 Bodrum
Bodrum, the native homeland of the famous historian
Herodotus, is one of Turkey’s most important tourism
centers, which attracts attention by virtue of its natural
beauty.
We
know that the native inhabitants, namely the Lelegians and
the Carians, lived in the hills above the Bodrum Peninsula.
In fact, although there are very few remnants extant, it
has been determined that a number of Lelegian cities such
as Termera, Pedesa, Thangela, Syengela, Myndos and Telmissus
existed above the peninsula. In the Iliad, Homer tells us
that the Lelegians, who were under the command of Altes,
as well as the Carians, under the command of Nartes fought
on the side of the Trojans during the Trojan Wars of ca.
1200 B.C.
 After
the Turks entered Anatolia in 1071, they ater began establishing
provinces in the regions they had settled. As a matter of
fact, the Turks under command of Mentese Beytook over this
region and the established the Mentese Province in 1274.
This area was put under Ottoman rule once and for all during
the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent
As
we mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, not much
remains to this day of Halicarnassos as it is buried under
the modern town of Bodrum. The theater on the hill belongs
to the Mausolos period. Excavation and restoration work
of the theater has been carried out, whereby 30 rows of
seating in the lower section were brought to light. On the
S slope of the theater, the upper section of which is heavily
damaged, you can encounter rock tombs belonging to the Hellenistic
and Roman Periods. Ancient sources reveal that 1) the Temple
of Mars and the stoa of Apollo are under the road in front
of the theater. 2) the Temples of Hermes and Aphrodite were
situated on both sides of Kaplankale, across from the castle
and 3) there was the palace of King Mausolos where the mosque
is located, in the square in front of the castle. Today,
the Myndos Gate, which was a portion of the wall that once
surrounded the city, can be seen on the road to Gumbet The
castle, which has become the symbol of modern day Bodrum,
was built by the Knights of Rhodes in the year 1402. It
measures 180 x 185 m. and its first battlements were erected
by German architect Heinrich Schlegolholt. Later on, the
castle was reinforced with the Italian, French, English,
German Towers as well as the Snake Tower. There are a total
of 249 coat-of-arms found throughout the castle walls. The
Turks captured it in 1 523, whereas today, it serves as
the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology. In the adjacent
garden, you are bound to encounter numerous peacocks which
seemingly stand guard over the treasures, not terribly unlike
their Beefeater counterparts at the Tower in London.
 There
are not many Turkish edifices in Bodrum. The famous Bodrum
boats or gulet as they are known in Turkish were constructed
during the Ottoman Period in a shipyard just beyond the
yacht marina. Today, the manufacture of these fine wooden
vessels continues in this area. There is the tomb of Kaptan-i
Derya Kizilhisarli Mustafa Pasha and his son Cafer Pasha
situated where this shipyard is located. There is also the
mosque in the quay square that was built by Mustafa Pasha
in 1720. The Pasha’s steward also had the Tepecik
Mosque built. Erected in 1769, the Haci Molla Inn survives
to this day. but not in its original fashion.
Bodrum
is one of the traditional points of embarkment for Blue
Voyagers whereas its many bars, cafes, clubs and restaurants
offer countless opportunities for fun until the crack of
dawn.
There
are several sites of ruins around the Bodrum Peninsula.
For example, you may visit the ancient city of Heracleia,
which was established on top of a hill overlooking Bafa
Gölü. There you will see the Temple of Athena,
which was erected during the Hellenistic Age. Also, 12 km.
outside of Milas, on the side of the road, you will encounter
the Temple of Euromos Zeus with its 6 x 11 colonnade. It
was erected during the Roman Age. Also, the Labranda Ruins,
which are 13 km. outside Milas, are quite impressive as
well. In addition, Iasos, which is situated in the village
of Kiyikislacik is worth a visit.
Orak
Island
 One
of the larger islands in the Gulf of Gökova is Orak Adasi,
which lies in the approach to Kargicik Bükü. The
name most probably comes from the fact that the end of the
island resembles a sickle. Orak Adasi is located about five
nautical miles E of Kara Ada and in front of Pabuc Burnu,
whereas its W and N shores are spotless.
