The most prominent feature of Bodrum must be the Castle of St. Peter. Whether entering the town by land or sea, one cannot help but be struck by the Castle's sturdy presence. One of the world's best preserved monuments from medieval times, it stands as a solid testament to the Bodrum area as a place worth defending.

Aphrodisias is another site where careful excavation has rendered a seemingly accurate impression of what the city must have looked like when it was alive.

 

Credit goes to Turkish archaeologist Kenan Erim, who began his meticulous reconstruction in 1961 and still searches for funding to support his efforts today. His labor of love seems appropriate for a city devoted to Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love.

The Ancient Carian City is located east of Bodrum near the fishing village of Dalyan. From here boats carry visitors through the intricate passages and giant reeds of the Dalyan River, a marshy channel that empties into the sea at a large sandy beach. Near Dalyan a series of elaborate rock tombs can be seen cut into the faces of distant cliffs. One of these is unfinished, revealing which parts of the tomb faces were carved first.

220 km north of Bodrum near the village of Selçuk, Ephesus is the most popular Ancient site in southwestern Turkey, and deservedly so, Many acres of carefully excavated ruins present an unparalleled recreation of Ancient splendor. This once thriving metropolis had as many as 250,000 inhabitants, and its ruins require at least a full day to appreciate.

Standing majestically beside the main road between Milas and Lake Bafa is one of the best-preserved temples in Asia Minor. This is the Temple of Euromos.

The temple was built in the 2nd century AD, and sixteen of its original seventeen columns are still standing, complete with their architraves. It is believed that the temple was never completed, as evidenced by three columns on the south and southwest sides which have no fluting, but an archaeological survey in 1969 found an inscription from Hellenistic times which proved that the present temple was built on the site of an even earlier one.

Take the main road from Soke to Milas until you reach Lake Bafa. Turn left and continue for a few kilometers until you come to a modern village where you will see the remains of Heracleia. Potsherds have been found which indicate that this site has been inhabited since the 6th century BC.

HeracleiaOriginally called simply Latmus, the city was conquered by Mausolus, King of Caria, in the 4th century BC. He built the massive city walks, up to 3 meters thick and incorporating many defense towers, which stretch from the shores of the lake to high on the slopes of Mount Latmus.

Iassus may be reached by driving through the village of Karakuyu, off the main road to Izmir. An alternative is to start off with a fresh fish lunch in the quiet port of Gulluk, where you can then hire an inexpensive boat for a half hour ride to the ruins of Iassus across the scenic Gulf of Gulluk.

Present day Milas stands on the site of Mylasa. Most of the Ancient city has been built over, but some remains are well worth seeing.

Mylasa was a Carian city joined with the neighboring religious center, Labranda. Mausolus was born here and made it his capital when he became King. Later he moved his capital to Halicarnassus, the site of his wondrous Mausoleum.

Less than a two-hour drive north of Bodrum, these three Ionian cities are close enough together to visit all in one day. Priene lies in a spectacular setting, perched on a cliff above the Meander River. Miletus still has an impressive theatre, and Didyma's Temple of Apollo still inspires awe.