Current Time in Bodrum, Turkey

Bodrum is a resort town and district on the Aegean coast of Turkey, located on the southern shore of the Bodrum Peninsula in Muğla Province, facing the Greek island of Kos across the Gökova Bay. Known as the Saint-Tropez of Turkey and the intellectual summer capital of the country, Bodrum is a place of distinctive elegance and cultural reputation, combining Ottoman and Aegean architectural traditions, ancient history, a beautiful natural harbor, and a cosmopolitan summer lifestyle that has attracted Turkish artists, intellectuals, and bohemians since the mid-20th century.

With a year-round population of approximately 40,000, Bodrum's population expands dramatically in summer to several hundred thousand, as domestic Turkish tourists and international visitors fill its hotels, marinas, and whitewashed streets. The town has a quality of urban character and a cultural self-awareness that distinguishes it from other Turkish beach resorts — this owes much to the influence of Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, the writer known as Halikarnas Balıkçısı (The Fisherman of Halicarnassus), who was exiled to Bodrum in 1925 and spent the rest of his life here, drawing creative figures to the town and helping establish its identity as a place of artistic and intellectual exchange.

The ancient city of Halicarnassus, one of whose Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was located here — the Mausoleum of Mausolus, built around 350 BC and source of the word mausoleum — stood on the site of modern Bodrum. Though only the foundations of the Mausoleum survive, the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, housed in the Castle of St. Peter, is one of the world's finest museums of its type, containing spectacular collections from Bronze Age, ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine shipwrecks excavated by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology from the exceptionally rich archaeological sites of the surrounding seabed.

The Castle of Saint Peter (Bodrum Castle), built by the Knights of Saint John between 1402 and 1522 from the stones of the demolished Mausoleum, dominates the harbor and is the most iconic landmark of the city. Its towers and walls, reflected in the marina, are one of the most recognizable images of the Turkish Aegean. The castle's interior has been superbly converted into the museum complex, with different towers housing collections from specific archaeological periods and shipwrecks.

The whitewashed, bougainvillea-draped houses of Bodrum's old town, the vibrant bar and nightlife scene along Cumhuriyet Caddesi (Bar Street), the marina filled with traditional wooden gulet yachts, and the turquoise water of the twin bays are the elements that define the Bodrum experience. Gulet cruises (Blue Voyage/Mavi Yolculuk) departing from Bodrum to explore the coves and islands of the Aegean and the bays of the Gökova are among the most celebrated sailing experiences in Turkey.

Bodrum Airport Milas-Bodrum (Bodrum-Milas Airport) handles extensive domestic and international traffic during summer. Ferries connect Bodrum to Kos in Greece. Road access is via the D330 highway to Milas. Local transportation within the peninsula is by minibus (dolmuş).

Bodrum is a destination of genuine cultural distinction and natural beauty — a Turkish Aegean town that combines ancient history, maritime adventure, and a sophisticated summer society in a setting of remarkable charm.