West coast (Aegean Sea)
Situation
The modern town of Bodrum (formerly Budrum), in Caria, lies on the site of the important ancient city of Halikarnassos in a little bay (Bodrum Limani) on the southwest coast of Asia Minor opposite the Greek island of Kos (Turkish Istanköy Adasi)
Rising in terraces above the bay - a layout compared by Vitruvius in his "De Architectura" (II, 8) to an amphitheater - it is an exceedingly picturesque little town. The name Bodrum (= cellar or casemate) may be a corruption of the name of the Crusader castle of St Peter (Petronium), built by the Knights of St John, or it may refer to the arcading on the west side of the castle.
In recent years Bodrum has developed into one of the leading holiday centers on the Aegean coast of Turkey. Its great attractions, in addition to its mild climate and delightful situation, are the beautiful bathing beaches and diving grounds in the immediate vicinity, the sheltered harbor (port of call for regular shipping lines and cruise ships), the marina, and the friendly atmosphere of the town. The center of modern Bodrum with its busy, colorful bazaars is situated at the northern end of the peninsula on which the castle stands.
History of Halikarnassos
Halikarnassos was founded about 1200 B.C. by Dorian Greeks from Troezen in the eastern Argolid (the area associated with the legends of Theseus and his son Hippolytos). Thanks to its good harbor and the fertile surrounding country Halikarnassos quickly developed into an important commercial city. Originally belonging to the Dorian League of six cities, the Hexapolis, it came under Lydian rule in the reign of Croesus (560-46). In 540 it passed, without resistance to the Persians, under whose overlordship the city was ruled by Carian princely families. After the Battle of Mykale (479) Halikarnassos became part of the Athenian Empire. Herodotus (484-425), the "Father of History" and the city's greatest son, was involved in the factional struggles which followed.
In 413 Halikarnassos again fell into Persian hands and, after a brief period of autonomy (ca. 394-77), remained under Persian rule until Alexander's campaign. After 387, Hekatomnos, Satrap of Mylasa, gained control of the town and made it the chief city of Caria, replacing the more remote Mylasa. His successor Mausolos, one of the most important rulers of this period, established a strong position by skillful statesmanship and war and, following Hellenistic models, equipped the city with walls, harbors, palaces and temples. Under ancient Carian law women enjoyed great authority as the wives of their brothers, and when Mausolos died he was succeeded by his sister-wife Artemisia II (377-53 B.C.), who built the Mausoleion (Mausoleum), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, in his honor.
In 334 B.C., during Alexander's Persian campaign, the city withstood a long siege by his general Ptolemaios but was finally taken and destroyed. Its fortunes only revived again at the time of the Roman Empire. In 1523 Halikarnassos fell to the Ottomans, the castle surrendering without a fight.
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