Castle of St. Peter

History of the Castle of St. Peter  

The castle’s construction began in 1402 by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights Hospitaller. Because the Knights were a collection of people from all over the world, the castle is representative of the collective cultures. There are five towers representing the different nationalities, British, French, German, Italian, and Spanish Towers. Great care was taken in the Bodrum Castle’s construction, with many of the 249 painted or carved coats of arms surviving to this day. The Knights Hospitaller occupied the castle for 120 years.  

In 1532, the Ottoman army conquered the castle, despite the extensive efforts taken to fortify the exterior walls. The Ottomans turned the castle into a mosque and later a garrison base.  

In the 19th century, the Castle of St. Peter was turned into a prison. However, this didn’t last long because, in World War I, a French battleship bombed the castle. Enough damage was caused to require moving the prisoners inland. This left the castle abandoned until the Italians invaded and used it as a military headquarters. The Italians eventually left after the Turkish War.  

The castle then sat empty and abandoned once again until 1962. Then, the Turkish government decided to protect the site and turn it into the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology. This gave the government a place to house the artifacts being discovered in the Aegean Sea shipwrecks.  

Bodrum Castle Preservation 

Because the Castle of St. Peter is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Turkish government actively works to preserve the castle. Much of this work took place between 2017 and 2020. However, these efforts have caused some controversy. Many archaeologists and people feel that the repairs and restoration efforts have caused the castle to lose some of its charm and feeling of being ancient.  

Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology 

Today, Bodrum Castle is used as the home of the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology. It is the largest museum dedicated to underwater archaeology. Fourteen exhibit halls feature a variety of artifacts, including glassware, ship logs, pottery, gold jewelry, and ship equipment. 

Two full shipwrecks are on display, giving you a real-world sense of what it was like to be on one of these ancient ships. The German and English towers house the majority of the artifacts and exhibits. There are hundreds of artifacts to admire.  

When conservation began around the 1960s, Bodrum’s sponge divers were the primary collectors of artifacts. However, archeologists eventually took over and do the collection and preservation work today.  

How to Visit  

If you would like to visit the Castle of St. Peter, you will find it easy to navigate to. Because of its massive size, you can see it from practically anywhere. You could walk, drive, or take public transportation. The castle is open every day of the week from 8:30-11 pm. Plan to spend most of your day here, as it will take about three hours to fully explore the site. To see everything, you will need to purchase a ticket to the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology.  

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