A Turkish delight part 1
A visit to Turkey is always a delight for me. I’ve been to Istanbul and down the coast to Ephesus and Kusadasi several times. This time, my destination was Bodrum and Fethiye.
Exploring Bodrum
IMPRESSIVE SIGHT: The Castle of St. Peter, built by the Knights of St. John, dominates the harbor of Bodrum, Turkey.
My friend and I arrived at Bodrum by ferry from the Greek island of Kos. Bodrum is a beautiful bustling tourist center. The harbor is dominated by the impressive Castle of St. Peter built by the Knights of St. John. Magnificent yachts from all over the world are anchored there and the sea front is lined with charter and excursion boats.
We found a quiet pension (boardinghouse) on a back street with chickens, ducks, and roosters in the yard, then set off to see the sights. Known in ancient times as Halicarnassus, Bodrum was once famous for the Tomb of King Mausoles, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The Mausoleum has long since been destroyed (a reconstruction of it is in the British Museum) and fragments of the marble were used by the Knights of St. John to build their castle.
Inside the castle grounds, peacocks and various exotic fowl strut around the gardens or roost in the trees. The castle is now the home of the world’s only undersea archaeological museum—Turkey’s pride—with a display of cargo and replicas or actual portions of ships found in situ dating from 1400 B.C. to Byzantine times. The Bronze Age ship finds are the most amazing. Here was a ship laden with gifts from a king to a king. Some of the artifacts, already antiques when the ship set sail, were treasures to be owned only by royalty, including Hittite and Egyptian treasures.
The various towers of the castle also have displays. In the English Tower there are suits of armor and other artifacts, including the replica of “The Sovereign of the Seas,” a ship commissioned by King Charles I in the 1600s.
ANCIENT ARTIFACTS: Pots in the ship museum, artifacts from ancient sea-faring times.
THE CASTLE OF ST. PETER: A mural from the Museum of Underwater Archaeology, the world's only undersea archaeological museum, which is housed in the castle
Local Sights and Delights
Past the castle, we found ourselves at the east harbor. The atmosphere was like a carnival with laser lights and a cacophony of blaring music from the dozens of discos and café bars that line the waterfront. People were jammed together along the harbor, tourists and Turkish families strolling and enjoying the sights. I have always been impressed by the graciousness and courtesy of the Turkish people. The behavior of many of the tourists was in direct contrast to them.
My friend and I beat a hasty retreat back to the more sedate, traditional part of town and found a quiet table at a seaside restaurant.
Dining out in Turkey is a delight, even if it’s at a fast-food diner shop. Food is prepared with great care and served artfully, with special attention paid to spices and garnishes. The waiters “serve” you elegantly, with great attentiveness and gallant manners. They are friendly, helpful, and courteous to their guests. In addition, prices are so much cheaper than elsewhere in Europe. We tried the fabled Iskendar kebabs (lamb fed on wild spices laid on a slice of pita, topped with tomato sauces and browned butter).
The next day we took a dolmus (minibus) to a small fishing village a half hour from the city. Gumusluk Beach there is a blue flag beach, though it’s mostly stony. (According to www.blueflag.org.uk, a Blue Flag is awarded to coastal destinations which have achieved the highest quality in water, facilities, safety, environmental education, and management.) The sea there is jade green, the water calm and shallow.
We received beach chairs and umbrellas free for the day courtesy of the beach café where we ate lunch. Considering this is a conservative Muslim country, it was surprising to see some female tourists topless. They were asked courteously by the waiter to cover up.
Nearby is a small village, with the site of ancient Myndos which was inhabited from prehistoric times to 4th century AD. Reportedly, after the death of Julius Caesar, his assassins, Brutus and Cassius, hid out here. In ancient times Myndians mixed their wine with sea water to relax the stomach so they were called “the brine drinkers.” Some old house foundations can still be seen on the hillside or underwater, accessible to scuba divers.
MYNDOS HARBOR: An ancient village, Myndos was known as the home of the brine drinkers.
If You Go
Accommodations: Bodrum fills up with tourists in the high season, so hotels are usually booked ahead. The narrow streets north of the western bay harbor have pleasant family-run pensions.
The Castle of St. Peter (Museum of Underwater Archaeology): Open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for the noon hour, and daily except Mondays. US$5.50 for admission.
Glass Shipwreck exhibit and Carian Princess exhibits: Open 10–11 a.m. and 2–4 p.m. Monday thru Friday only. US$2.50 for admission.
Source: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/31773/
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Originally Posted by Hibernicus II
