Bodrum's most distintive landmark is its castle, begun in 1406 by the Knights of St john. Its five tower represented the nationalities of its formidable inhabitants.When Süleyman the Magnificent conquered Rhodes in 1523, borh Bodrum and Rhodes came under Ottoman rule and the knight left for Malta. Neglected for centuries the castle became a prison in 1895 and was damaged by shells from a French warship during World War I. In the early 1960s, it was used to store artifacts found by local sponge divers. This led to a fruiful Turkish-American partnership to restore the castle and put on display the spectacular underseatreasures found around Turkey. The innovative reconstructions of ancient shipwrecks and their cargoes have brought the museum international acclaim.

Glass Hall

The Mycenaean beads and Damascus glass date from between 15 BC and AD11 Syrian glass ingots used imn the production of varius glass items, date from the 14th century BC.