bodrum bodrum ..

RSS Feed Homepage

Halikarnassos (Muğla)
2007-07-28 21:32:00
Halikarnassos (Bodrum) was founded by Dorian colonists but reached its peak in the 4th century BC when ruled by Hekatomnos and his children, especially Mausolos. His tomb, the Mausoleum, was one of the wonders of the ancient world. The present Turkish-Danish excavations inside the Castle of St Peter are led by Oğuz Alpözen and Poul Pedersen.The 2004 season was devoted to study of the findings so far and the location of the palace of Mausolos investigated. The palace was apparently on the north and west slopes of the peninsula, under the castle. The team uncovered staircases associated with a large terrace (11 x 13 m) with foundations of green andesite ashlar blocks, made using a technique similar to that of fortification walls of the period of Mausolos below the Crusader chapel. The staircases probably provided access to a small bay with a boatshed, perhaps to be identified with a secret harbour of Mausolos. Two cisterns of the Late Classical or Hellenistic periods carved partiall...

Turkish Bath
2007-04-18 14:20:00
The tradition of the Turk ish bath extends far back, to a time before Turks had reached Anatolia. When the Turks arrived in Anatolia, they brought with them one bathing tradition, and were confronted with another, that of Romans and Byzantines, with certain local variants. The traditions merged, and with the addition of the Moslem concern for cleanliness and its concomitant respect for the uses of water, there arose an entirely new concept, that of the Turkish Bath . In time it became an institution, with its system of ineradicable customs. For the Turkish bath was much more than just a place to cleanse the skin. It was intimately bound up with everyday life, a place where people of every rank and station, young and old, rich an poor, townsman or villager, could come freely. Women as well as men made use of the "hamam", as the bath is known in Turkish, although of course at separate hours.From the individual's point of view, the hamam was a familiar place from the earliest weeks of l...

BODRUM TODAY
2007-04-15 14:11:00
Founded on the antique city of Halicarnassus, modern Bodrum is one of the most important touristic centers of Turkey. The characteristic architecture of the town, tangerine gardens, yachting and sympathetic people have created the Bodrum of today. The people and their houses are in perfect harmony with the sea. Hundreds of Bodrum made yachts carry visitors from all over the world along the Aegean coast making them enjoy the beauty of nature. The inhabitans of the region are friendly with the tourists and helpfull to them in every case. Traditional still boat building is still carried on in the towns shipyards. These boats built by the people of Bodrum, which once gave the Ottoman empire the famous admiral Turgut Reis (Dragut), are very much appreciated by the foreigners who by them. Divers continue the centuries-old tradition of sponge fishing meanwhile bringing the artifacts they find at the bottom of the sea to the Underwater Archaeology Museum established in the castle, thus help...
More About: Today

THE TURKISH BATH
2007-04-14 13:57:00
The Turk ish bath, Which is the only building constructed by the Turks in the castle of the Knights, stands of the south of the chapel. Leaning on the curtain wall, the bath is perfectly set in the castle.It has a rectangular dressing room, a domed washing chamber and behind it a small stoke-hole where the water was heated.There is an inbuilt empty space beneath the washing chamber’s floor, Hotair and water was circulated under and inside the walls. The antique Roman bath tradition has come down to our days through the Ottoman Turks. This bath was built around 1895 when the castle begun the used as a prison. The hamam is restored and the ethnographical objects of the Turkish bath are exhibited here.
More About: Bath

Three Faces of Bodrum Castle
2007-04-13 13:20:00
Today, Bodrum Castle discloses only two of its personalities; the third is thankfully not in evidence.Its massive, battlemented walls, five towers and seven gates shows that it was once a fortress of note. Numerous inscriptions and coats-of-arms seen embedded at various points in the structure testify to its medieval, multi-national origins - there are no visible traces left of previous Carian, Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk construction. Even though their proprietorship of the castle lasted only some 120 years, the prevailing aura today is still of its former Crusader occupants, the Knights Hospitaller of St. John. This is due to a large extent to the castle’s restoration and accentuation with period furnishings, all done by Turkish authorities after its transformation into a museum.This period of the Bodrum Castle may be of particular interest to the western visitor due to associations with historical events which have made lasting impressions on European heritage and culture, but ...
More About: Faces

