Bodrum Guide. The gem on the Turkish Riviera.

Name: Bodrum Guide. The gem on the Turkish Riviera.
Uploaded: 2025-10-04T07:27:06.315Z
Duration: 9 min 3 s
Channel: Jean Cruises for Doris Visits

Jean Cruises for Doris Visits

1 Video View·Oct 4, 2025

Bodrum is famous for building yachts or Gulets, and they are parked along the dock awaiting the guests that book them for sailing holidays.
The cars come and go, and it appears as a boat departs, another takes its place.

Your ship will dock at the edge of the large bay (bottom right) and you will around the bay, then walk through the shops to find the castle. The queue can be long in the mornings, so you may wish to walk further and visit the Mausoleum and then the Ancient Theatre. The amphitheatre is worth it for both the stunning example of a 4BC Greco Roman theatre but also the view over the town and bay. An electric scooter might make it more fun and certainly quicker. The castle can then be done in the afternoon. Jean walks this route in the film.

Bodrum has more stylish shopping and is more at ease that the 'genuine fakes' Kusadasi, showing a different face of the Turkish Riviera. It has a long history. Mausolus built the new city of Halicarnassus as the capital of Caria in Asia Minor.

Bodrum Cruise Port to Bodrum Castle (through shops) = 2km (30mins pleasant walk)
Bodrum Castle to Mausoleum = 1.2km (20 minutes)
Mausoleum to Ancient Theatre = 400m uphill (10 minutes)
Remember you've got to get back.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus or Tomb of Mausolus

Needs some imagination and not long to visit. It is a site of ruins, and many stones were taken by the crusaders to build the castle. It was approximately 45 m (148 ft) in height with carvings and sculptures on all four sides. The word mausoleum infers an above-ground tomb, but this was built on an older burial site and there are caves which are visible but not open to visit. When Mausolus died, his wife Artemisia continued building the mausoleum, sparing no expense and finding the most talented artists from far and wide. These included Scopas who was responsible for the 3rd phase of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.

Interesting fact, large-scale marble statues from the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, including the so-called 'Mausolus' and 'Artemisia' found their way to the British Museum in 1857. So many items in museums all over the world are now being reclaimed. Turkey has asked for them back.

The wonder of the ancient world stood for 16 centuries until the earthquake in 1304 caused great damage. Then the Knights of St John of Malta invaded the region and took almost every block to build the castle in 1494. They used almost every block which is why so little remains at the site. Writings have been found from the crusaders telling of how they plundered the site taking all the gold and jewels.

The theatre is an amphitheatre known as the Bodrum Antique Theatre. It had a capacity of about 13,000 guests and an 18m wide stage. There is no one there and no modern infrastructure, but a lone pleasant security guard. It is free. Free to watch here on YouTube with another Doris Visits film. If you enjoyed this, watch Jean's film on Troy.

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as you leave the ship there is a guest information center where you can get a map then you can stroll around the bay into town or you could stay and swim in the designated swimming area as with all the resorts on the Turkish Riviera there is a pirate theme these boats are great fun some even have a foam disco on board now you might not think you will enjoy a foam disco but you will after a few rum punches originally known as halakanasus and with a long history of pirating Bodrum used to be known for its sponge divers it is still an active fishing Village as the fishermen of pelicanasa said today you are in a seashore town where you may leave your heart and mind behind the famous writer and Bodrum lover the fisherman of haliconassus who's known as the founder of blue cruises once said when you reach the hill you will see Bodrum don't think you'll leave as you came others before you thought the same as they departed and they left their heart and soul behind in Bodrum the shopping in Bodrum may surprise you with its quirkiness you are left to wander at your leisure without being dragged into the shops they're attempting treats a Beatles Cafe and you'll get to see your fair share of ruins boardroom has its own style of boat design and is famous for sailing holidays on the Turkish boats called goulets further along the coast are a series of busts of outstanding achieving women in history now they do have scooters and it might be a good idea if you're in search of the ruins follow me we'll come to a mosque and we'll take the road at the side of the mosque we're going up from the mosque towards the mausoleum we're going to turn left at the top of the road there's the sign look [Music] we walked all around the bay and then up to the mausoleum and this is our route entry to the mausoleum is very reasonable it's open between nine and five [Music] this is an idea of what it looked like with a horse and carriage on the top foreign visions of how it might have been and they're still putting it together and finding pieces [Music] this Mosaic is from elsewhere in turkey and not from the mausoleum [Music] the mausoleum is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World [Music] it's built in memory of King mausolus as a tomb by his wife and his sister Artemisia now wishing I'd hired that scooter we'll go in search of the amphitheater after visiting the mausoleum turn left and you will see over on the right side a mosque just go up by the mosque the road will lead you to the Bodrum ancient theater [Music] at the top of the road turn left [Music] if you look down there are amazing views of the town and over the road is the Amphitheater entrance is free [Music] you've been watching Doris visits I've been Gene heard thank you very much oh don't go though we've got the castle to visit this is the entrance to the theater and the dressing rooms must have been in a lower tunnel the theater dates back to the 4th century and has been renovated twice now we're off to the castle [Music] there are no guides only a security officer if you want the brochure there's a QR code to download foreign walk turkey is full of art everywhere you look we left our visit to later in the day as the queues at the beginning of the day were really very long there's a lot to see in the castle this is an interesting visit with many artifacts on display foreign [Music] thank you [Music] thank you thank you there is an explanation of a famous shipwreck and a reconstruction of the ship using elements they have found in the sea [Music] foreign [Music] was one of my favorite ports [Music] join us on Doris visits for other resorts on the Turkish Riviera [Music] [Music]