Bodrum - Bodrum guide

Bodrum travel guide, Bodrum history, Bodrum culture

Bodrum is at a two hours and half drive from Marmaris. The way to Bodrum passes between to several picturesque villages. The road to Bodrum passes next to the city of Muğla. This is the province's capital, the one Marmaris is part of. If you have few minutes, it is recommended to stop along the ascending road, and look down at the amazing scenery of the gulf of Gokova. along the way to Bodrum, there are nice places where you can stop to rest, have a drink and freshen up, before continuation your the journey. After turning left at Muğla junction towards Bodrum, you will be able to see on the hill few low line buildings. This place is called karhane. This is a legal brothel. After Marmaris and Antalya, Bodrum is maybe one of the most popular resorts in Turkey. The place got a rapid growth in the last years, with the new airfield's completion due to the fact that it is close to the city of Milas.

Bodrum has many hotels, vacation clubs, as well as boutique hotels. Bodrum is great place to start your Budget holidays to Turkey

A growing number of foreign tourists arrive at the city, as well as many Turkish artists and writers. Additional reasons why many people visit the city are, amongst others, the sponge divers, the fishermen, the crevices along side the beach, the begonville flowers that on the of walls of the houses.

As in the past, today the construction and building of traditional and new vessels in Bodrum. Those yachts appear in several models. One model is called “Trhandil” and the traditional “Gulet”. This type of model is build mainly in the areas of Bodrum, Marmaris, Bozburun and Fatihye. Those yachts serve in the during the touristy season for tours, and charters. The Gulets also participate in annual yacht race, in October every year. This international race, brings with him to the city, many participants from all over the world.

Bodrum History
In the past, there was the fishermen's village Bodrum of. It was known also by the name "Halikarnasos" (Halicarnassus). The houses were built on high hills as means of defense against the water and also against defense from invaders. They were called towers not houses. Over time, with increase use of boats, some houses were build downwards the beach. Some of the houses were infect inside the water. As a result, some of the house actually turned to little boats named ”Caique“ that swung slowly over the sea.

The area in which lays modern Bodrum, was the birth place of quite a few cultures in the past. Throughout history, this area suffered from extensive reoccurring invasions of invaders, who came from the Aegean islands. This area was important for anyone who wanted to control the Aegean sea area. Archaeological digs that took place here, exposed findings of over 5000 years, that show the history of the city.

The history of ”Halikarnasos“ (Today's Bodrum), beginning in the 13 century b.c. From the 6 century b.c. until 334 b.c, this area was under Persian control, when " Alexander the Great" defeated them. ”Halikarnasos“ (Bodrum) was an important city in the Carian kingdom. This kingdom controlled the area throughout the 11 century b.c. It was situated between its two stronger neighbors. These were the Lykian and the Ionian kingdoms. This area is known for several historical figures such as : The historian " Herod ", that was born in Bodrum in 484 b.c. In his writings, the city was founded by the Dorian leader Artemisia the first, who was also fighter, and an admiral. She defended the area against invaders from the island of Rhodes, a thing that gave her the city's inhabitants respect and admiration. During the Hellenistic control of this region, between 330 b.c, until 30 a.d, many fables houses were built, when one of them was the amphitheater. It is told that it could have held about 13,000 people. After the murder of Julius Caesar 60 a.d, by Brutus, his adopted son, along with Cassius, the two have escaped to the Myndos ( now days known as Gümüslük).

After that came the Macedonians, Romans, c, Selçuks and others. The Alpaslan defeat to the Selçukian Sultan Alpaslan in the year of 1071, lead to the occupation of the Anatolian heights, where Bodrum is located. Crusaders from the neighboring island Rhodes, founded the castle at the entrance to the harbor (Where the museum is situated nowadays). In the year 1522, sultan Suleiman the Great, conquered the island of Rhodes and Bodrum. His conquests paved the way to the Ottoman empire. This empire existed until the first world war, when Mustafa kemal Ataturk, founded the the Turkish democratic republic in 1923.