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The English Tower through the Ramparts
Built by the Knights Hospitaller starting in 1402, the Castle of St. Peter in Bodrum, Türkiye, features five main towers: the English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. Each tower was designed, built, and paid for by the langue, the respective countries to which the administrative division belonged.
It was surreal: on a hot and still afternoon in the southwest of Türkiye, I was walking in the footsteps of the Crusaders.
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller, have a long history. Formed early in the 12th century, their mission was to strengthen religious (Catholic) devotion, to provide charity for the poor, and to care for sick, poor, or injured Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem.
All these centuries later, the descendants of this order are recognised as the St John Ambulance.
Back in the 1120s and 1130s, the Order of Saint John was militarized. Following the reconquest of Jerusalem and the Holy Land by Islamic forces in 1302, the Hospitallers were headquartered on the island of Rhodes. Wanting a stronghold on the mainland, they identified a site in what is now Bodrum, Türkiye.
I had flown into Bodrum following a few wonderfully restful days in Istanbul (see: Bosphorus Dreaming), and had a free day before joining a gulet cruise into the Gulf of Gökova (watch this space!). I figured a walk was in order before I was confined to a small sailing vessel.
So, there I was: within sight of the Mediterranean, standing among stones quarried and laid over 600 years before.
On a photographic note: I opted to leave the cameras packed and ready for their move later in the day. These photos are all taken on my old iPhone12Pro.
Today, the castle is home to the Museum of Underwater Archaeology and is proposed to UNESCO for listing. Join me for a wander:
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Sunset on Bodrum Castle
A short walk from my room led me to the waterfront Churchill Kafe, where I enjoyed something Turkish and watched the sun go down over the Castle of St. Peter, commanding its promontory in Bodrum Harbour. (30September2022)
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Through the Ramparts and Into the Light
Like in any good medieval castle, the passages leading to the gates were designed to be full of twists and turns to confound any intruder.
Lines And Curves and Ramparts
Open passageways inside meant that potential assailants couldn’t find cover from any arrows, stones, or heated projectiles hurled upon them.
The Castle and the Sea
I, too, was confused as I walked around the fortress with absolutely no sense of orientation!
Mounted Guns
The Knights had a powerful naval fleet, but in 1494 they started to fortify the walls facing the mainland against land-based cannons.
Pigeons Roosting in Medieval Walls
Castle Crest
Every contributor to the fortress has their crest inscribed somewhere on the walls. According to a nearby plaque: “This group of coats of arms was carved in 1496…. The left and right coats of arms belong to Nicole da Incisa. In the middle is the coat of arms of the Grand Master Pierre ‘Aubusson’s united with that of the Order.”
Through the Ramparts
Regular windows around the thick walls give us views over the harbour.
Into the Courtyard
The crest over this passageway is the coat of arms of Giovanni Battista Orsini.
More Coats of Arms
There are over 250 coats of arms placed by the knights around the fortress. The two outer shields here are the coat of arms of the Lusignan dynasty (1192–1489), which ruled the Kingdom of Cyprus. The central shield features the cross of the Knights of the Order of St. John (Hospitallers).
Inside Looking Out
Ancient Chapel / Mosque
The chapel inside the fort was built around 1407. When the fort was taken over by the Islamic Ottoman Empire in 1523, the chapel was converted to a mosque and the minaret was added.
Ancient Carian Sphinx
Many of the stones used in the castle’s construction were taken from the nearby Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In the courtyard, there are several recovered items from nearby sites, like this ancient Anatolian artifact from the Sanctuary of Zeus at Labraunda.
Towers all Around
Ancient Pottery Wine Amphorae
The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology has displays of artefacts recovered from shipwrecks off the Turkish coast scattered around the castle.
Corinthian Column inside Bodrum Castle
Stone Stairs to the Tower
The complex was well-signposted, but I have forgotten which tower I was heading for at this point.
The Uluburun Shipwreck (14th Century BCE)
This bronze-age vessel is one of two ancient shipwrecks that have been reconstructed within the museum.
Ramparts and Tower
Beyond the ramparts, there are views over the city and the Aegean Sea.
Flag at the Top
The Turkish flag flies atop the French Tower.
Inside the Castle
Renovations are ongoing.
More Steps : More Crests
Ancient Minaret over the Trees
On A Gulet – a Turkish Sailboat
Later that afternoon, after I had parked my belongings in my room in the gulet moored in Bodrum Harbour, I saw that the castle was still keeping watch over us.
It seemed only fitting,
After all, for over a century, St. Peter’s Castle was the second-most important fortress under the Order of St John, serving as a refuge for Christians and others across Asia Minor.
Still a Christian faith-based organisation, today’s Order of St John provides first aid and medical responses to anyone within their catchments.
It might be time to renew my ambulance insurance!
Photos: 01October2022
