With its 3,500-year history, cultural and art textureç inherited from ancient civilizations, natural beauties, authentic architecture, agricultural riches, gastronomy, climate, sea and magnificent coves, entertainment life lasting until the morning, accommodation facilities with various concepts satisfying the needs of the guests, the world-renowned Bodrum Peninsula is one among Turkey's idyllic destinations.

Having fascinated mankind from ancient times B.C., Bodrum carries traces of various cultures and civilizations from ancient times to present including Lelegians, Carians, Persian, Dorians, Hellenic, Romans, Byzantine and Ottomans.

Being called the "The Land of Eternal Blues" by the famous historian Homer, Halicarnassus was established at the intersection of Greek and Anatolian civilizations. Archaeological finds belonging to various civilizations indicate that the region and its surroundings have a history of seven thousand years. Being one of the most important port cities of the Caria Region in ancient times, Halicarnassus raised many important figures such as Herodotos, known as the father of history, and Artemisia I., the first female admiral of history.

The adventure of mankind in Bodrum is said to have a history stretching back over 3000 years. Historian Herodotos from Bodrum (484 BC) wrote that the city was founded by the Dorians in 1.000 BC, where the castle is located today. His writing says that Back then, this place was an island.

The Carians came under the rule of the Lydians in the 6th century BC and then they came under the rule of the Persians. Persians divided Anatolia into various satrapies. The Caria Region was ruled by the Hekatomnus Dynasty. Mausolos moved the capital of the Carian Satrapy from Mylasa to Halicarnassus and had the city redeveloped. Halicarnassus lived its brightest period in these years. During his 24-year rule, Mausolos started to build the monumental tomb known as the Mausoleion, which is one of the seven wonders of the world. After his death, his sister-wife Artemisia II. continued building of the monument.

In 334 BC, the Macedonian King Alexander the Great conquered the lands in Anatolia under Persian rule. Being burned and destroyed by Alexander, the city could not recover. After the death of Alexander, the region was ruled by his generals for a period of time , then came under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty and Rhodes; but Halicarnassus preserved its independence like other coastal cities. In 133 BC, when the Romans as the heir of the Pergamon Kingdom established the Asian State in Anatolia, Caria was included in this state. After the division of Rome into two (324 AC), it became a bishopric under the Aphrodisias Metropolis.

The city was captured by the Turks in the last quarter of the 11th century, and became part of the Menteşe Beylik in the 13th century. By the conquest of Rhodes by Suleiman the Magnificent, Bodrum became part of the territory of the Ottoman Empire. It was occupied by the Italians at the end of the First World War (May 11, 1919), and the Italian occupation ended in the War of Independence (05.07.1921).

The Name Bodrum Derives From the Knights of St. Petronium

The name Bodrum comes from the founders of St. Peter Castle, the knights of St. Petronium. It comes from the Petrium knights. At that time, this name, pronounced as ‘Bodrum’ by the Turks living here, remained as Bodrum with the establishment of the Republic.

Having had a population of approximately 5000 in the first years of the Republic, Bodrum, was used to be known as a small port town making its living by fishing, sponge diving and agriculture before tourism.With the development of tourism since 1965, population growth and urban development started to make Bodrum a rapidly developing tourism center. Today, Bodrum is a tourism center in the most special and beautiful geography of the world, distinguished by its cultural and historical richness and increasing its attraction with these features of itself.

The Bodrum Castle (Castle of St. Peter or Petronium) was built by the Knights of St John between 1406-1522 on a small rocky peninsula set between two sheltered harbors in Bodrum. In the construction of the castle, the stones of Mausoleion, which was one of the seven wonders of the world and demolished due to an earthquake were used. The Bodrum Castle (Castle of St. Peter or Petronium) has towers known as the French, Italian, English, German and Spanish (The Snake Tower) bearing the names of the nations responsible for their construction. After the island of Rhodes was taken over by the Turks in 1522, the knights left Bodrum and its surrounding territory on January 5., 1523. Being used as a prison for a period of time since 1895, the castle turned to ruin due to bombing of the French and English forces on May 26-28, 1915, during World War I. and was abandoned.

Except the the walls of the castle on the east side, those on the other sides were fortified as double walls. There are seven gates leading to the keep inside the castle and studded coats of arms above the Gates of the moats. There are crucifixes, flat - horizontal belts, dragon and lion figures on the coats of arms. Including the basement of the chapel, there are 14 cisterns in the inner stronghold. The castle pillbox, the ditch between double walls, drawbridge, watch tower and the tughra of Sultan Mahmut II. are marvels to behold in the castle.

During the period of that the Bodrum Castle was used as a prison at the end of the 19th century, it was ascribed Ottoman character with the addition of a turkish bath.Today The castle is used as the ‘Museum of Underwater Archaeology’.

Being located in Bodrum Castle, the ‘Museum of Underwater Archaeology’ is considered one of the most important underwater archeology museums in the world. It is one of the major attractions to visit in Bodrum. Having 14 exhibition halls, the ‘Bodrum Underwater Archeology Museum’ has the richest collection of Eastern Mediterranean amphorae in the world. Yassıada, Şeytan Deresi (Devil Creek) and Serçe Harbor (Byzantine Wreck) shipwrecks are also exhibited in Bodrum Underwater Archeology Museum.

The world's oldest shipwreck exhibited in the museum is among the important artefacts worth seeing either. This shipwreck, exhibited in the ‘Serçe Harbor Glass Wreck Hall’, is the ship itself that sank in 1025. 3 Tons of broken and solid glass materials were taken out of this shipwreck. Moreover, the world's largest ‘Glass Collection of Islamic Cultural Heritage’ is also exhibited here.

Myndos Gate is reputed to be built in 360 BC. It is the one of the entrance gates of the city, located in the west of Halicarnassus. The Myndos Gate was built by the Carian Satrap Mausolos nearly as a shield on the city walls.Being one of two monumental gates of Halicarnassus, Myndos Gate consists of two monumental towers and behind these an inner courtyard where the gate to enter the city is located.The first part of the renovation of the city walls and the towers located in the north side of this gate was completed in 1999. 

The ditches, which neutralized the attacks of Alexander the Great’s army on Halicarnassus in 334 BC. were constructed in the 4th century.

In the area where historical remains are located, there are vaulted tombs from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, which are thought to belong to the 4th century.

At the southern foot of Göktepe mountain in the middle of Bodrum Peninsula, this theater is one of the oldest theaters in Anatolia. Having been restored by a group of Turks in the 1960s, the theater hosts many festival events. Tourists who come to see the theater do not realize how those pleasant hours pass while they sit there and watch the boats leaving and approaching the harbor.

Among the interesting characteristics of the theater we can collocate the altar where the victims were sacrificed for the sake of Dionysus before the plays and the holes, maybe used as canopy in between some seats. With a distance of 40 cm between each seat, the theatre has a capacity of 13.000. You can see the tombstones carved out of stone during a short climb to Göktepe Mountain. This carved tombstones from the Roman and Hellenistic Period still bears ancient time’s death symbols and various sarcophaguses (some remains are still exhibited in the Castle Museum).