Places of Interest - Sightseeing in Bodrum

Bodrum Castle
The most prominent feature of Bodrum is the castle of St. Peter. The castle's origins date back to the knights of St. John. This group of expatriates began in the 11th century with a church and hospital in Jerusalem. Although belonging to the Catholic religion care was denied to no-one. When the knights arrived they instructed their builders to remove all usable materials from the tomb of King Mausolos as the castle construction began in the 1400's.

The knights referred to the town as Mesy not knowing that they where in the ancient Halicarnassus .The fortress became known as the Castle of St. Peter, the Liberator, it served as the sole place of refugee for all Christians on the West Coast of Asia during the time of the crusades. For over a century the castle served as a stronghold in the knight’s community.
Under Turkish care the castle has undergone several uses including being a military base, a prison and a public bath. Today the famous Museum for Underwater-Archaeology is located in the castle.

Mausoleum
When the Persians expanded their ancient kingdom to include Mesopotamia, Northern India, Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor, the king could not control his vast empire without the help of local governors or rulers -- the Satraps. Like many other provinces, the kingdom of Caria in the western part of Asia Minor (Turkey) was so far from the Persian capital that it was practically autonomous. From 377 to 353 BC, king Mausollos of Caria reigned and moved his capital to Halicarnassus. Nothing is exciting about Maussollos life except the construction of his tomb. The project was conceived by his wife and sister Artemisia, and the construction might have started during the king's lifetime. The Mausoleum was completed around 350 BC, three years after Maussollos death, and one year after Artemisia's.

Antic Theatre
Located on the southern slope of Mt. Goktepe just above the middle of Bodrum, this theatre is one of the oldest in Anatolia. A Turkish team restored it in the 1960's and today the people of Bodrum still use the theatre for festivals.

The visitor will find the theatre a comfortable place to sit and contemplate Bodrum while watching boats leave and enter the harbour. Interesting features of the theatre include a stone altar once used before plays for sacrifices to Dionysus, and several holes cut through some of the seats, probably used for sun shades. Allowing 40 cm of space per person, the theatre could seat 13.000.

Myndos Gate
The Myndos gate has been restored few years ago. It was part of the ancient city wall which was 7 km long. 

Ottoman tower
The Ottoman Tower is located next to Bodrum Marina. It was also a part of the ancient city walls. Nowadays the Ottoman tower is used for special events and exhibitions.