Bodrum and sponge diving are closely tied — the town was once known across the Mediterranean as a “capital of sponges.”

📜 Short History

• Ottoman Era – 20th century: Sponge diving was one of Bodrum’s main sources of income. Divers (often Greek, Turkish, and later local Bodrumlular) harvested natural sea sponges from the Aegean and Mediterranean.

• Traditional Method: At first, divers used no equipment, only holding their breath (“skin diving”) and using a weighted stone called a skandalopetra to reach depths.

• Modernization: Later, hard-hat diving suits and air pumps were introduced, but this increased risks like decompression sickness.

• Decline: In the mid-20th century, sponge stocks were hit by a disease that devastated populations. At the same time, synthetic sponges became common, reducing demand.

🌊 Cultural Impact

• Sponge diving shaped Bodrum’s economy and identity until tourism took over in the 1970s.

• Many former sponge divers became the first tour boat captains (known as gulets), turning their sea skills into tourism.

• Bodrum’s famous writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı (the Fisherman of Halicarnassus) often wrote about sponge divers and their hard, dangerous life.

🐚 Today

• Sponge diving is no longer a major industry, but souvenir natural sponges are still sold in Bodrum’s bazaar and marina.

• It remains a symbol of Bodrum’s maritime heritage, celebrated in local museums, art, and stories.