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Bodrum, a scenic port city in the Muğla Province of southwestern Turkey, has a population of approximately 200,000 inhabitants within its 650 square kilometer area. Tucked at the Gulf of Gökova, this little coastal town boasts a rich past going back thousands of years when it was known as Halicarnassus. Bodrum today is evidence of the historical value of the area as well as its contemporary development into a dynamic travel destination.
The history of Bodrum starts with its founding by Dorian Greeks, launching a long and remarkable journey. Under Persian control, the city changed over centuries until it became the capital of the satrapy of Caria. Bodrum, then Halicarnassus, first became well-known internationally during this time. Following the death of Persian satrap Mausolus in 353 BC, Mausolus’s wife Artemisia ordered the building of a grand tomb in his honour. Renowned as the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, this construction became one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, securing the city’s importance in world history.
Ancient powers were not blind to the strategic value of the city. Under Alexander the Great, Macedonian troops besieged Halicarnassus in 334 BC, finally capturing it. The city passed under the hands of several Hellenistic emperors following Alexander’s death, even briefly as an independent kingdom. This independence, however, was fleeting since Roman control was instituted in 129 BC, launching the ancient city into a new age.
Over the centuries, Halicarnassus confronted many difficulties notwithstanding its great past. Relentless pirate attacks and natural disasters paid their toll, progressively reducing the city’s significance by the Byzantine age. Still, the traces of its former splendor drew fresh immigrants even in decline. Arriving in 1402, the Knights Hospitaller saw promise in the old ruins. In a turn of historical irony, they built Bodrum Castle—a fortification still standing today as a testament to the city’s resiliency and adaptability—using the remains of the once-great Mausoleum as quarry.
The Ottoman attack of Rhodes in 1522 marked the end of the Knights’ stay in Bodrum. Suleiman the Magnificent led Ottoman rule over the area while the Knights Hospitaller withdrew to other areas of Europe. This signalled the start of a fresh chapter in Bodrum’s history, one in which the city would change to fit the times.
Bodrum’s economy changed emphasis over the centuries. The city’s main means of income by dawn of the 20th century were fishing and sponge diving. Although these old businesses kept the local population, Bodrum’s real change was still to come. Travel started to drive the city’s economy in the later half of the 20th century, permanently altering its landscape and character.
The growing tourism in Bodrum brought about a rebirth for the old city. Drawn by its immaculate beaches, glistening clean seas, and rich historical legacy, visitors from all around started to swarm its coasts. With hotels, resorts, and restaurants opening to meet the increasing demand, the flood of visitors spurred fast development in the hospitality industry. Along with boosting the local economy, this surge in tourism gave Bodrum’s cultural scene fresh life by combining modern conveniences with historic customs.
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