Bodrum Castle (Castle of St. Peter)

Bodrum Castle, formally the Castle of St. Peter (Petronium), occupies a rocky promontory dividing Bodrum's twin bays and ranks among the best-preserved examples of Crusader military architecture in the eastern Mediterranean. Construction began in 1402 under the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St. John, who used marble blocks quarried directly from the nearby ruins of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus — a fact confirmed by identifiable relief carvings still visible in the castle walls today. The Knights expanded and refined the castle continuously over the following century, adding five distinct towers named after their European commanderies: the French Tower, German Tower, Italian Tower, English Tower, and Snake Tower. The English Tower retains original Gothic windows and limestone coats of arms carved by the occupying English Knights. After the Ottoman conquest in 1522 — when Suleiman the Magnificent captured Rhodes and the Order evacuated — the fortress served variously as a mosque, prison, and quarantine station before falling into disuse. Major restoration work in the 20th century stabilised the walls and towers, opening the complex to the public in stages. The castle today houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, one of the world's leading institutions for Bronze Age and medieval maritime finds. The towers offer commanding views over Bodrum Bay and the Greek island of Kos on clear days. The French Tower contains displays on the Carian dynastic period, while the Glass Shipwreck Hall and the Uluburun gallery represent the archaeological centrepiece of the museum. The landscaped courtyard within the castle walls is planted with seasonal flowers and ancient olive trees, providing a pleasant resting point between galleries. The castle's dual identity — as a medieval monument and as a world-class museum — makes it the single most important cultural site in the Muğla region.