Bodrum Castle
Bodrum Castle was built by the Knights of St. John between 1406 and 1522 on a rocky peninsula between two harbors. Originally an island in ancient times, it later became connected to the mainland, forming a peninsula. The castle, with its square layout measuring 180m x 185m, was constructed using stones from the Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which was destroyed over time by earthquakes. Within the inner castle, there are French, Italian, English, German, and Spanish (Snake) towers. The tallest is the French Tower, reaching 47.50 meters above sea level. Aside from the eastern wall, other sections are reinforced with double defensive walls. Access to the inner castle requires passing through seven gates, each adorned with coats of arms depicting crosses, horizontal or vertical bands, and figures of dragons and lions. The inner castle also contains 14 cisterns, including the area under the chapel. Notable features include the keep, the double-wall moat, a drawbridge, a watchtower, and the inscription of Sultan Mahmud II. After the conquest of Rhodes by the Turks in 1522, the knights abandoned Bodrum and its surroundings on January 5, 1523. The castle served as a prison from 1895 but was partially destroyed when bombarded by French and British forces during World War I on May 26-28, 1915. Bodrum Castle is a remarkable historical monument with its multi-layered structure, combining ancient foundations, Gothic architectural elements from the 15th-century European Knights of Rhodes, and Ottoman-period additions. Now home to the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, Bodrum Castle is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.