Bodrum, known in ancient times as Halicarnassus, the birthplace of Herodotus and the site of the tomb of King Mausolus (4th century BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. An impressive medieval castle built by the Knights of Rhodes guards the entrance to the fabulous blue bay of Bodrum, the Aegean and Mediterranean meet.
Bodrum Castle, or Castle of St. Peter at the port is a good example of the architecture of the 15th century Crusaders, and became a museum of underwater archeology exhibits objects that date from the “Age of Bronze. Also shown are the vessels of 8 and 9 BC The view from Goktepe fence is much photographed by visitors to the second stage of the Museum century. There is also a hammam (Turkish bath) Bodrum Museum, dating from early 1900 . Charm of the city is well known, attracting a wide variety of tourists who stroll along its coast, its long, lined with palm trees, while elegant yachts crowd the marina.
Not far from the city, you can swim in absolutely clear, not tidal, warm seas. Divers wishing to explore the numerous reefs, caves and majestic rock formations. The waters offer up multicolored sponges of all shapes and sizes as well as octopus and a variety of other aquatic species. While the reputation of Bodrum’s boatyards dates back to antiquity, craftsmen still build today the traditional yachts: the tirhandil with a pointed arch and aft, the gulette with a wide beam and rounded stern. These are commonly used on excursions and pleasure trips, as well as the annual October Cup Race Bodrum.
History of Bodrum
As a place where people have lived continuously for thousands of years of Bodrum has a very rich past. Your position at or near all the great civilization and events of ancient history also makes the old name of Halicarnassus (Bodrum), an important site for historians. Finding a source of complete historical information on Bodrum is apparently impossible, so the story that follows is a synthesis of several sources. The first settlement in this area which left structural evidence was on the small rocky island where the castle of St. Peter is currently (the castle was once completely surrounded by water). When the Knights of St. John arrived to build their strength, are the ruins of an ancient castle, now known to have been built by the Dorians around 1100 BC. Historians have little evidence on the basis of mainland Halicarnassus. The first mention of terms from the seventh century BC. Halicarnassus was one of six members of the Dorian Confederation of six-pole with the Chinese city of Knidos, Kos, and three cities of Rhodes.
According to Herodotus Halicarnassus became increasingly aligned with a group of inland inhabitants, the Ionians. which upset other members six-pole, leading to developments Dorian cities cut off ties with Halicarnassus. Halicarnassus in the V century BC seems purely Ionian in character. Herodotus and his uncle Panyasis the epic poet, wrote in Ionian, and no inscriptions from this period show no trace of the Doric dialect. In 546 BC the Persians overran the Greek cities of the coast, and Halicarnassus fell with the rest.
A series of dynasties then imposed in the interests of the Persians, the most famous of them, that of Artemisia I, began in 480 BC. Herodotus gave this remarkable woman, a lot of space in his writings. Artemisia Psyndalis son succeeded him as head of Halicarnassus (as well as several islands of Kos and others). While historians have little to say about the reign of his son Psyndalis as Lydamis II isremembered cruel and oppressive ruler. Herodotus left his homeland for the island of Samos, unable to tolerate the whims of this tyrant. We do not know what happened Lydamis II or why the tyrant fell, but great changes are known to have occurred in the fourth century BC. At times during the previous century the harness of Persian control was shaken, but soon the “King of Peace” treaty between Athens and Persia again put the cities of Asia under Persian control. Persia divided the region into “satraps” and 377 in British Columbia decided that the king or governor Mausole satrap of Caria and Halicarnassus.
Until Mausole rule Halicarnassus was a relatively small city, but Mausole had a gift for ambitious projects and he recognized the natural advantages of the region to strengthen and trade. He built the lines along the walls around Halicarnassus, parts of which still apply today. One of his projects as the only surviving structure from Classical Age Bodrum, the Antique Theater, located on the southern slope of Mt. Goktepe just above the center of Bodrum. Mausole died in 353 BC C., followed by his wife, sister, Artemisia II. She ruled for only three years, but he managed to accomplish two memorable feats. The first was to continue construction of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the tomb of King Mausolus (from which derives our word “mausoleum”). The second, a brilliant battle success rivaling that of Artemisia I was doing Rhodes.
When Alexander the Great began plundering Anatolia with remarkable speed Halicarnassus was the last chance for the Persians to take a stand against Alexander in the Aegean region, but after some struggle the city fell to Alexander on 334 and things were pretty quiet for a few years, but after the region descended into chaos when Alexander died standing. Roman Things calmed down again.
In 400 AD with the fall of Rome and the rise of Christianity, Halicarnassus had become a diocese connected to the Archbishopric of Aphrodisias. Meanwhile, the Byzantine Empire prospered with its capital, Constantinople, Istanbul is located. This expanding empire soon included North Africa, Italy and Spain, but the days were more global visibility for the area of Bodrum. Historians make little note to the 11th century when the Turks conquered the region. The Byzantines captured during the First Crusade in 1096, but the Turks, returned three years later.
Towards the end of the 13th century, the region known as Caria became the Province Menteshids and was annexed to the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Beyazit in 1392. Meanwhile, the Knights of St. John had their castle Symira (now Izmir) destroyed by the Mongol leader Tamerlane in 1402 and demanded land from Turkish Sultan Mehmet Celebi as compensation. They were given Halicarnassus, built a castle there, and the control of the city (which they called Mesy) for more than a century.
In 1523, the “greatest of all sultans, Suleiman the Magnificent, expelled the Knights. The Ottoman Empire flourished during the reign of 40 years of Soliman, but a long period of internal crisis and decline followed.
Bodrum itself suffered a shelling of the Russian navy in 1770 and was used as a Turkish Naval base during the Greek revolt of 1824. During the First World War the French battleship “Duplex” fired on Bodrum and tried to make a landing, but the feisty inhabitants prevented this. The Ottoman Empire lost the Bodrum area to Italy, however, and Italian forces occupied the city in 1919. The imminent success of the Turkish War of Independence led to the Italians in 1922 and Bodrum finally became what its beautiful surroundings look like a place to relax and enjoy life.