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Archive for the Category »Bodrum «
Bitez is one the least pretentious bays on the frequently pretentious Bodrum Peninsula. The beach and the sea are beautiful, and prices in the hotels and restaurants are very reasonable compared to those in other nearby resorts. It’s a place for doing very little and is especially good for families with children.
Also known as “Ağaçlı” (the Place of Trees), Bitez is a favorite with people who enjoy swimming in pristine waters, and are in search of a peaceful holiday. Despite the newly built hotels and apartment complexes, this little bay somehow manages to hang onto much of its beauty. The beach is lovely, and although the local authorities have permitted the hotels and restaurants to put out cushions, chairs and tables, they have also insisted that they allow free access to the sands, which means that you can take your towel and suntan lotion and set up camp wherever you like.
If you wine and dine at the restaurants that provide “beach accommodation” during the day, all is well and good. If not, no one asks you to buy anything. In short, you are at a public beach that has a “beach clup” feel to it. The sea is great and very shallow, which is what makes Bitez so popular with families, who have small children.
A popular folk song refers to a “Bitez yalısı”. The word “yalı” generally means a seaside mansion in Turkish, but in this particular song it refers to a beach in Bitez. A story tells how the lovers Gülsüm and Halil decided to run away together to the island facing the town. Halil had killed his sister and Gülsüm was married to another man, who was Halil’s close friend. Halil had served seven years in prison and was still on probation when the couple decided to meet at Bitez yalısı. A boatman got word of their escape, and informed the authorities, and Halil was caught and killed in the dungeon below the Belediye (Municipality) building. It was Gülsüm and Halil’s great love that inspired this folk song. Years later, the Belediye held a sculpture competition and erected the winning statue at the point where Gülsüm and Halil tried to embark.
The castle was built by the Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes in the 15th century; its former name, the “Petronium”, eventually evolved into Bodrum. Not only is the building itself absolutely magnificent, but the museum inside is spectacular, with its contents displayed in an inviting, modern way. One of the most interesting sections displays the remains of the Carian princess Ada, who was buried with all her golden finery in the 4th century BC. The award-winning Museum of Underwater Archeology has a beautifully displayed collection of some of the oldest shipwrecks ever dredged from the seabed.
The celebrated Turkish author known as the Fisherman of Halicarnassus was imprisoned in the castle for three years from 1924 to 1927. Even after being pardoned, he contiuned to live beside the Aegean, until his death in 1973, when he was buried in Bodrum. As you walk through the castle, you cannot help but ponder his punishment it might even have been a blessing to live here…
Bodrum is an exquisitely beautiful resort in the southwest corner of Turkey, which has become the haunt of the rich and famous. Its waterfront is domitaned by the magnificent The Castle of St. Peter , which houses a unique Museum of Underwater Archeology. There are regular ferries from Bodrum to the island of Kos in Greece.
Years ago, one of Turkey’s most famous pop-rock groups, MFÖ released a song entitled, “Bodrum, Bodrum”; “How do I describe it, where do I begin, Bodrum, Bodruuuum,” was how it started. Since then, it has become the unofficial anthem of this popular summer resort.
Most Turks have a Bodrum memory; the town is like an autonomous region inside Turkey, with its own private set of rules, one of which is that the evening doesn’t start until misnight!
A wonder of the ancient world
Bodrum’s original name was Halicarnassus. According to the celebrated historian Herodotus, who was a native of this town, the city was first founded by the Dorians. In 650 BC, the Megarans took it over, expanded it, and renamed it Halicarnassus. In the 4th century BC, the city became the capital of Caria, and went on to become prosperous and successful. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was built by Queen Artemisia in honor of her husband Mausolus, who died in 353 BC. Today, only scant ruins of the great tomb remain.
An ancient theater beside the road to Turgutreis has been beautifully restored and is worth a quick look. Work on it started during the reign of Mausolos, although it was extended by the Romans.
Later, Bodrum was conquered by the Romans and Byzantines. In 1415, it was captured by the Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes, and in 1522, during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, it became a part of the Ottoman Empire.