THE BODRUM CASTLE-2

The museum which first opened in 1964, is Turkey’s first and only museum specializing in underwater archaeology and was opened to house findings from various excavations at Galidonya, Yassiada, Serce Limani, Seytan Deresi, and the nearby sites of Ortakent and Gokce. The museum houses treasures from every age of occupation from Mycenaean, through archaic Classic and Hellenistic Greek, to Roman and Byzantine - all exhibited in chronological order. Among those items exhibited, are Amphora and other stoneware including bowls, glassware, vases, candles, jewellery, miniature statues, coins and tombstones.

The most interesting exhibits are undoubtedly those found on the wrecks. The many handsome amphorae, the black child statues and the statue of the goddess Isis are particularly fine.Also worth seeing are the bronze signs from Gelidonya, the farming implements, the bronze weighing scales and the many bronze coins.

The summer months see many other exhibitions, displays and even concerts taking place in the precincts of the castle. All in all, its historical ambiance, fine museum and interesting exhibitions are something that no visitor to Bodrum should miss. But if you don't get a chance to check out the interior of the Castle, you can at least observe its nightime beauty against the sunset from Kortan, M&M Bar, Bodrum Cafe, Denizciler Kahvesi, Salvaraga Restaurant, Karada Haban, Halikarnas Disco, or any one of the establishments on Cumhuriyet Caddesi.

The Castle is hosting the Bodrum Festival which will be held between 7-15 August. Local and foreign classical, pop and jazz groups, Turkish Music and Folk Music performers will take part during the festival. The photograph and painting exhibitions that will take place there are also not to be missed.

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-6

Halicarnassus was never able to recuperate after Alexanders plunder.In 201 B.C. Plilip V of Macedonia for a short while occupied the city. In 196 B.C. Antiochus III of Syria attempted to take it back from the Ptolemies, but was prevented by the Allies of the latter, the Rehodians. With peace of Apemeia in 189 B.C. the Romans gave the sovereignty of Halicarnassus to Rhodes; but this was never fully put into practice.The city independence lasted until 129 B.C., when the Romans organized the province of Asia and include Cariain in it. Halicarnassus was plundered by the prite Verres in 80 B.C. and by 60 seems to have been a city of no economical importance, As the ‘’ tyrannicides’’ Brutus and Cassius had established their headquarters at Myndus near Halicarnassus, the city suffered great damage during the power struggle in Rome (43 B.C. ). Better times came however with the establishment of the empire under Augustus and Halicarnassus was once again prospreus. Several temples including the Mars temple, were built during this period. In 400 A.D. the Roman provinces were re-organized and Caria became a separate province. With the adoptian of Christianity as the offical religion Halicarnassus developed into a Diocese connected to the Archbishopric at Aphrodisias.

Although Halicarnassus had passed under Turkish rule in the last quarter of the 11. Century, Byzantium again controlled the region during the first crusade (1096-1099).The Deniz Gazi’s under the command of the Menteşe Bey captured the city and built a castle towards the middle of the 13. Century. The Anatolian unity was destroyed with the defeat of Yıldırım Beyazıt by Tamerlane at the battle of Ankara in 1402. Meanwhile, the Knights of St. John demanded land from Mehmet Çelebi, in compensation for their castle in İzmir which had been wrecked. The knights were given Halicarnassus, but had to figth against the Menteşe Bey who claimed the land for himself. Finnaly capturing the city, which they called Mesy, the knights started building their castle on the Dorian acrapolis where the pervious.Turkish castle was situated.With the conquest of Rhodes in Junuary 5th 1523 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Bodrum once again became a part of the Ottoman empire. In 1770 the Rusia novy shelled the town, and in the Greek revolt of 1824 it was used by the Turks a military base. During the first World War the French battleship’’Dublex’’shelled Bodrum and tride to make a landing, this attemp, however, was a failture because of the resistantce of the inhabitants.The war ended with the Ottoman empire on the losingside ,and Bodrum was occupied by Italian forces in 11 May 1919.The Italians used the castle as their headquarters and tried to establish good relations with the inhabitants.When it became obvious that the war of indenpence led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk would be won by the Turks,the Italians left Bodrum and the region of Muğla.

Bodrum, today , is one of the flourishing holiday towns of the Turkish Republic.

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-5

When the Rhodians sailed to the main harbour and put their man ashore to occupy the city she quickly led her ships around the island were the castle stands to day and seized the unmanned ships. The Rehodian soldiers , unable to retreat, were surrounded and destroyed in the agora (market-place). Artemisia then put her own men abourd the enemy ships and sailed to Rhodes. The city thinking that their soldiers were returning victorious, opened its gates without hesitatian and was easly captured.To celebrate this victory Artemisia had her own statue erected.To prevent the statue to be destroyed under any circumstances she had it surrounded with a wall and declared it forbidden ground. After her died in 351 B.C Idrieus came to power Idrieus died in 351 B.C. leaving the rule to his wife Ada. The youngest brothers Pixodoros married his daugther to a Persian noble by the name of Orontobates, but died shortly before the arrive of Alexander in 344 B.C. In the spring of that year, after defeating the Persian army at Grnikos(Bigacreek), Alexsander started occupying Anatolia with remarkable speed. When he arrived to Halicarnassus pixodaros had recently died and the Persion orontobates was in control as satrap.The forces in the city consisted of Persian soldiers and Greek mercanaries under the command of the Rhodian Memnon.As we understand from the detailed accounts of the historians Diodorus and Arrian; The city defended herself bravely.Alexander first attacked the Mylasa gate on the eastern side, then proceeded to at attackt violently to the Myndus gate.The satrap Orontobates and Memon retreated to the two inner castles at Salmacis and Zephyria.Alexander ordered the city to be sacked and the Macedonian soldiers burnt the whole city down leaving only the Maussoleion untouched.After the sacking, the inhabitants brought over from the six lelegian cities during Maussollos reing were sent back as Orontobates and Memnon were still holding on in the castles. Alexander gave the command of the siege to Ada, who by her own will had opened him the gates of Alinda, and proceeded to Lycia was also made the satrap of Caria.The Persians held on for about a year ,meanwhile occupying Cos will their fleet though it is not known precisely how long they were able to control the islans.After the death of Alexander, Halicarnassus was controlled by one of his generals, Asandros, in 313 B.C. first antigonos also know as Monoftalmos (one-eyed), and later general Lisymahos in 301 B.C. ruled over the region. Lsymahos was killed at the better of Kurupedion and Caria than was ruled by the Ptolemies(281B.C.)and had to pay a tax of one ‘’Trireme ‘’a year to the Egyptian kingdom.