Bodrum Castle
Built by the Knights Hospitaller from 1402, this seaside fortress has four national towers and now contains the Museum of Underwater Archaeology.
Construction started in 1402 as the Castle of St. Peter, a joint project by the Knights of St John. Each tower—English, French, German, Italian—was built by knights from that nation. The chapel went up around 1407, the walls finished by 1437. It got a late-15th-century facelift before the Ottomans took over in 1523, adding a minaret to the chapel-turned-mosque. For nearly 400 years it stayed that way, then sat empty after WWI.
In the early 1960s, the castle found new life as the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, displaying finds from shipwrecks and ancient glass. It's been on Turkey's UNESCO Tentative list since 2016.
“Walk through a Crusader fortress with four national towers, then dive into the Museum of Underwater Archaeology.”
The entry ticket also gets you into the museum—head to the French Tower’s Glass Wreck Hall first, before tour groups arrive.
Due to its medieval structure, the castle has many stairs and uneven surfaces, limiting wheelchair access.
Good to know
- Is Bodrum Castle free to visit?
- TL 400. Ticket also covers the Museum of Underwater Archaeology inside the walls.
- How long should you spend at Bodrum Castle?
- ~2h
- When is the best time to visit Bodrum Castle?
- Morning
- Is Bodrum Castle wheelchair accessible?
- Due to its medieval structure, the castle has many stairs and uneven surfaces, limiting wheelchair access.
