Bodrum was a quiet town of fishermen and sponge divers until the mid-20th century, although, the presence of a large community of bilingual Cretan Turks, coupled with the conditions of free trade and access with the islands of the Southern Dodecanese until 1935 saved it from utter provincialism. Nowadays, this town has an active tourist economy. The sheltered anchorage contains yachts and locally-built gulets used by seafaring tourists. Investors have purchased real estate, specifically as second homes.
Small town like Bodrum are one of the reasons to call Turkey a country with strong tourist industry. The site was called Halicarmassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Bodrum Castle, built by the Crusaders in the 15th century, overlooks the harbour and the marina. The castle grounds include a Museum of Underwater Archeology and hosts several cultural festivals throughout the year.
The ancient name of Bodrum was Halicarnassus. A famous native was Herodotus, the Greek historian (484-420 BC). This region in the country we call Turkey today has been ruled by Mausolus nominally on behalf of the Persians and independent in practical terms for much of his reign between 377 to 353 BC. When he died in 353 BC, Artemisia II of Caria, who was both his sister and his widow, employed a number of ancient Greek architects and sculptors to build a monument, as well as a tomb, for him. The word "mausoleum" derives from the structure of this tomb. It was a temple-like structure decorated with reliefs and statuary on a massive base. It stood for 1700 years and was finally destroyed by earthquakes. Today only the foundations and a few pieces of sculpture remain.
With cheap international calls you can book some of the best hotels in Bodrum and get ready for a splendid vacation.
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