Bodrum Castle

Written by admin on August 4, 2008 – 6:02 pm -

Bodrum’s primary landmark, Bodrum Castle, also known as Saint Peter’s Castle, is a well-preserved medieval stone fortress built by Crusaders in the 15th Century.

The castle was constructed using stones from the ruined *Mausoleum of Mausolus, once one of the *Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its builders were the Knights of St John, (also known as the Knights of Malta or the Knights Hospitaller) who controlled, and operated from, the Greek island of Rhodes.

This order was separated into different “tongues”, each one representing a different language, encompassing different regions of Italy, France, Germany and the British Isles. Each tongue was given its own distinctive tower in Bodrum Castle, each tongue paid for their own tower and were charged with its own defence.

With the rising threat of an ever-expanding Ottoman Empire and the brilliant campaigns of Suleiman the Magnificent, it was ordered that the castle’s defences be strengthened even further to prepare for an attack. Suleiman, however, had other plans. He instead laid siege to the order’s headquarters of Rhodes, eventually forcing their surrender but allowing them to go in peace. The Knights left Rhodes and were later gifted the island of Malta by the king of Spain. It is the island of Malta which we now most associate with the order today.

After the Knights’ capitulation the region came firmly under Ottoman control and the castle’s chapel was symbolically converted into a mosque.

During the First World War the castle was subjected to naval bombardment. The damage suffered, whilst significant, was hardly critical damage, and the castle remained intact when the Italian Army used it
as a base until Turkish Independence

Today the castle is open to the public. You can explore the various towers and the castle grounds, which have all been fully restored, then climb to the top to get a fantastic view of Bodrum Bay.

The castle grounds are also the location for the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, a showcase for the rich variety of artefacts which have been recovered from the surrounding seabed.

One of many peacocks found inside the castle walls

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