THE CHAPEL
2007-04-12 12:27:00
The beautiful building in Gothic style immeddiately on the right of the courtyard was the chapel of the Knights. One of the first buildings to be completed during the construction of the castle between 1402 and 1437, it was restored by the Spanish knights, in 1519.The chapel, in its planning, ornaments and heavily decorated facade, shows Spanish in fluences. The chapel used to be entered through a main door in the middle and two smaller ones flanking it, with an arched window immediately above them. Due to the construction technique and plant ornaments, two windows above the main door are beatiful examples of Gothic architecture.The chapel was totally built with material obtained from ancient Hellenistic constructions.The green stones used in the building of the side wall were brought from the Maussolleion. On the corner stones of facade are inscribed the names of the Spanish knights who helped in the restoration, between the dates of 1519-1520. After the conquest of the castle and ...
More About: Chapel , Apel

THE BODRUM CASTLE-2
2007-04-12 00:41:00
The museum which first opened in 1964, is Turkey’s first and only museum specializing in underwater archaeology and was opened to house findings from various excavations at Galidonya, Yassiada, Serce Limani, Seytan Deresi, and the nearby sites of Ortakent and Gokce. The museum houses treasures from every age of occupation from Mycenaean, through archaic Classic and Hellenistic Greek, to Roman and Byzantine - all exhibited in chronological order. Among those items exhibited, are Amphora and other stoneware including bowls, glassware, vases, candles, jewellery, miniature statues, coins and tombstones.The most interesting exhibits are undoubtedly those found on the wrecks. The many handsome amphorae, the black child statues and the statue of the goddess Isis are particularly fine.Also worth seeing are the bronze signs from Gelidonya, the farming implements, the bronze weighing scales and the many bronze coins.The summer months see many other exhibitions, displays and even concerts ta...
More About: Castle , Bodrum

THE BODRUM CASTLE-1
2007-04-11 03:18:00
One feature of Bodrum that no visitor should miss is Bodrum Castle . Constructed by the Knights of Rhodes during the Crusades of the Middle Ages, it was given the name The Castle of St. Petrus, or Petronium. It was built partly from the remains of the mausoleum of Mausolus which had collapsed as the result of an earthquake. The exterior walls were designed by the German architect Heinrich Schlgelholt (in the early 15th century) and were strengthened by five towers known usually as the Italian tower, the French tower, the German tower, the English tower and the Snake tower.The French tower is thought to be the earliest with the others being added during the following century. The Italian tower was built in 1436 by architect Angelo Mascettola. The final parts of the structure were erected in the time of Pierre díAbusson between 1476 and 1593, with the English tower being added around 1480. The walls of the castle contain the coats of arms and armorial bearings of many of the knights t...

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-6
2007-04-10 02:01:00
Halicarnassus was never able to recuperate after Alexanders plunder.In 201 B.C. Plilip V of Macedonia for a short while occupied the city. In 196 B.C. Antiochus III of Syria attempted to take it back from the Ptolemies, but was prevented by the Allies of the latter, the Rehodians. With peace of Apemeia in 189 B.C. the Romans gave the sovereignty of Halicarnassus to Rhodes; but this was never fully put into practice.The city independence lasted until 129 B.C., when the Romans organized the province of Asia and include Cariain in it. Halicarnassus was plundered by the prite Verres in 80 B.C. and by 60 seems to have been a city of no economical importance, As the ‘’ tyrannicides’’ Brutus and Cassius had established their headquarters at Myndus near Halicarnassus, the city suffered great damage during the power struggle in Rome (43 B.C. ). Better times came however with the establishment of the empire under Augustus and Halicarnassus was once again prospreus. Several temples inc...
More About: History , Bodrum , Tory

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-5
2007-04-09 01:55:00
When the Rhodians sailed to the main harbour and put their man ashore to occupy the city she quickly led her ships around the island were the castle stands to day and seized the unmanned ships. The Rehodian soldiers , unable to retreat, were surrounded and destroyed in the agora (market-place). Artemisia then put her own men abourd the enemy ships and sailed to Rhodes. The city thinking that their soldiers were returning victorious, opened its gates without hesitatian and was easly captured.To celebrate this victory Artemisia had her own statue erected.To prevent the statue to be destroyed under any circumstances she had it surrounded with a wall and declared it forbidden ground. After her died in 351 B.C Idrieus came to power Idrieus died in 351 B.C. leaving the rule to his wife Ada. The youngest brothers Pixodoros married his daugther to a Persian noble by the name of Orontobates, but died shortly before the arrive of Alexander in 344 B.C. In the spring of that year, after defeati...
More About: History , Bodrum , Tory

