Bodrum, Turkey

Saint Peter’s Castle

St. Peter's Castle is one of the main historical attractions in Bodrum, Turkey. It was built in the 15th century from beautiful green granite brought from the western part of the city. In ancient times, about 150 foot soldiers and 50 knights were stationed here, tasked with defending the city against the Turks. The fortress has thick double walls and several towers named the English, French, German, and Italian towers. The walls of St. Peter's Castle are adorned with evergreen climbing plants, as well as knights' coats of arms and many flowers. Officially, the castle became a museum in 1960. You can reach it via a long suspended bridge made of wood. Inside the fortress, there is a wonderful display of sarcophagi and an interesting museum.

Mausolus’ Tomb

The first Mausoleum, in capital letters, is located in Bodrum (in ancient times - Halicarnassus). To avoid disappointment with the modern condition of one of the Wonders of the World, after entering, go into the room on the left; there you will find a scaled-down copy of the mausoleum in a glass case with lighting. Only after realizing the grandeur of the ancient project and watching a video on a large screen about the history of Bodrum can you proceed to the tomb itself. The ruler of Caria, Mausolus, took a philosophical view of worldly existence and began building his afterlife dwelling while he was still alive. His sister, Artemisia (she was also, according to tradition, his wife), completed the mausoleum.

Amphitheater

One of the main attractions in Bodrum is the Hellenistic amphitheater, built in 330 AD. It was designed to seat 13,000 visitors. The theater’s steps were carved directly into the hillside and faced with marble. The lower rows have survived best, while the upper ones were badly damaged by the forces of nature and by humans. In 1973, the amphitheater became an open-air museum after archaeological excavations were carried out on its grounds. Recently, the companies “Ericsson” and “Turkcell” completed their major joint project to restore this unique historical landmark, which was started under the guidance of the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in 2000.

Mindos Gate

The Gate of Mindos is one of the city’s main attractions. Previously, they served as a fortress and were used to enter the city from the west. In ancient times, the gate had three towers, in front of which there was a 15-meter-deep moat. Once, Alexander the Great attempted to break through them; during the capture of Bodrum, the city’s residents were unable to defend themselves-the commander’s army broke through the fortification and swept away almost everything in its path. During excavations near the gate, the burial sites of Greeks and Romans were discovered. Unfortunately, today the gate is in a rather poor condition; however, local authorities, concerned about the state of this historic landmark, have begun restoration work.

Underwater Archaeology Museum

In the Castle of Saint Peter, a unique Museum of Underwater Archaeology has been opened. It displays artifacts discovered during dives to sites of ancient shipwrecks. The first collection, exhibited in the Knights’ Hall, consisted of underwater finds made by divers Peter Trockmorton, Mustafa Kapkin, and Honor Frost in 1958. For the ship model found off Cape Ulu-Burun near the city of Kaş, a separate hall is even dedicated. The 15-meter Phoenician ship with a carrying capacity of 20 tons sailed from the island of Cyprus to Egypt. In the shipwreck, which occurred more than three thousand years ago, merchants suffered enormous losses for that time: 354 ingots of copper weighing 10 tons, 1 ton of tin, and 175 ingots of glass. In total, the divers found 18,000 items.

Beaches near the city

The coastline that borders the city is, in most cases, much more interesting than the unmistakably tourist-oriented Bodrum. These are dry valleys and green pine forests, half-ruined Greek churches, windmills, and old stone mansions, castles and extensive oases along the riverbanks. A little exotic flavor comes from the ever-present white "gyumbet" domes (water storage cisterns) and camel caravans. Here you can find many of the cleanest beaches, often far more pleasant than Bodrum’s constantly overcrowded tourist beaches. The best of them are those holding the "Blue Flag" for ecological cleanliness: Bites (Bitez), Ortakent (Ortakent), and Gümüşlük (Gumusluk, the ancient Mindos), where a chain of fish restaurants stretches along the sandy shore.

Guided Tour of Bodrum

Once, long before the birth of Christ, Halicarnassus (this is what Bodrum was called at the time) was a great city. The memory of those days is preserved in the walls of the classical ancient theatre, which could accommodate 13,000 people. A little later, a city wall was built, from which tall Mindos Gate still remains (named after the city to which these gates led). During a bus-and-walking tour around the city, tourists will see these sights, as well as the 15th-century St. Peter’s Fortress. And of course, an incomparable pleasure will be a stroll through the picturesque streets of the Old Town, along the quay with its many cafés, small restaurants, and shops.

Didim - Miletus - Priene

Priene (modern Güllelbahçe) was founded around 330 BC and is a wonderful example of urban planning. Miletus (480 BC) is famous for its largest market square from the ancient period, the Baths of Faustina and the Archaeological Museum. The magnificent Temple of Apollo at Didyma, dating to the 1st century BC, was designed to be a worthy counterpart to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus (since these Olympian deities were brother and sister). However, the builders’ ambitions went so far (the temple was to have 120 marble columns, 20 m high and 2.3 m in diameter) that, even after two centuries, it still could not be completed. And then Christianity pushed Apollo’s devotees out of these places, and an earthquake in the 15th century destroyed the ancient Greek “long-build.” To this day, majestic snow-white ruins and some sculptural decorations have survived, such as the magnificent head of Medusa the Gorgon.

For a more detailed list of excursions and their prices, you can view them after booking the cruise in your “Client Personal Account”.