"Bodrum: Greek Outpost on Asia Minor" Bodrum by Marjara

I went to Bodrum principally to cross over to the Greek islands of Kos and Rhodes, which I had not been able to see during my first visit to Greece in 1981. I didn't expect it to be so full of history, going back to the Fifth Cent. BCE to the time of Heredotus, who called this city (then known as Halicarnassus) home. Its other entitlement to fame comes from the Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which stood in the city of Halicarnassus until the Crusaders pillaged it to build the castle that now adorns the harbour of Bodrum. Mausolus was from the area but was appointed by the Persians as a Satarap in the 4th cent. B. C. He admired the Hellenistic way of life so much that he did everything the Greek way. The ruins of Helicarnassus and its main structures, such as the Mausloeum and the theatre have been excavated but unfortunately, I didn't have the time to visit. My visits were limited to Bodrum and its two main attractions: the Castle built by the knights Hospitalers in the fifteenth century and the Underwater Museum. Bodrum is a maritime city and it made sense to locate the maritime museum here.

Spilled Cargo of the Ancient Mediterranean Wreck

The underwater Maritime Museum is located within the tower. It displayed mostly the ancient shipping on the Mediterranean and the cargo that the ships carried. Most of the liquid stuff, like oil and wine, were carried in large earthen jars (Amphoras) with a pointed bottom and one or two handles. Among other stuff that was hauled by ships were ingots of copper and other metals. There were also perishable goods such as food grain.

Resdient Peacock of the Underwater Museum

The Museum had peacocks and other birds, which were not a part of the exhibits but they became a welcome side show, especially when one of the peacocks, for no obvious reason, broke into an exquisite dance (See the video for full and free performance)

• Pros:Enjoyed the day and half in this very Mediterranean City
• Cons:Halicarnassus was located a bit too far to include in the visit
• In a nutshell:Deserves more attention than it gets.