Also,
a good place to drop anchor would be the bay located on the
E side of the island, which is sheltered from N and W winds.
There is a small islet situated in front of the bay. The bay
can be entered by approaching from the N of the island and
navigated past this small islet. Rocks surround the entire
island as well as the bay. You can drop anchor in 4-5 m. of
water and tie a mooring line around one of the rocks lining
the shore of this bay, which is a decent anchorage spot. There
is a small inlet located next to this bay which is also suitable
for dropping anchor. These small inlets offer you some privacy
whereas you can take a refreshing dip in the sea whenever
your heart desires.
Yildiz
Adasi is situated in front of Alakisla Bükü, which
is situated three nautical miles NE of Orak Adasi. The seabed
at Alakisla Bükü doesn’t hold anchor. Although
a harsh meltem blows through this bay, which is exposed to
the 5, it offers shelter against N and W winds.
 Knidos
Pulling out of Mersincik Limani and steering past Tekir Bükü,
you will maneuver past lskandil Burnu to arrive in the small
harbor of Knidos, which is the final bay along the Aegean
seaboard. This was military harbor of Knidos, whereas the
ancient geographer and historian Strabon from central Anatolia
once wrote that 20 ships were able to moor here simultaneously.
Warships once entered the harbor through a corridor to manuever
past two round-shaped control towers at the narrowest spot.
Please take note that the harbor on the N side of the isthmus
is clogged with silt and with a draft of one meter is too
shallow for even the smallest of boats. The actual harbor
in use today is on the opposite side of the isthmus which
is reached by navigating around Deveboynu Burnu. and its lighthouse,
which can be seen as far as the entrance, The harbor entrance
is 160 m. wide and one should approach the dock keeping clear
of the ancient breakwaters. The one on the SW side is still
in good condition, but the one in the NE side is submerged
and can only be seen as a greenish-brown smudge under the
water. Yachts can moor lines to the wooden jetties situated
in front of the ancient city of Knidos. Draft in front of
these jetties is down to 3.5 in., so you should be able to
moor here without any trouble. In addition, you can easily
drop anchor either in front of the theater inside the bay
or else across from it. In addition to the ancient structures
here, there is also a restaurant, an excavation bureau and
storage facilities as well as a gendarmes station. The main
harbor becomes unusable whenever severe gusts from the S and
SE blow in. The road coming from Datça ends at the
harbor. Moor your vessel in the main harbor of ancient Knidos
and thoroughly enjoy the history and sea.
 Datça
Datca, from which the peninsula derives its name, is a coastal
district that possesses a jetty offering shelter from the
wind. The jetty is on a peninsula that stretches towards the
E, four nautical miles to the N of Ince Boron, which is marked
on the chart with a lighthouse. This peninsula divides two
bays, one to the N and the other to the 5, whereas the one
to the S is protected by a breakwater which is positioned
in the sea in a SE  direction.
There is a half-salt, half-freshwater lake adjacent to the
district’s SW shore.
Bencik
Bencik Koyu is a bay possessing extraordinary beauty. it extends
inland up to 1.5 nautical miles through Bencik Koyu with its
serrated rocks resembling human teeth. Bencik. which is the
narrowest spot on Datça Peninsula, divides the Marmaris
and Datça districts from each other. The inner reachs
of the fjord are shallow and marshy, whereas its other parts
are clean and sparkling blue.
 Bozburun
As Bozburun Harbor was established right at the foot of a
rocky mountain, it is sealed off from all prevailing winds.
Bozburun, which is the nearest
inhabited place to Rhodes and Simi Island is famous for its
boat construction. There are 25 shipyards here that are involved
in the business of constructing wooden vessels.
The historical artifacts
found on the islands situated in front of Bozburun imply that
it was inhabited during ancient times. In the NE quadrant
of Bozburun, there lies the ancient city of Larymna, which
the local people call the Castle. The city’s acropolis
is found on a hill called Asartepe. The old city’s necropolis
is located on the slope of the hill, which can be reached
by climbing up from the vicinity of the Bozburun Pier. Here,
you can encounter ruins of a fortification wall and its rectangular-shaped
battlements.
