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Yes, there is more in Bodrum than parties, beaches, swimming, and sailing. Bodrum, of the old Halicarnassus, was once one of the most prominent cities of the ancient world. It has also been a pirates harbor for centuries. So, Bodrum offers a rich cultural heritage; and this tour invites you to explore it. THE CASTLE of ST.PETER The Crusader castle was built by the Knights of St. John between 1402 and 1409. After being defeated in Smyrna (The ancient name of Izmir), the Knights came to Halikarnassos and began the construction of the castle. Unknowingly, they used many stones from the great tomb of Mausolus. Today on the walls of the castle you can see lots of stones from the Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The fortifications of the castle consisted of walls to which ramparts and central towers were added. Also, there are five towers; Spanish, French, Italian, German, and English. The French Tower stands at the highest point of the complex, 48 meters above sea level. Today the castle's rooms are used as a museum where findings from the Bronze Age, Mycenaean, Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods are exhibited. The castle also houses the largest underwater archeological museum in Turkey. It is one of the few of its kind in the world. Reconstruction of the shipwreck is on display in the museum. THE MAUSOLEUM Mausolus was the ruler of the Caria Kingdom between 377 and 353 BC, he made Halikarnassos its capital. Then he enclosed his new capital with a huge wall. He also adorned the city with splendid edifices, the most famous of which was the Mausoleum which he designed as a great Carian shrine dedicated to himself. His sister-wife Artemisia completed it after he died during her own reign. It was so beautiful that it became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The architects of the monumental tomb were Pythius and Satyrus. From south to north it was 63 feet wide and it was surrounded by 36 columns. The funeral chamber itself was 8 by 9 meters and about 2 meters high. Today you can see the cleared platform and some of the findings from the magnificent Mausoleum. The stones were used for the construction of the castle and some parts of the tomb are exhibited at the British Museum in London, England. THE AMPHITHEATER The hillside theater that dates from the 4th century BC was built to seat 5.000 people. When rediscovered, it was not in very good condition and therefore has been recently restored. The view of the town from the theater is beautiful