History

According to Herodotus, also known as the father of history who was born in Bodrum in B.C. 484, Bodrum was founded by Dorians. Bodrum, which Herodotus described as "the paradise of endless blues", was then called Halicarnassus. Except for the Territory Dorians. It bears the traces of many different cultures and civilizations such as Leleg, Caria, Persia, Helen, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. In addition to Herodotus, the first female admiral of history, 1. Artemisia, is an important person who came out of Bodrum, and many of us can remember her from the character played by Eva Green in the movie "300 Spartans 2".

One of the 7 Wonders of the World is in Bodrum

One of the features that make Bodrum unique in history and today is that it hosts the Mausoleum (Halikarnas Mausoleum), one of the 7 Wonders of the World. The origin of the word “mausoleum”, which means a monumental tomb today, is also the origin of this unique structure. In the name of King Mausolos, who made Halikarnassasos a rich and powerful city during his lifetime, a mausoleum was made by his wife and sister Artemisia, which await its visitors in Bodrum. In Tepecik, Turgut Reis street You can see the remnants of this magnificent work at No:93. It is estimated that some of the remains from the Mausoleum were used in the construction of Bodrum Castle.

Captured by the Persian Empire in the 4th century B.C. Bodrum was later occupied by Alexander the Great. In 192 B.C. by the Romans, in 395 B.C. by the Byzantines and in the 11th century by the Turks .In 1415, the Knights of Rhodes held this region, and even, according to rumors, the younger son of Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the elder brother of Cem Sultan the II. escaped from Beyazit and took refuge in this region for a while and stayed in Bodrum castle.

Bodrum, which was used as an important port city during the Roman period, preserved its importance during the Byzantine Empire period.

Bodrum's Rebirth!

In 1522, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, Bodrum joined the Ottoman Empire again. For the next 500 years, Bodrum turns into a somewhat forgotten place. People live by fishing, sponge diving and agriculture. It would not be possible to reach by road until 1928. Although the road was opened over Milas in 1928, for many years transportation was only provided by sea. With the exchange that took place in 1923, 5000 Greeks living in the region left, and Turks from Crete settled in their place. These Turks teach Bodrum’s locals about fishing and sponge diving.Products such as figs, almonds, tobacco and grapes brought from the surrounding villages by mules or camels are sent to İzmir by ships.

This small town, which hosts the most beautiful sea and nature in the world, continues to be a real place of exile despite all these developments. Bodrum is remembered again thanks to Cevat Sakir Kabaagacli, who was exiled here in 1925 and became famous as the Fisherman of Halicarnassus. The Fisherman of Halicarnassus, who could not leave this town where he was exiled after the end of her sentence, lived for another 25 years, ensuring that Bodrum is discovered by Turkish intellectuals with his articles and books. He even starts the Blue Voyage movement by organizing boat trips and guiding them. The name of “the Blue Voyage” is created by the famous writer Sabahattin Eyuboglu, who participated in one of these trips.Famous artists such as Zeki Muren and Muzeyyen Senar in the 70s, as well as names such as Bedri Rahmi Eyupoglu, Azra Erhat, Selim İleri played a major role in the recognition of Bodrum.