Castle of St. Peter

The historical monument of Turkey, St. Peter's Castle, is the main attraction of the resort town of Bodrum, sometimes called the Bodrum Castle. The architectural complex, well preserved to this day, demonstrates the beauty of medieval architecture, striking with its grandeur and power.

The castle was built in the XV century by the knights of the Order of St. John on the site of a former temple, where there was a mausoleum of the ruler of the Mausoleum, which collapsed from a strong earthquake in the 13th century. Green marble was used from the ruins of the mausoleum, which became the main building material.

First, a chapel was erected, and then a fortress fortification with four "national" towers – Italian, French, German and English. The highest tower of this architectural ensemble is the French one, 47 meters high. The main entrance to the castle is the Port Tower or Estuary. The walls and towers were decorated with family knight's coats of arms, as well as flowers and climbing plants.

The fortress has become an ideal strategic point. During its heyday, there was a garrison consisting of about 50 knights of different nationalities and 150 ordinary soldiers who defended the city from the attacks of the Ottoman Empire. Since St. Peter's Castle has repelled Turkish attacks many times, it has been constantly fortified and modified. 14 cisterns were built to store water during long sieges and round-shaped fortifications.

For more than a hundred years, the fortress held back many attacks, but in 1522, after the capture of the city under the leadership of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, there was no access to water supply. Then it was decided to leave the territory of the fortress. After that, the owners of the castle changed several times, the building was used as a prison.

Starting in 1961, they decided to build a museum on the castle grounds. You can enter the world of history and sights of the country by passing a suspension bridge. In the Museum of underwater Archaeology, the main exhibit is a sunken ship that was found in the open sea. There are also many other finds of the seabed – coins, weapons, amphorae, dishes, tools. An old collection of sarcophagi is on display.

At the end of the 20th century, the buildings of St. Peter's Castle were completely restored, and anyone can visit it on any day except Monday.