Crusaders, shipwrecks and a Wonder of the World – castle, Underwater Museum and Mausoleum

When the Knights of St John began building their castle on the peninsula in Bodrum harbour in 1402, they took the stones from the collapsed Mausoleum. That is how the two most famous monuments of the town belong together. We walk through the knights' towers, see in the museum the cargo of ships that sank more than 3,000 years ago, and then stand at the site of the Wonder the castle was built from.

Highlights

• Castle of St Peter: towers of the knights' tongues, coats of arms and harbour views
• The Uluburun wreck – one of the oldest known shipwrecks in the world
• Glass wreck and finds from 3,000 years of seafaring
• Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders
• The story of how the Wonder became building material
• Pick-up from hotel, cruise port or airport optional

Full description

The Castle of St Peter was the stronghold of the Order of St John on the Asian mainland. Each nation of the order – the so-called tongues – built its own tower: the English, the French, the German and the Italian. Hundreds of knights' coats of arms still sit on the walls. Today the castle houses the Museum of Underwater Archaeology. Its best-known piece is the Late Bronze Age Uluburun wreck with copper ingots, glass, ivory and jewellery from Egypt, the Levant and Mycenae – a glimpse of world trade more than 3,000 years ago.

From the castle we walk up to the Mausoleum. King Mausolus and his wife Artemisia had it built in the 4th century BC; sculptors from all over Greece worked on its friezes. Earthquakes brought it down, and the Knights used its stones in the castle – we recognise some of them along the way. At the tomb site we see the foundations, the burial entrance and building parts that give an idea of its former height.

What we see

We adapt order and selection to weekday, opening hours, weather and your wishes.

• 1 · Castle of St Peter
  Gates, courtyards, towers of the knights' tongues and coats of arms; views over both harbours.
• 2 · Museum of Underwater Archaeology
  Uluburun wreck, glass wreck and finds from sunken ships.
• 3 · Mausoleum
  Foundations, burial entrance and building parts of the Wonder, small museum on site.

Included

• 4 hours private, state-licensed guide in your language (Mehmet Humayunoğlu or an experienced colleague from his team)
• Planning, coordination and time management of the day
• Headsets for groups of 16 or more
• Guided visit of the castle, Underwater Museum and Mausoleum
• Transfer with vehicle and driver from hotel, cruise port or Bodrum airport, if booked

Not included

• Entrance fees (castle and museum, Mausoleum)
• Drinks and snacks
• Transfer, optional: €120 + €10 per person
• Personal expenses, tips

Meeting point

With a booked transfer we pick you up at your hotel in Bodrum or on the peninsula, at Bodrum cruise port or at Bodrum-Milas Airport (BJV) and bring you back there. Without transfer we meet at the castle entrance.

You will recognise me by the sign “MeinReiseleiter.de” and the visibly worn guide licence. We confirm meeting point and time with your booking.

Route to the meeting point (Google Maps): 📍 Castle entrance

Important information

German, English, Turkish, French, Italian, Spanish – 25 more languages on request.

• Stairs – Many steps and uneven floors in the castle; only partly accessible.
• Halls – Individual halls may be closed for restoration; we adapt the visit.
• Museum Pass – Castle and Mausoleum are included in the Museum Pass Aegean.
• Cruise guests – Please state ship and time in port; we plan the return to the ship with ample buffer.