BODRUM CASTLE

In ancient times, The peninsula where the BODRUM castle was located was an island known as Zephyrîon. When Satrap Mausolos moved the capital of Caria from Mylasa to Halicarnassus in the 4th century BC, he built a Temple of Apollo and his palace there.

 At the beginning of the fifteenth century, the Knights of Rhodes erected an impressive Castle on this small rocky peninsula, and they ruled until Suleiman the Magnificent’s conquest of Rhodes and Halicarnassus in 1522. During their occupation, the Knights brought the castle to its present state by raising the walls and adding new sections. Since the Knights of Rhodes were a multinational group, each nation built its tower in their style. Two hundred forty-nine coats of arms of Great Masters, castle commanders, and knights residing in Rhodes and Halicarnassus adorned the castle’s walls. Since the knights reused the stones of the Maussolleion, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, visitors see the columns and stones of the mausoleum on castle walls. The castle had French, Spanish, German, Italian, and English Towers.

 The castle, which had a military unit installed during the Ottoman Period, was also used as a prison. During World War I, a French battleship bombarded the castle and destroyed 

particular walls, towers, and the minaret. Moreover, Italians used the castle as their headquarters. The Italian army left the castle in 1921 during the War of Independence.

Bodrum Castle is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and offers a multi-layered historical and cultural perspective. During World War II, the castle was used as a military base. Since the 1960s, The castle has been home to one of the most respected Underwater Archeology Museums globally.