Es ist gut moeglich, dass Mascha die folgende Aussage nicht zustimmt, aber M40 fuehlt sich troztdem im Bodrum wohl zu Hause ....

Our favourite seaside town in Turkey is actually Bodrum (although we are not party people). In ancient times, Bodrum is known as Halikarnassos, where one of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum, once stood.


Traditional boats 'Gulets' in Bodrum's Old Harbour. In the background is the St. Peter's Castle.

The best time to visit Bodrum and the surrounding area is March - June, October - November. Between December and February, it could get quite rainy on certain days, but on the whole, the town is much nicer when most of the shops selling counterfeit Gucci and Chanel handbags are closed and nobody hassles anyone on the streets. Winter climate is mild and sunny.
In Turkey, Bodrum is best known for its nightlife. Bars, night clubs, discos (some of them display a fairly bad taste in terms of decoration and concept of design), restaurants, shops lined the streets of the town centre and the Marina. Because many Turkish TV stars, singers and those who can afford it regularly visit Bodrum, prices could get very expensive, even for European standards, especially in the summer months. It is almost impossible to get a decent hotel room for less than 50 euro.
Being the 'in' destination of choice for the Turkish middle-class, flight from Istanbul and Ankara to Bodrum are frequently booked out during weekends all year round. Even bus fares to and from Bodrum are more expensive than between other places of similar distance. For instance, a three hour bus ride from Bodrum to Izmir costs 20YTL in 2007, whereas in other parts of Turkey, a three-hour bus ride costs about 15 YTL on average.


                                              Bodrum Castle in the Twilight

Between June and September, the town's population swells up to three times its normal population in the winter months, and the town centre could become terribly noisy, even tacky. All shops remain open until the early morning hours, but the biggest source of noise pollution come from the various discos in the centre of town: the beat of Halikarnas Disco (with its cheeky laserlight) and the floating Catamaran 'Bodrum Night Club' could be heard all the way out in the other side of the town.


The majestic St. Peter's Castle seen from the sea - this is Bodrum's most famous landmark. (As Mascha once remarked, 'zum Glueck haben sie dieser Castle!')

The Castle was built by the Crusader Knights of St. John's Order from Rhodes with rocks taken from the Mausoleum. As a result, all that remain of the once 'Seven Wonders of the World' are some rocks and foundations - difficult for visitors to envisage how the complex might once have looked like.

The most well-known (and probably the first ever) historian in the Ancient World, Herodotus, was a native of Bodrum in the 5th century BC. There is a statue in memory of him in front of the entrance to St. Peter's Castle.
Bodrum is also the birthplace of the concept 'the Blue Voyage', a seven-day trip on board a traditional gulet that sails the small coves and bays of Gokova. The term 'Blue Voyage' came into being when Turkish author Cevat Sakir Kabaagaçli (1890-1973) was sent in 1927 to live in exile in Bodrum. Known by his pen name 'the Fisheman of Halikarnassus', he was responsible for bringing the once sleepy sponge-diving fishing village of Bodrum to the attention of Turkish intellectuals and the wider public. A bust of him was erected outside the Bodrum Castle as well.



      Traditional gulets returning from the Aegean after Voyage

Nowadays, it is difficult to imagine Bodrum as a sleepy little fishing village. The town now boasts some of the most expensive resorts and bars in the whole of Turkey. It is not unusual to see well-known Turkish personalities strolling along the waterfront or sipping a drink at one of the fancy bars. It was said that in certain upmarket bars, a bottle of vodka would cost you a staggering 500YTL - almost a whole month's wage for ordinary turkish employees.


Because Bodrum's history dates back thousands of years, historical ruins and ancient sights are common place within the vicinity of the town. On the hillside overlooking the Bay of Bodrum is the Roman Ampitheatre. In the summer, open-air concerts, musical and drama peformances take place in the theatre.
(To be continued in Part Two)

Copyrights 2008. All texts and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved. Alle Rechte Vorbehalten.
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