The ancient city of
Tymnos, which until recently was thought to be in Bozburun,
is actually further E in Sögüt One can find a post
office, gendarmes station and village health clinic in Bozburun
where you can also dine in the restaurants and purchase provisions
in the markets.
Bozukkale
 Bozukkale
Harbor maintained its importance throughout the Byzantine
Period as a Byzantine naval base and armory, whereas warship
maintenance was carried out in this shipyard.
After
anchoring in this historical bay, let’s climb up to
see the castle situated at the end of the cape. Measuring
27.4 m. wide by 320 m. long, and surrounded by fortification
walls 2.44 in. in thickness, this long, narrow castle was
erected to protect the bay. There were once nine square-shaped
ramparts along protective walls made from straight cut stones.
However of the original nine, only a single promontory rampart
in the N can be seen today. There are round towers situated
at the two ends of the castle. Immediately in front of these
towers are cisterns which were carved partly from the rock.
Four of the five gates of the fortification wall are situated
in the section facing N.
The
ancient city of Loryma is situated on the hill to the B of
the bay. If you have the time and are interested in history,
it will take you about an hour to hike up the hill, whereby
you can wander around this ancient city. You will find it
is a nice way to regain your landlubber legs after spending
so much time at sea
 Serce
Limani
Ancient mariners knew that Serçe Limani was a sheltered
harbor that they often took refuge during stormy weather.
Here there are a total of six shipwrecks found in the vicinity;
four inside the bay and two outside the bay. One of these
occurred in the year 1025. The captain piloting a Fatimid-flagged
cargo vessel that had set out on its fateful journey from
the Syrian coast bound for Constantinople. In addition to
other cargo, its manifest indicated she was loaded with up
to three tons of processed and raw glass that was to be processed
in a small workshop located on the shores of the Bosphorus.
Weeks had gone by since the vessel had departed Syrian waters,
and it sailed all the way to Bozukkale without any difficulty.
After porting here for a while, she set sail, but it wasn’t
long before she was caught in a terrible storm. To escape
the maelstrom, the ships captain tried to duck into Serçe
Limani, but unfortunately his vessel struck the rocks and
was
damaged. He did manage to navigate her into the harbor, but
she began taking on water and it wasn’t long before
the vessel sank to the bottom of the sea with its precious
load. It was almost a full millennium before this 16 m. vessel
was brought back to the surface, when Prof. George Bass, along
with a team of Turkish and American underwater archaeologists,
accomplished this task in 1979. Today, the ship along with
all its contents is on display at the Bodrum Museum of Underwater
Archaeology.
The
ancient town of Kasara is located above Serce Limani, which
most likely was the harbor of this ancient town. Kasara means
“the Big Village of the Mother Goddess.” Other
than a few wall remnants, nothing else remains of this ancient
town.
 Ciftlik
Çiftlik Limani is located one nautical mile NE of Ince
Burun, whereas Çiftlik Adasi is situated in front of
this beautiful bay with its wide beach. This island facilitates
relative protection for the bay from prevailing NW and SE
winds. There is a holiday village at the B end of this round
bay, whereas hotels and restaurants are found in the middle.
The concrete pier in front of the holiday village belongs
to the hotel. There are steel piers in front of the restaurants
in the bay. You can secure your yacht along one of the piers
in this beautiful bay and dine in one of the restaurants here.
Kadirga
Burnu
Kadirga Burnu, where a lighthouse and a cottage for the lighthouse
operators are situated. Kadirga Limani is right behind the
cape. This is also known as ‘Çayagiz Koyu.’
There are submerged rocks in front of Kadirga Limani’s
other cape. There are two inlets in the wide bay between the
two capes. You can pitch your anchor overboard in the S inlet
to a depth of 6 m. and tie your yacht to the shore. This location
is closed off from all winds and exposed to the NW and B.
You can navigate between the mainland and an island situated
in front of the N cape of the bay. This is an ideal spot for
those who like to swim.