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-4
2007-04-08 01:47:00
The first satrap whose name we know was Hyssaldomus from Mylasa. He was succeesed by his son Hecatomnos in 387 B.C. Hecatomnos had three sons (Maussollos, Idrieus, Pixodarus) and two daugthers (Artemisia II;Ada), In 377 B.C. Hecatomnos died and his son Maussollos became the satrap of Caria.As in the times of the Lydamis dynasty, Maussollos transfered the capital back to Halicarnassus and rebuilt it on a much grander scale.Easy to defend and situated in a place favourable to naviagation and commerce. Halicarnassus quickly prospered. During the reing of Mussollos the inhabitants of the six neighbouring Lelegian cities were forced to live in Halicarnassus. An ambitious man, he conquered the islands of Cos and Rhodes, and Halicarnassus rebuilt by the most famous architects and sculptors of the age.The money necessary for this was supplied from the heavy taxes he livied. In his reign even long hair was taxed.Maussollos died in 353 B.C., after reigning over Caria from twentyfour years.The...
More About: History , Bodrum , Tory

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-3
2007-04-07 17:20:00
After the conquest to Sardis by the Persian king Cyrus, the western Anatolian cities fell rapidly under Persian rule. In the cities they conquered the persians put the power dynasties who would rule in their interest.During Xerxes’ campaing againts the Greeks (around 480 B.C.), the daughter of the tyrant Lygdamis, Artemisia I was the ruler of Halicarnassus. Herodotus has provided as with much information on Artemisia. He writes that she joined with the Persiansto fights againts the Greeks, and, also ruled over the islands of Cos, Nisyros and Calydnos. At Salamis she advised Xerxes not to risk a naval battle with the Greeks.However as the king had follewed the wish of the majority, she joined the battle in person and fought with so much prowes at the king exclaimed ’’My man have shown themselves women and my women men’’. Heredotus has not writen the name of her housband, but she must surely have taken over the rule after his death.Following Artemisia’s death, first her so...
More About: History , Bodrum , Tory

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-2
2007-04-06 02:56:00
According to the geographer Strabo of Amasya, Halicarnassus was founded by Anthes, son of Poseidon. In A.D. 26 Halicarnassus envoys came to Rome in order to convince the emperor Tiberius to have the temple to be erected in his name is Halicarnassus, on the ground that for 1200 yeras their cities had not felt the shock of an earthquake.This would put the foundation of the city right after the Trojen war. Strabo disagrees with this and claims that Halicarnassus,was not is existence in the first quarter of the XI. Century B.C. The traveller and geographer Pausanias points out that the founder of the city was the grandchild of Aention, who was the son of Anthes. The Dorians, use the islands are their stepping-stone arrived to south-west anatolia around 1000 B.C. After many waves of Dorian migrations following each other, the new-comers were forced the settle on the coast. The first settlement in Halicarnassus was on rocky little island where the castle stands today.The island called Zep...
More About: History , Bodrum , Tory

HISTORY OF BODRUM (ANCİENT HALİCARNASUS)-1
2007-04-05 01:29:00
The town of Bodrum is founded on the ancient Halicarnassus, one of the most famous cities antiguity.The archaeological evidences in the museum reflect a past of five thousand years in Bodrum and it is neighborhood.The region, as it can be understood from the various artifacts displayed , was invaded throughtout the centuries by many civilizations. The invaders came mainly from the islands to the region called Caria in the antique age.The region of Caria included the the province of Muğla and part of what is Aydın today Anatolia, then also, was divided into many regions. According to the writers of antiquity, Caria extended from the Menderes river in the west to the Dalaman creek in the east. The native inhabitants of the region were the Carians and the Legians.In the Iliad, Homer mentios the Carians as the inhabitants of Anatolia and allias of the Trojans againts the Greeks."Herodotus of Halicarnassus (484-425 B.C.), considered as the father of history says :’’The Carians have...
More About: History , Tory