Bodrum Castle

Bodrum Castle is a historical fortification located in southwest Turkey in the port city of Bodrum, built on a rocky promontory between two ports. In ancient times an island, this area was later connected to the mainland to form a peninsula. The site of the castle held defensive foundations from Doric times and a small 11th-century Seljuk castle. The same promontory is also the probable site of the Palace of Mausolos, the famous King of Caria.

The castle was built because the Knights Hospitaller, faced with the growing Ottoman Sultanate, needed a secure stronghold on the mainland. Grand Master Philibert de Naillac identified a site across from the island of Kos, where an order castle already stood. Construction began in 1402 under the name Castle of St. Peter or Petronium, supervised by German knight architect Heinrich Schlegelholt. Construction workers were guaranteed a reservation in heaven by a 1409 Papal Decree.

The fortress was a transnational effort built by Italians, French, Germans, and English, with specific towers bearing their nations' names. Different sections were built at various times; the chapel was finished around 1406, the three-storied English tower in 1413, and the first walls in 1437. The architect applied advanced design features, including winding passages leading to the gates. Fourteen cisterns for collecting rainwater were excavated in the rocks under the castle.

To fortify the castle, the knights used squared green volcanic stone, marble columns, and reliefs from the nearby Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. Between 1505 and 1507, surviving sculptures such as Amazonomachy and Centauromachy slabs were integrated into the walls for decoration. By 1522, almost every block of the mausoleum had been removed for building material.

The castle successfully repelled Ottoman attacks throughout the 15th century, and in 1482 Prince Cem Sultan sought refuge here after a failed revolt against his brother. Following the Siege of Rhodes in 1522, the castle surrendered to Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and came under Ottoman rule. The chapel was converted into the Süleymaniye Mosque and a minaret was added. The castle remained under Ottoman control for nearly 400 years, serving at times as a military base and a prison.

In the 19th century, permission was granted to remove several marble reliefs and stone lions from the castle to the British Museum in London. During World War I, a French warship opened fire on the castle, destroying the minaret and damaging several towers. After a brief period of Italian control, the forces withdrew in 1921, leaving the castle empty for approximately 40 years.

In the early 1960s, the Turkish government transformed the castle into the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, today the largest museum of its kind. The museum collections feature amphora exhibitions, a Byzantine shipwreck, a glass hall, a glass wreck, the Uluburun shipwreck, a coin and jewelry hall, and the Carian Princess Hall. In 1995, the museum received a Special Commendation in the European Museum of the Year Award.

Visitors today can explore the French, Italian, German, and English towers, double-shell walls, heraldic gates, and gardens filled with Mediterranean plants. Offering panoramic views of the city and neighboring bays from its towers, the castle stands today as Bodrum's enduring symbol.