Bodrum, known in antiquity as Halicarnassus, can be determined as one of the leading Turkish resorts. The modern city stretches along the shores of two crescent-shaped bays and is a favorite refuge of the Turkish rich.

Established around 1000 BC, Halicarnassus was one of the first Greek colonies in Asia. It reached its apogee at the Mausoleum, which ruled it 377-353 BC. After his death he was succeeded by his wife Artemisia. By her order, a large white marble tomb was built on the Mausoleum, which is among the Seven Wonders of the World. The mausoleum had a solid rectangular base, surrounded by 36 Ionic columns, with a pyramid at the top, crowned with a massive statue of the Mausoleum and Artemisia in a chariot. The mausoleum is destroyed and there are no remains. Petronion (St. Peter's Castle) is the most remarkable place in modern Bodrum.

The European Crusaders, who conquered Bodrum in 1202, destroyed the mausoleum and used the stones to build Petronion. The castle and its beautiful gardens, visible from every part of the city, look like a fairy tale. Inside is the extraordinary Museum of Underwater Archeology, with treasures found from historic shipwrecks and ruins found in the Aegean Sea.

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