Bodrum

A Charming and attractive little port located on the southern coast of Bodrum Penninsula, Bodrum is a Turkish port town in Mugla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region of the country. With its old name Halikarnassos being an archaic city.The district surrounded by Gulluk Gulf at north, Gokova Gulf at south has land frontier with Milas, and faces the Greek island of Kos another district of Mugla.Today, it is a center of tourism and yachting. It is the ancient Halicarnassus of Caria, renowned for the mausoleum of Maussollos.

Bodrum can trace its history back some 3,000 years.The mausoleum of King Mausoleus , which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient world is in Bodrum, just as “amphoras” legacy of sunken ships buried under water centuries ago. Countless beaches are available at this wonderland district.

Bitez, Ortakent and Gumbet beaches are the most popular ones. Blue Cruise (Aegean Cruising) at Bodrum means to live Bodrum on the sea. It is the case of launching out on a voyage of discovery. It is setting out to sea via motor or sailing yachts from the gulfs at the west Aegean and east Mediterranean to the sea. There are lots of marinas and ponds at Bodrum eligible for sea tourism.

Bitez, Turkbuku and Gokova are just few examples from the district. bodrum BodrumThe life is lived around the seashore parts of the town where a great deal of bars, discotheques, shops and restaurants are available.

All aspects of Turkish Traditions are shown within these locations. Within any moment of the 24 hours lived at Bodrum, you will come accross something going on around. The main entertainment place is Cumhuriyet Street (Republic Street) known as bar street.

Getting There

Bodrum Airport is approximately 33 kilometers north-east of Bodrum. There are also Adnan Menderes and Dalaman Airports which are 3 hours far away from Bodrum. Bodrum has dolmus and bus system. There are local taxis in Bodrum. Bus service to Bodrum is available from Istanbul, Izmir, and the major cities of Turkey

Bodrum Climate and Weather

Bodrum has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are extremely hot with temperatures well above 40°C in July and August, you should drink plenty of water to keep hydrated which is important in a very hot place such as Bodrum. Winters are cool with temperatures around 14-20°C. Spring and Autumn are the wettest seasons, yet still very sunny, which is the best time to go for people who want a warm holiday that is not too hot like the summer, with temperatures around 20-28°C.Summers are hot and humid and winters are mild and mostly sunny.

What is the best time for travelling to Bodrum?

Swimming : April to October

Touring : All year round, July-August is not recommended as it may be too hot.

History

The first recorded settlers in Bodrum region were the Carians and the harbor area was colonized by Dorian Greeks as of the 7th century BC. The city later fell under Persian rule. Under the Persians, it was the capital city of the satrapy of Caria, the region that had since long constituted its hinterland and of which it was the principal port. Its strategic location ensured that the city enjoyed considerable autonomy.

Archaeological evidence from the period such as the recently discovered Salmakis (Kaplankalesi) Inscription, now in Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, attest to the particular pride[clarification needed] its inhabitants had developed. A famous native was Herodotus, the Greek historian (484-420 BC).

Mausolus ruled Caria from here, nominally on behalf of the Persians and independent in practical terms for much of his reign between 377 to 353 BC. When he died in 353 BC, Artemisia II of Caria, who was both his sister and his widow, employed the ancient Greek architects Satyros and Pythis, and the four sculptors Bryaxis, Scopas, Leochares and Timotheus to build a monument, as well as a tomb, for him.

The word “mausoleum” derives from the structure of this tomb. It was a temple-like structure decorated with reliefs and statuary on a massive base. It stood for 1700 years and was finally destroyed by earthquakes.[citation needed] Today only the foundations and a few pieces of sculpture remain.

Alexander the Great laid siege to the city after his arrival in Carian lands and, together with his ally, the queen Ada of Caria, captured it after heavy fighting. Crusader Knights arrived in 1402 and used the remains of the Mauseoleum as a quarry to build the still impressively standing Bodrum Castle (Castle of Saint Peter), which is also particular in being one of the last examples of Crusader architecture in the East