Would you like to visit the Museum of Underwater archeology In Bodrum with an archaeologist tour guide
Would you Like to visit stunning ancient cities and sacred shrines in Bodrum Region with an archeologist tour guide
Some information about Bodrum and Caria region:
DID YOU KNOW?
Bodrum was an ancient city of Halicarnassus, the capital of the district of Caria
Carians were indigenous people of the region, good sailors, and skilled boat builders. Being great fighters, they served as mercenaries for many other nations.
Carians had many military inventions. They were the first people to use handles, signs, and symbols on the shields and crest on the helmets. The rest of the ancient world adopted these military Carian inventions.
The oldest paintings in Western Turkey, dating to 6000 BCE depicting gods and goddesses of the Neolithic Age, were discovered on Latmos mountain (2 hours drive from Bodrum).
The Caria region was known as Mira during the second millennium and was the vassal state under Hittite Empire. Near Bafa Lake, a border inscription with Hittite hieroglyphs was discovered.
Carians took part in the Trojan War and sided with the Trojans.
During the famous Kades Battle, which took place between the Hittites and Egyptian armies, Carians supported the Hittites in 1200 BCE.
Turkish archeologist Prof. Dr. Yusuf Boysal discovered some sub-Mycenaean tombs containing one of the wealthiest Collections of Mycenaean Pottery. The Mycenean Collection is now kept in Bodrum Museum.
Carians served under the rule of legendary king Minos and built ships for him
Carians also served as mercenaries in Egypt and some other countries.
Many short Carian inscriptions helping decipher the Carian language were discovered in Egypt.
Did you know that Bodrum was the birthplace of Herodotus, the father of history?
Did you know Carian Queen Artemisia I, Carian queen, was the first woman admiral of the world in the 5th Century BC, and she commanded the ships from Caria cities during the campaign of Persian King Xerxes? She was also one of the advisers of the Persian king.
Persian governor Satrap Mausolos built the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, in Bodrum. After the construction of the Mausoleum, the world Mausoleum was used for monumental tombs worldwide.
Mausolos’s wife, Artemisia II, completed the unfinished monument of her deceased husband. Many European painters immortalized her love for her dead husband. These paintings show Artemisia drinking a cup of wine mixed with the ashes of her deceased husband. After the death of her husband, Rhodesians attacked Halicarnassus, but she had a double victory in one day over the people of Rhodes.
Did you know the sister of Mausolos, Ada, who had been exiled to the city of Alinda, became friendly with Alexander the Great and wanted Him to become her adopted son? After capturing the Caria region, Alexander made Ada the region’s ruler.
The murderers of Julius Ceasar, Brutus, and Cassius came to Caria to collect money and soldiers.
The word Hermaphrodite spread to the world from Salamis in Bodrum. Hermaphrodite, the son of Goddess Aphrodite and Hermes, visited Halicarnassus.
Famous historian Dionysus of Halicarnassus was born in Bodrum
The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus survived until the 14 century when a great earthquake destroyed the monument.
In the 15th Century, The Knight of John used the Mausoleum stones to construct their castle.
In the 19th Century, following the description of ancient Halicarnassus given by Roman architect Vitrivius, British archeologist Sir Newton discovered the foundations of the Mausoleum under the Ottoman buildings.
Did you know Bodrum has one of the best museums of Underwater archeology?
Underwater archeology in Turkey started with the survey of Peter Throckmorton, who came to Turkey in 1969. Guided by sponge diver Kemal ARAS, Peter dived into many shipwrecks. Being informed about the Late Bronze Age Gelidonya wreck, Peter went to the USA and persuaded George Bass to excavate there. That is how the brilliant career of the father of Underwater archeology started.
The famous (Serce Limani) glass wreck’s miraculously preserved hull is displayed in Bodrum Museum of underwater archeology
The Serce Limani vessel was carrying 3 tons of glass (a ton of broken glass, two tons of raw glass) and many other items such as weapons, Islamic earthenware, Islamic and Christian coins,
The Famous Late Bronze Age ship Uluburun which carried 10 tons of copper and a ton of tin ingots, also had fine jewelry, weapons, and glass ingots. The shipwreck was discovered in 1984. After 11 years of underwater excavations, the stunning cargo of the ship is displayed in the Museum of underwater archeology, and it is considered the oldest shipwreck ever excavated.
Did you know that one of the artifacts discovered at Uluburun was the seal of Egyptian queen Nefertiti, the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaton?
Two copies of Uluburun were built with the same ship-building techniques, and one of the ships made a similar journey that the Uluburun ship had made in 14—century BC. A second copy of the Uluburun ship was completed and sank at Kas for experimental archaeology.
Carian queen Ada met Alexander the Great and wanted him to become his adopted son, a royal figure from Caria. Ada was one of the prominent women leaders of the ancient world.
Historian writer Cevat Şakir who came to Bodrum during his exile fell in love with the beauty of the town and his people. After his punishment, he spent the rest of his life here. Using a pen name, “Fishermen 0f Halikarnasus, “he wrote many articles and books about the region’s ancient history, sponge divers, and beauty. He and his friends were pioneers of the “blue trip.”
Alexander the Great captured Halicarnassus after a long siege. Bloody battles took place at the Myndos gate of Halicarnassus. During the recent archeological digs, rock-cut trenches were discovered, which had been built to prevent Alexander’s siege engines from getting close to the city walls.
Bodrum was the town of sponge diving, leading to underwater archeology.