Castle of St. Peter

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

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

At first, a chapel was erected, and then the fortification structure of the fortress with four « national » towers – Italian, French, German and English. The highest tower of this architectural ensemble – French, 47 meters high. The main entrance to the castle is the Port Tower or Liman. The decoration of walls and towers was the decoration of the family knightly arms, as well as flowers and curly plants.

The fortress has become an ideal strategic point. During its most flourishing, a garrison lived here, consisting of about 50 knights of different nationalities and 150 ordinary soldiers, they were engaged in the defense of the city from attacks by the Ottoman Empire. Since St. Peter’s castle reflected the attacks of the Turks many times, it was constantly strengthened and modified. 14 tanks were built to store water during prolonged sieges and strengthen round shape.

For more than a hundred years, the fortress restrained 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 repeatedly changed, the building was used as a prison.

Since 1961, they decided to equip a museum on the territory of the castle. You can get into the world of history and attractions of the country by passing the suspension bridge. In the Museum of Underwater Archaeologists, the main exhibit is a sunken ship, which was found on the high seas. Many other finds of the seabed – coins, weapons, amphor, dishes, tools are also provided. An old collection of sarcophagi exhibited.

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