TRAVEL EPHESUS-BODRUM SHORE & LAND EXCURSIONS
Exclusively Private & Group Tour
BODRUM TOUR HALF DAY - HALF DAY BODRUM TOURS

*Your Bodrum local guide will meet you at Bodrum Port or at your hotel in Bodrum. The guide will hold up a sign with your name on it.
*Bodrum (Halicarnassus) founded possibly in the 11C BC, Halicarnassus came under Persian domination c.540 BC. The Persians ruled through native tyrants, one of whom, Artemisia, shared in the Persian defeat at Salamis (480). Later in the Persian Wars Halicarnassus joined the Delian League. The city enjoyed its greatest prosperity under Mausolus, a Persian satrap who achieved virtual independence in the 4C BC. The temple erected in his honour, the Mausoleum, became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Captured by Alexander the Great in 334 BC, Halicarnassus soon declined. Early in the 15C AD the Knights of Rhodes built a picturesque castle dedicated to St. Peter. Its walls were built largely of material derived from the ruins of the classical city. Remains of the Mausoleum, excavated in the 1850s, are in the British Museum in London. Halicarnassus was also the hometown of the famous ancient historian Herodotus.
*On Half Day Bodrum City Tour; your first stop is The Castle of St. Peter. The most prominent feature of Bodrum must be the Castle of St. Peter. Whether entering the town by land or sea, one cannot help but be struck by the Castle's sturdy presence. One of the world's best preserved monuments from medieval times, it stands as a solid testament to the Bodrum area as a place worth defending. The Castle's origins go back to the Knights of St. John, a group of expatriates who drew their ranks from Europe. This "Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem" began in the Eleventh Century with a church and hospital set up for pilgrims in Jerusalem. The Crusader castle was built by the Knights of St. John between 1402 and 1409. After being defeated in Symrna (The ancient name of Izmir), the Knights came to Halikarnassos and began the construction of the castle. Unknowingly, they used many stones from the great tomb of Mausolus. Today on the walls of the castle you can see lots of stones from Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
*The fortifications of the castle consisted of walls to which ramparts and central towers were added.Also there are four towers; The French, Italian, German and English. The French Tower stands at the highest point of the complex, 48 meters above sea level.
Today the castle's rooms are used as a museum where finds from the Bronze Age, Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine period are exhibited. The castle also houses the largest underwater archeological museum in Turkey. It is one of the few of its kind in the world. The reconstruction of a ship-wreck the museum itself is worth a visit. Ship Wreck Museum in The Castle of Saint Peter,The shipwreck was excavated in a scientific manner between 1961 and 1964 by a team headed by George Bass, with Oguz Alpozen, the current museum director, joining the team in 1962. The wreck lay on a slope ranging from 32 to 39 meters below the surface and was dated by gold and copper coins found among the artifacts. When closely examined by experts the ship was shown to have been built using the ancient shell-first method below the waterline and the modern frame-first technique above the waterline, with the ship's pine planks fastened to its elm frames by iron spikes. The vessel carried nine iron anchors, two placed on the sides of the bow and seven resting on deck just forward of the mast. It is believed that the ship was steered by sweeps extended on its aft quarters and it probably carried only one sail.The exhibit on display today is a replica of the ship's stern section reconstructed with new timber and positioned in such a way as it probably was when it first rested on the bottom after sinking, before breaking up due to the action of its underwater environment. The ship's galley, where nearly all of the personal possessions of those on board were stored, is seen reconstructed in great detail, including an iron grill over a tiled firebox as it was used by the ship's cook. This grill and the iron spikes used for nailing the planking to the frames were all wrought true to their ancient forms by a local blacksmith. The cooking and table ware found in this shipwreck is the largest well-dated collection of ceramics from the seventh century, including the earliest examples of glazed Byzantine pottery. Also found in the galley area were twenty-four terra-cotta oil lamps and several copper vessels as well as the tools of the ship's carpenter. Lead fishing-net sinkers indicate that the crew supplemented their diet by fishing. The artifacts found are displayed in glass cases in the exhibit hall.
*Afterwards, drive back to Bodrum Harbour or your hotel in Bodrum.
TRAVEL DETAILS NEED TO KNOW!
Visits     :Bodrum City Center-Bodrum St. Peter Castle-Bodrum Ship Wreck Museum
Duration :3 Hours Approx.
Runs      :Everyday  
Leaves   :Bodrum
Returns  :Bodrum
WHAT TO BRING!
Camera
Hat
Comfortable Footwear
Soft Drinks
Sun Cream
Sun Glasses
INCLUDED IN PRICE!
Professional English speaking guide on tours.
A/C Mini Bus
All entrance fees where necessary.
All Local taxes.
No extra or hidden costs!
Excluded In Price
Tipping & Drinks
P.S: Please Feel Free to contact us for Groups