted excavations for the British Museum and gathered what was left and transferred the finds to the museum. In recent years, excavations and modern research have been conducted by the Dutch archaeologist Christian Jeppesen, with his finds being put on display in the museum under the monument. The Mausoleum can be reached by following the Gümüþlük road and then onto the road that turns at the Tepecik Mosque.

 

Some sections of the walls of the Mausoleum can be seen around the Myndos Gate on the Gümbet road. The part of the castle that has survived was built by the last of the Knights of St. John with the permission of Sultan Çelebi Mehmet, with work beginning in 1402. The stones that were dislodged from the Mausoleum in an earthquake, as well as others taken by the knights, were used in the building of the castle. Each of the castle’s towers were named after the nation of knights that defended it: giving us the French, Italian, German, Spanish and British towers. The castle now serves as Turkey’s Museum of Underwater Archaeology, the only such museum in the country.