Bodrum Castle (The Castle of St. Peter) The Castle of St. Peter, also known as Bodrum Castle, is located on a small rocky peninsula along the southwestern coast of Anatolia near Bodrum. This peninsula was historically used as a base by Byzantine and Turkish troops during ancient and medieval times. Constructed by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as the Knights of Rhodes, under the leadership of Grand Master Philibert de Naillac in the 1400s, the castle was ruled by them until 1522 when it was captured by Suleiman I, also known as Suleiman the Magnificent. During the Ottoman period, Bodrum Castle was initially used as a garrison and was later transformed into a prison in 1895. In 1915, the castle was bombarded by a French battleship during World War I, causing many prisoners to be relocated inland. When Italy invaded the Bodrum Territory, they established their headquarters in the abandoned castle. After the success of the Turkish War of Independence under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, the castle was repurposed as a military base in 1939. It was later turned into a museum in 1962 to showcase ancient shipwrecks discovered in the Aegean Sea. Although the Bodrum Castle shares many features with medieval European castles, its location in Asia Minor has resulted in cultural influences. The castle has a multinational population and is considered a historical extension of Europe. In 2016, Bodrum Castle was added to the Tentative List of UNESCO.