How to visit Bodrum Castle (Türkiye): schedules, prices

El Castle of San Pedro It is the most important monument of Bodrum and the most interesting visit that can be made in this important tourist center of the Aegean coast en Türkiye.

Bodrum was known in Antiquity as Halicarnassus, where the fabulous tomb of king Mausolus, which was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The earthquakes destroyed that Funerary monument so lavish (which gave name to the mausoleums) and, in fact, the castle of san pedro It was built in part with material from the ruins of the tomb.

The Knights Hospitaller or San Juan were installed in Bodrum after the fall of Izmir in 1402 and made it the base of their operations in Asia Minor.

History of Bodrum Castle

They called the place Petronium, which explains why the castle they built is dedicated to San Pedro and the current name of Bodrum, which is a posterior deformation.

The castle was built at the beginning of the 15th century and was in the power of the Gentlemen until 1522 when Suleiman the Magnificent conquered the Rhodes island. Then they had to abandon not only Rhodes, but also Bodrum and they headed to Malta.

The fortress occupies a promontory that extends into the sea and forms two bays. One of them is occupied by Bodrum port, to the west, while the other draws a beach line.

This promontory was in ancient times an island that, over time, was joined to the mainland by an isthmus, and it is probable that the place was occupied by the acropolis of king Mausolus.

El castle It is very well preserved and is one of the most impressive fortresses in the entire eastern Mediterranean, making it a very attractive visit for everyone.

From its towers and walls there are good views of the surroundings, especially of the port.

As the original plan of the monumental complex is preserved quite well, the character of the Knights of Saint John and Gothic style of the time.

Bodrum Castle Towers

Since Medals It was a multinational organization, with members from several countries, each group had its own tower in the castle.

This is how you find the towers Spanish, French, Italian, German and English, and they all have a nickname, which is why they are also known as the Snake, the Embroidery, the Relief, Strong and the Leónrespectively.

There are also two smaller towers, Caretto y Gatineau, dedicated to the masters who ordered its construction already in the 16th century, when an attack by the Ottoman armies was feared.

El Bodrum castle also works as a great underwater archeology museum, so that distributed in different rooms there are pieces obtained in research on several sunken ships in the area.

The complex forms one of the most interesting and important museums of its kind in the entire world. Mediterranean coast.

Although in essence it is a 15th century European style castle, presents elements from many other eras.

Part of the construction material belongs to the famous Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, but the Ottomans added some more elements after the conquest.

All this together with the underwater archaeological remains, some as old as the 14th century BC, forms a very important group from a historical and cultural point of view, which has earned it to be included in the tentative list of the Unesco World Heritage.

Sculptures, reliefs and coats of arms in Bodrum

There are descriptions from travelers from centuries ago who highlighted the presence of fragments of the mausoleum in the castle walls.

But in the mid-19th century, the English obtained permission from the Ottoman authorities to take the sculptures and reliefs that were in sight, which are now in the British Museum of London.

However, numerous coat of arms of different masters, commanders and kings embedded in the walls, especially above the lintels of doors and passageways.

What to see when visiting Bodrum Castle

A complete tour of the castle can easily last two hours as there are many places and corners to visit.

The entrance is from the port side through a ramp that leads to the top of the bastions of a structure from where there are good views of the port and the coastline.

A bridge allows you to overcome the moat and access the interior of the fortification, where the coat of arms aforementioned.

You then go to the main courtyard of the castle where there are several trees, such as quince trees, olive trees, oriental plane trees, cypresses, mulberry trees and some sweetgum trees.

There are also numerous samples of ancient sculptures and reliefs, as well as remains of altars, statues and architectural elements from different places in the Bodrum peninsula, historic Caria region.

Old chapel and mosque in Bodrum

The construction that attracts the most attention in the patio is the old chapel.

A minaret testifies that it was converted into mosque after the Ottoman domination of the city, although said minaret is a reconstruction from a century ago, since the original from the 16th century was destroyed during the World War I.

El interior of the chapel/mosque It is currently empty, and a glass in the ground allows you to observe part of the underground structure.

Bodrum Underwater Archeology Museum

This room was occupied by a section of the Museum of Underwater Archeology, but when we visited the castle, it was completely empty.

Crossing the courtyard and climbing towards the towers, you reach one of the museum's exhibition rooms.

The rich history of the area for millennia has made its seabed one of the richest in the world in terms of sunken ships and abound in wrecks that are studied by specialists.

In fact, some of the first scientific underwater archaeological research in the world was carried out on this coastline in the 60s of the last century.

In 1964 the aforementioned Bodrum Underwater Archeology Museum to protect and preserve those finds, whose holdings include artifacts ranging from the 14th century BC to the 16th century AD

In 1995 the bodrum museum received the award for European Museum of the Year.

Several of the ships studied sank near Yassi Ada, a very small island surrounded by very dangerous waters, with a reef barely a meter deep that over the centuries has caused numerous shipwrecks.

In the room located in one of the towers there is a collection of amphorae and other objects found in sunken ships; In fact, among the funds of this museum the largest collection of ancient amphorae in the world.

Unfortunately, several rooms of the museum at the time of our visit were closed for construction, including the one dedicated to the Uluburun wreck, where the finds on a ship from the 14th century BC are shown, in the Bronze Age.

This is the oldest sunken ship never studied by archaeologists.

Schedule Bodrum Castle and Museum of Underwater Archeology

The Visiting hours of St. Peter's Castle and the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archeology They are, every day of the week, from March to October from 8,30:19 a.m. to 8,30 p.m., and the rest of the year, from 18:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX p.m., with last access half an hour before closing.

El ticket price It is 65 liras (8 euros).