We visited the resort in a one day trip from Marmaris. When one approach Bodrum, it appears like a white town, cuddled in two bays of a wonderful blue sea. Ataturk’s statue (the father of the modern Turkey) is also present, like in every town in Turkey.

The first place we visited was one of the 7 wonders of the antique world: the Mausoleum from Halicarnas. Unfortunately we met here only the legend, because the monument which resisited 19 centuries was destroyed by a strong earthquake, on 1304. The mausoleum was a 50 m heigh tomb, built as a classic Greek temple, for the Maussolus, the satrat of Caria (a kind of king). Ordered by him, the tomb was finish by his wife and sister Artemisia II, after his death on 353.

The Greek theatre had a capacity of 13000 places and was also built during Maussolo reign.

We went to the port, passing on little streets with shops and restaurants, and a park, which allreminded us that we are in a resort after all. The old castle Sf. Peter of the hospitaliere order from the Rhodos island, was buil beteween 1476-1593 by Pierre d’Abusson.

A small bazaar and a bar-street could not be overlooked. Before we left, we bought some fruits in a wonderful market, where the name of our appraised football player Hagi caused great joy. He is loved in Turkey, as he used to be a player for Galatasaray (but also for F.C.Barcelona and Real Madrid), and his nickname is “The Maradona of the Carpathians”.

Bodrum, una dintre cele mai cautate statiuni cosmopolite de la Marea Egee, are o istorie indepartata si pierduta in legende, despre care puteti afla detalii aici: http://www.livius.org/ha-hd/halicarnassus/halicarnassus.html  Se spune ca intemeietorii sai au fost dorienii, un trib grec din Peloponez, refugiat aici dupa razboiul troian.

Veniti intr-o excursie de o zi, de la Marmaris, am vazut si noi obiectivele sale cele mai importante, fara a putea hoinari prea mult prin oras. Cand te apropii de Bodrum, el iti apare ca un oras alb, cuibarit in doua golfuri ale unei mari albastre care se ia la intrecere cu cerul. Nu lipseste nici statuia lui Ataturk, parintele patriei, nelipsita din nici un oras turcesc.

Primul loc in care ne-am oprit a fost una dintre cele 7 minuni ale lumii antice, Mausoleul din Halicarnas. Din pacate, aici ne-am intalnit mai mult cu legenda decat cu ceva palpabil. Desi constructia mausoleului a rezistat intacta 19 secole, un cutremur a distrus-o complet in 1304. Ce a mai ramas se vede in curtea micului muzeu. Ce este insa acest mausoleu? Un imens mormant din marmura alba de 50 m inaltime, care prezenta mai multe coloane dorice aranjate in forma unui templu clasic grec. Aici a fost inmormantat, in 353, satrapul Maussolus din Caria. Mormantul a fost construit la porunca sa dar terminat de sora si sotia sa Artemisia II dupa moartea satrapului.

Ne indreptam spre port, trecand pe langa case alb-albastre, pline de flori. Mici pravalioare, restaurante, un parc, ne trag de maneca sa ne spuna ca suntem, totusi, intr-o statiune.

Zidurile de aparare, cu 5 turnuri, ale castelului au fost proiectate de catre arhitectul german Schlegelholt, iar restul a fost finisat de Pierre d’Abusson intre 1476-1593. Fortareata a cavalerilor ospitalieri din insula Rhodos, castelul a fost capturat de catre otomani in 1522. Acum el adaposteste si un interesant muzeu de arheologie subacvatica.