After breakfast, I was hoping for a full day of energy. Fortunately, sustained strength was on my side today.
Walking into the town of Bodrum, the first stop was the ancient tomb of Maussollos, one of the Seven Ancient Wonders. This ruler was so venerated that after his death a huge tomb was erected in his honor and as a final resting place. This is where the term “mausoleum” finds its root. As with most of the ancient wonders of the world the tomb of Maussollos was raided and destroyed by invading armies centuries later. In this case the “crusaders” looted the tomb and utilized the stone blocks to help build the fortress defending the harbor entrance.
(Artist rendering of the original.)
(All that remains of this ancient wonder.)
One of the most successful defensive battlements added to the then named city of Halikarnassos was a great city wall and a deep broad moat. This protective system was so effective that it stymied Alexander the Great in his early attempts to sack the city in the year 334 BC. There are ancient texts citing his respect and frustration for the defensive positions when many of his men perished attempting to bridge the moat in front of the main city gate.
Bodrum is and was foremost a port. Hundreds of boats currently find safe harbor here. It is also home to the first female admiral. As the tourist guide story goes, a rival reagent was unimpressed that Bodrum had a female leader, so he sent his navy to conquer the city from this obviously inferior leader. When the invaders arrived they found a harbor apparently empty of naval fighting vessels. Upon entering the harbor the attacking navy was surprised by a hidden sub-harbor and were “bottled in” and summarily defeated. So the fame of the first female admiral and her skill as a leader and military strategist of Bodrum grew throughout the Aegean.
The Bodrum Sualti Arkeoloji, the only underwater archeological museum in the Mediterranean, is located in the harbor fortress. The battlement has changed hands many times over the centuries. Each captor added to the structure. There is an English Tower, known as the Lion Tower. A German tower was also added. The Sultans of the Ottoman Empire added a third of the military floor plan. These all combine to form an internationally acclaimed and award winning history museum.
While wandering around the various exhibits whose pieces came from ancient shipwrecks, I happened upon a tour being led by a familiar sounding and looking man. It was Don Bay, the discoverer of the most important ancient shipwreck to date. At over 3,000 years old, the Bronze Age wreck literally rewrote history in many cases. He explained the discovery and ten year recovery process. One thing I love about people like Don is that they are so comfortable in their own skin that there is no detectable trace of ego and this only makes them more interesting. Literally, the last movie that I saw on Discovery Channel before leaving on this worldwide adventure was a documentary of Don’s shipwreck finds, which explains his familiarity.
The final surprise of the fortress greeted me while exiting through the thick stone gates. A pigeon had chosen an upward facing lamp as the perfect nesting place. Usually, I am of the mind that pigeons equate to flying rats, but this one was different. Protecting the fledglings, this mother bird was somehow nobler than the Central Park vermin.
I am reminded of Dad almost daily on this portion of the trip. He traveled to the middle east and brought back souveneers. One of my favorite and most protected toys was a pottery bird call from Turkey. Over thirty years ago it is possible that Dad purchased my call right here in Bodrum. The vendor thought my story was interesting and added "Why don't you buy another." Haaa...
On my return to the hostel, I stopped at the now familiar local restaurant for a final Bodrum dinner. The memory of Ali Nazik from Istanbul led me to try the southern Turkey version. It was still good and the addition of a traditional very light hollow bread was welcome, but the northern dish still tops the taste bud charts.
No comments:
Post a Comment