Castle of St. Peter, Turkey

The Castle of St. Peter also known as the Bodrum Castle is a medieval castle located in the city of Bodrum, in southwest Turkey. The castle's construction was ordered by the Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem, while it began in 1402 and continued throughout the 15th century. The Castle of St. Peter serve as an important stronghold of the Knights until it was in 1523 captured by the forces of Suliman the Magnificent and was over the following centuries used for different purposes.



During the World War I was the Castle St. Peter bombarded by the French fleet which demolished a part of the "English Tower". The castle was later occupied by the Italians who used it as a base and rebuilt the "Italian Tower" in its present appearance. After the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923 the Castle of St. Peter fell into neglect and decay until the 1960's when it was decided to turn it into an archaeological museum. Soon afterwards were carried out restoration works and today the castle houses the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology and is open to the public.