Bodrum: Sandy Beaches and Ancient Wonders
There’s a saying: “Whoever comes to Bodrum, departed from Bodrum leaving his mind and heart there.” It is one of the best known holiday destinations, called The Saint Tropez of Turkey. Beyond sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, white houses, yachts, lies one of the ancient wonders.
The Castle Of Saint Peter and the museum of underwater archeology are ideal places for history and art lovers. But the real gem is the Mausoleum, at Halicarnassus known as Tomb of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, completed in the 4th century B.C. While it is not cheap to pay to see the ruins, it is an experience like no other in the world. Bodrum was founded as a city of ancient Greece, but it was taken over by the Persians, and you can almost feel the ghosts of glorious past. Cicero and Alexander the Great walked on the same ground.
The great Mausoleum was always an attraction. It was a massive tomb with symbolic figures, but it collapsed after an earthquake. The Crusaders from the XV century used parts of it to straighten the Bodrum Castle. The Castle and the museum give a magnificent view of the modern city. Still, just walking up the stone stairs and exploring the underwater world is going to provide you with the chills and help you understand how much the world has changed. Beautiful trees and flowers surround the area; you can smell the water, see the magnificent yachts, and still be a part of the ancient world. You get to see the Sphinx, the Byzantine mosaics, the Snake Tower and much more. You definitely will need a tour guide, because it is a great history lesson and you cannot soak it in just by looking at it.
Once you leave Halicarnassus, Bodrum’s old name, you can go to the beach and later, get ready for a night out.
The streets are overcrowded with tourists, and since the main ones are rather narrow, you will get an excellent chance to see both sides of today’s city. There are still many historical references, yet at the same time, you get to know the restaurants, with traditional and international meals and coffee places, until you get to the bars.
Halikarnas is a place you have to visit. It changes every season, and it has been around since the late 70s. Marina Yacht Club is another place to visit; it is enormous and even though the prices are high, it is full of energy and fantastic food, .
The nightlife is concentrated between the bar-street Cumhuriyet in the old town of Bodrum and the clubs on the seaside. Bars offer a more intimate atmosphere, while clubs are reserved for wild nights and checking out the sunrise from the beach.
Overall, it is a city that has everything, from fun activities in the warm Aegean Sea to art and history lessons you won’t find anywhere else.
