BODRUM

"Do not think that you will leave as you came, those of you came before were the same. However, they all left their mind in Bodrum and left." This was what Cevat şakir Kabaağaçlı, known as Halikarnas Balıkçısı (the Fisherman of Halicarnassos), wrote about Bodrum. None of Turkey’s others holiday destinations have such a different image as Bodrum. Everyone has a different Bodrum of their own. If you like let us begin with the Fisherman of Halicarnassos, who promoted Bodrum in Turkey and internationally. " In the past, houses were built on high hills for protection from war or for defence. These were not called house but "towers". But with the longing for the sea, with their admiration for the blue, with their clogs that had the scent of pine, with a clanging they slide down from the hills and lined up between the creaking gravel stones of two coves. Those who were in the back tiptoed and stared in surprise at the sea over the shoulders of their sisters. Some of the more courageous houses dipped into the sea and became a caique (small Turkish boat) and became joyous and playful on the waves, teasing their diffident sisters. This is why houses, caiques and mandarin fields have a fast kindred spirit. The caiques that are tired of coming and going from the sea either became houses or mandarin fields." For those who do know Bodrum what Cevat şakir writes might sound like a lie but believe it, is exactly as he says.

Bodrum is one of Turkey’s most talked about holiday resorts in Turkey. This fame is greatly due to the Fisherman of Halicarnassos who did so much to promote it, who caused our intellectuals to fall in love with the place, so much so that now many of our writers and artists can be found for most the year in Bodrum. There are so many stories or novels by famous writers such as Selim İleri, Vedat Türkali that are based in Bodrum. In Bodrum, whose fame and number of visitors are increasing parallel to each other, you can surely come across one of our poets, authors or artist that you know. However, the town’s fame does not just spring from this.

The big hearted sponge divers, captains who are in love with sea, the fishermen, the white washed houses, the purple flowering begonias that climb the walls, the clean coves around it and most of all the long entertaining nights that stretch to dawn all add to Bodurm’s fame.

Bodrum is not only a place to rest. Entertainment is definitely added to holidays in the town. In Bodrum holidays days are divided into two. During the day it is time to swim in extremely blue coves, to leave your body to the hot sunshine and in other words to rest and get ready for the night. Once the sun sets and the stars begins to fill the sky another call of life is heard. It is impossible to close your ears to this call. This is the call of the Bodrum nights. Who can resist the call of friendship, dreams and love, especially if a full moon decorates the sky?

The restaurants are ready for the night, on the water front, in nearby villages, on streets of white houses and on the hills. The fish, the grouper, stuffed mussels and especially the octopus, that were caught in the nets of master fishermen or on the rods of anglers, have been laid on ice and are waiting. If you sit at a table where the traditional Turkish drink rakı is drunk you cannot do without the octopus salad. It is not known whether this is due to the taste of the octopus or the talents of the cooks but this is how it is. In Bodrum, everyone can find a place according to their preferences to pass the evening. There are both the fishermen’s meyhanes (small eating places featuring a wide range of entrees) and pizza parlours. There are places that play traditional Turkish music called fasıl and places that play rock. The street lined with bars are Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Neyzen Tevfik Caddesi, Azmakbaşı; in brief everywhere is full of bars and meyhanes. It is your choice.

The Historic Riches of Bodrum

Bodrum is not only a town of sea, sun and fun nights. The story of civilisation in Bodrum has a history going back 3,000 years. The historian Herodotus says that the city was founded in 1000 BC by the Dorians on the location where the castle is today. In those days the place was an island. The height of Halicarnassus was in the 4th century BC. During the 24 years rule of King Mausolus he made the city the capital of Caria and began construction of the magnificent monument, the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Unfortunately, all that remains of the Mausoleum are its foundations. King Mausolus died before the monumental tomb was completed and the work was continued under the direction of his wife and his sister, Artemisia II. However, before its completion she also died, though artisans completed the work. In the end a marvellous architecture, an Ionic style temple of 42 metres square surrounded with 36 columns, was built on top of a pyramid which was climbed by 24 steps, surmounted by a statue of Mausolus and his wife riding a chariot. Some of the statues and pieces from the Mausoleum are today displayed in the British Museum. They were not looted, with permission for the artworks to be taken to Britain given by the sultan of the day. After the death of Artemisia, Isruis replaced her and then Princess Ada took the throne. Ada who was overthrown by her younger brother and sister, was returned to the throne by Alexander the Great when he took the city in 334 BC. We will visit Princess Ada in the Bodrum Castle.

Following the Alexanderian era, the region came under the rule of Lysimachos in 301 BC and later was controlled by Ptolemid kings. In 180 BC, Bodrum was associated with Rhodes and then, in 167 BC, to the Kingdom of Bergama. It was in 4th century AD, under the rule of the Carians, that the region became a centre of an episcopacy. In 1247, the Menteşe Beyliği (Turkic kingdom) was founded here and during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent it became a part of the Ottomans. Little has been done in the way of excavation in Bodrum as each new city was built atop the remains of its predecessor. The theatre, built during the time of Mausolus, is an exception. Sited on a hill above the present town, it was uncovered while a road was being constructed and has been restored.

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