Bodrum Town

A fishing village until the early 1970s, Bodrum is now one of Turkey’s largest and most cosmopolitan resorts. Covering an area of 649 square kilometres, the town is situated on the country’s Aegean coast and holds a unique history that stretches back 2,000 years. Located 270 km. south of Izmir, on the Aegean coast of Turkey and lying between Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Black Sea, Bodrum is home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the tomb of Mausolus who ruled on behalf of the Persians from 377 to 353 BC. More recently Bodrum has become a tourist mecca attracting hundreds of thousands of European and domestic holidaymakers each summer.

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Renowned for its bougainvillea-splashed sugar-cube houses and vibrant nightlife, Bodrum also boasts excellent restaurants, a great museum and various local markets selling food and clothing, which run throughout the week. The heart of the town is around the harbour, where shops, bars and restaurants jostle together in the narrow streets under the shadow of the St. Peter Castle. The main artery is Cumhurriyet Caddesi (Republic Street), much better known as bar street. This street is a pedestrianized showcase of what the town has to offer. Skilled artisans can make you a pair of snugly fitting leather sandals in the traditional Aegean style, while small boutiques offer stylish creations inspired by local designs and fabrics.

Mainstream Turkish Fashions (Gallery Emelce) are well represented to, with clothes designed for hot summer living. The souvenir shops sell attractive onyx, copper and brass ware, along with toy camels, and Gold harem slippers. Cafes and restaurants offer a cosmopolitan choice.To accompany your meal, try the light aniseed flavored national drink Raki or locally produced wine. After sundown, Bodrum lights up with flashing neon and laser shows to pulsating throb of the latest dance music. It's party time all over the town.

There is little humidity on this stretch of the coast, with the summer heat tempered by sea breezes and the sun often shining continuously from May to October. Winters in Bodrum are also mild and because of these pleasent year-round temperatures, the resort is more than a one-season town and attracts visitors throughout the year, aided by Bodrum’s international airport, which is well served by charter flights, making access from the UK easy. 

Bodrum’s skyline is dominated by an imposing Crusader Castle which overlooks the harbour and the international marina. The remaining sections of Bodrum's town walls, which are a remarkable example of ancient Western Anatolia architecture, are now undergoing major restoration work sponsored by the companies Ericsson and Turkcell. The town walls began west of the harbor and encircled the ancient town of Halicarnassus, renowned for for the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the world. The passage of time combined with the building spree which began in the 1970s in this popular Aegean holiday resort, have severely damaged the walls. It is expected that this restoration of nearly 4,5 kilometer's will take four to five years to complete.

The Amphi-theatre: The theatre is another witness to the great past of Bodrum. Situated in the hillside over looking Bodrum this theatre whose capacity is around 13,000 was built during te Carian reign in the Hellenistic age (330 - 30 BC.). The theatre consists of three different sections: a place for the audience, a place for an orchestra and the stage. It became an open-air museum after the excavations in 1973.

Just outside of Bodrum is Içmeler. Here you find Europe's largest for wooden boat building yard. An 18 meter Gulet, that's the name for this kind of boats, can be built from scratch in 8 to 12 month. Since the time of King Mausolos Bodrum has been an important center for boat building. Ptolemäus from Egypt had his warships made here in 300 BC.

There is much more to Bodrum than the town itself, within easy reach by minibus, or "Dolmush", you can visit many picturesque villages on the peninsula all with a distinct character of their own. The new airport Milas-Bodrum, opened last year in April, is now is fully connected. Scheduled Turkish Airlines and International charter flights are now arriving regularly. The long transfer from Izmir or Dalaman now belongs to the past. And there is more, now you have a chance to be in one hour in Istanbul for a romantic weekend.