Türkiye has always surprised tourists with its color and uniqueness. Bodrum can be considered one of the most unusual places in this country: the Aegean Sea blows cool, and the locals can easily speak Russian, English or German.
The most visited place in the resort is the Castle of St. Peter. It was built from stones that belonged to one of the wonders of the world – the Mausoleum of Mausolus. The building has preserved its original appearance with its majesty and power. That is why so many people come here. In addition, under the castle there is the Museum of Underwater Archaeology with incredible artifacts and picturesque nature.
The fortress was built in the 15th century on the territory of the ancient city of Galekarnas. It was built by knights who arrived from the island of Rhodes. It was decided to build the castle on the island of Zephyrion, in order to better fence off enemies. Later it was attached to the mainland and made a peninsula.
The construction was very slow: first the chapel appeared, and after three decades – the rest of the building. 52 knights from different regions lived there. They swore to protect this place and its surroundings. And so they did until in the XNUMXth century, Sultan Suleiman and his army captured the castle. He converted the fortress into a military base, and the chapel into a mosque.
In the 60s of the last century, the building was completely restored and declared a museum. The interiors have remained intact, and now they contain antiques and museum items.
The fortress has a Gothic style. It consists of defensive walls and several towers, the maximum height of which reaches 48 meters. Along the entire perimeter, you can see coats of arms and symbols of knights, on which green plants grow and curl. The best preserved rooms are: the glass room, the chapel and the hall of the princess of Caria.
First of all, every traveler should visit the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. There is something to pay attention to: the remains of ships from the Bronze Age, ancient amphorae, jewelry, household items and glassware. The main advantage here is considered to be the treasures of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. The historical ship, which is tens of centuries old, also looks good - the cargo hold and unique valuables are clearly visible in it.
The towers also have their own characteristics. Each of them was built by knights from different European countries, so they have their own differences: the German one shows its power, the French one shows its height, and the Italian, Spanish and English ones are decorated with unusual stones.
The main entrance is under the tower built by the Spanish knights. Once you get to the top, you can see all the beauty of Bodrum with old mills and an amphitheater.
Only here you will see the most ancient ship in the world. Its history began in the 3th century BC. It was raised from the bottom in several stages, each lasting XNUMX months. The weight and length of the ship is not small, so everything was done as professionally as possible to ensure high-quality preservation of its parts. Gold items, an anchor, remains of oars, amphorae and ivory items were found in the ship.
The fortress once housed a prison. In the 90s, the remains of people chained together were discovered there. Cells and torture chambers were also found there. It was opened for visitors so that everyone could learn how the knights tortured prisoners. Above the entrance, there is an inscription in English that says "There is no God here."
There are many pomegranate and quince trees on the castle grounds. In between excursions, you can buy water or grab a fast food snack.