 Kumlu
Bükü
Kumlu Bükü is a bay comprised mostly of sandy beach,
hence the name ‘Kumlu Bükü.’ This beautiful
wide bay, which is surrounded by tree covered mountains is
one of the few bays with a freshwater spring. However, the
bay is exposed to the N, and is affected by reverse winds.
Winds blowing from the SE stir up rough waves in the bay.
Nevertheless, this is one of the most ideal bays to drop anchor
whenever there aren’t any strong winds gusting. Several
mooring spots are found in Kumlu Bükü, which is
very close to Marmaris. For instance, there is a small cove
at the SE point of the bay that is striking for its crystal
clear water. Shaded by pine trees, this cove is convenient
for mooring in that you can drop anchor in 4 - 5 m. of water
and tie a line to shore. Here, you will find the freshwater
spring here as well as there are a few motels and restaurants
located in the bay. One can take advantage of their services
by mooring up alongside the piers. Daily excursion tour boats
stop here for meal breaks, whereas sunseekers can catch some
rays on the wide beach and take a dip in the sea to cool off.
The
ruins of an ancient city called Amos are situated on top of
Kumlu Bükü’s N cape. You can trek up the hill
to check out these ruins from the point where the beach ends.
Here, you will see a fortification wall measuring 1.83 m.
thick and 3-3.5 m. high. The N side of this wall, which was
constructed in the Cyclopean style, was reinforced with numerous
ramparts. You can see that its gate was on this side. This
wall along with all the other edifices in Amos date to the
Hellenistic Period.
Turunc
Bükü
 The
closest bay to Marmaris is that of Turunc Bükü,
situated at a distance of two nautical miles outside Kumlu
Bükü. Because of the cape situated in front, Turunc
Bükü is regarded as a safe haven from prevailing
winds. One can navigate into the bay by sailing between the
island of Kargatasi and the mainland. There is a reef off
the shore of the mainland, about half a nautical mile NW of
this island.
 Marmaris
As this quaint district, which is surrounded by green pine
forests, was established directly over the ancient city of
Phychos we do not have much information about the ancient
site. However, from what we gather from a certain inscription,
Phychos existed during the time of Alexander the Great, whereby
the acropolis of this city was established one kilometer N
of Marmaris on a low hill called Asartepe. Though it wasn’t
long ago when there were visible remains of the ancient fortification
wall, which was erected in the Classic and Hellenistic Periods,
nothing can be seen of it today. After the death of Alexander,
the Marmaris region was annexed to the Pergamon Kingdom, then
it was captured by the Romans, Byzantines, the Mentese Beylik
and then the Ottomans, respectively.
Among
the few historical buildings found in Marmaris today, are
a castle, which was built in 1557 and recently restored, a
mosque in Kemeralti District, which was built by Mengelizade
Ibrahim Aga in 1789 as well as a caravanserai which was constructed
in 1545. This stone inn with brick vaults was erected on the
road to Mugla during the reign of Süleyman the Magnificent
in the military campaign against Rhodes. Located near the
old junior high school is the Degirmen Brook Bridge, which
was also erected during the time of Süleyman the Magnificent.
 If
you have the time, we recommend that you check out Sedir Adasi,
as well as Karacasögüt, where you can see ancient
theaters, temples and fortification walls. As you come out
the bay, your boat will manuever past Keci Adasi and Yildiz
Adasi, otherwise known as Nimara to call on Alkaya Cave. Then
you will sail out to Kumlubük where to take a break of
a couple of hours for lunch and an afternoon swim in the sea.
Straight up from the pier are the Amos Ruins, which are situated
on Asartepe.
With
its styrax forest in the middle of the city, excursion trips
taken with motorboats and its natural beauty, Marmaris is
an ideal spot for rest and relaxation. In addition, the town,
which is complimented with wonderful nearby bays such as Sedir
Adasi, Karacasögüt, Mersincik, Hisarönü,
is a paradise on earth.
Reference
: "Paradise Preserved" by Ilhan Aksit
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