Halicarnassus
Halicarnassus was an ancient city in Caria, in Anatolia.
Halicarnassus was an ancient city in Caria, in Anatolia. It was located in southwest Caria, on an advantageous site on the Gulf of Gökova, which is now in Bodrum, Turkey. The city was famous for the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, also known simply as the Tomb of Mausolus, whose name provided the origin of the word "mausoleum". The mausoleum, built from 353 to 350 BC, ranked as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Halicarnassus
4 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Ancient Theatre of Halicarnassus
The Theatre at Halicarnassus, also known as Bodrum Antique Theatre, is a 4th-century BC Greco-Roman theatre located in Bodrum, Turkey. The theatre is considered to be built in a similar style to Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus.
300 m · ancient Greek theatre of Halicarnassos, altered in Roman times, in Bodrum, Turkey · Wikipedia - 02Madnasa
Madnasa, or Medmasa, also known as Medmasus or Medmasos, was a town in ancient Caria, at the Myndos Peninsula, and is currently an archaeological site near upper Göl, about 13 km northeast of Myndos. In 5th century BCE the city was included in the Delian League and Athenian tribute lists.
9.8 km · ancient Greek archaeological site in Turkey · Wikipedia - 03Usuluk Bay Nature Park
Usuluk Bay Nature Park is a nature park at Usuluk Bay in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey. Usuluk Bay is located on the highway Bodrum-Milas D.330 at Torba village, northeast of Bodrum in Muğla Province.
6.5 km · Nature Park in Southwestern Turkey · Wikipedia - 04Bodrum District Stadium
Bodrum Futbol Kulübü, known as Sipay Bodrumspor due to sponsorship reasons, is a Turkish professional football club based in the resort town of Bodrum, Muğla Province. Established in 1931, the club spent much of its early existence in amateur leagues before gradually rising through the Turkish football pyramid.
700 m · stadium in Bodrum, Turkey · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do
Beaches in town are pebble but good for swimming. For sandy beaches go further west to Gümbet or Bitez. Hamam or Turkish baths are at Fabrika Sk 48 southeast side of the city bus station. They're segregated by gender with both sides open daily 07:00-23:00. Windsurfing is better on the more exposed west coast around Turgutreis, since the calm sheltered waters of Bodrum are its selling point.
- 01Bodrum Aquapark
A park with 23 waterslides, a 350-m wave river, a wave pool, a range of other pools, and a disco.
- 02Bodrum Golf & Tennis Club
This is the closest golf course to Bodrum.
From Wikivoyage: Halicarnassus, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Bodrum catering is aimed at flesh-eating visitors. Most places serve halal as well as alcohol, but vegans and GF-ivores have limited choices. Orfoz at Zeki Müren Cd 13 is extolled in many guide books, but visitors find the food nothing special and the "tasting menu" little more than tapas.
- 01Körfez
Quality seafood restaurant on the marina front, where they ensure you pay for the view.
- 02Umurça Pide Salonu
A sfiha restaurant, that's flatbread topped with mincemeat.
- 03The Windy Bay
- 04Cafe De Colombia
Mister Hadi Sk 6, Gümbet.
- 05Vira's
Small hotel on Yahsi seafront serving good Turkish cuisine.
From Wikivoyage: Halicarnassus, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Halicarnassus
- Airports
- Milas Bodrum (BJV), 32 km · Kos "Ippokratis" (KGS), 40 km · Rhodes "Diagoras" (RHO), 92 km
- Dalaman → HalicarnassusTrain, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side
- Gaziemir → HalicarnassusTrain, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side
- Edremit → HalicarnassusTrain, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
No local-transport research exists yet for Halicarnassus
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Halicarnassus. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get in{{go | name | url | address 37.2506 | long 35 km northeast of Bodrum | phone | hours | wikipedia Q766860 | lastedit=2023-03-08 | content=The international (dış hatlar) terminal east side has many charter flights from Europe in summer, but is a very quiet place in winter.
- Get inThe dolmuş transfer into town should be included in your inter-city ticket; check when buying.
- Get inIt's also the pier for the Sky Marine ferry, which doesn't use the marina.
- Get inFerries no longer sail direct between Bodrum and Rhodes.
- Get inTravel via Kos, which is connected to the extensive Greek ferry network.
From Wikivoyage: Bodrum, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01173 km
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- 05439 km
If you know how people move in Halicarnassus – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.