The Bodrum Castle officially became a
museum in 1961 with Mr. Haluk Elbe as its
first Director, but its real though unofficial
beginnings go back a little further, to
1959, when the first appropriation of Turkish
government funds (equivalent to about US$50.00)
was received in Bodrum for preliminary repairs
of breeches in the castle walls. The first
collection of objects retrieved from the
depths was stored and exhibited in 1959
in the Knights' Hall which today gives access
to the Carian Princess exhibit. This embryo
of the Bodrum Museum included amphorae brought
by Bodrum sponge divers as well as objects
recovered during the exploratory dives made
by Peter Throckmorton, Mustafa Kapkin and
Honor Frost in 1958, the year when those
pioneers planted the first seeds of scientific
nautical archaeology.
When the Bodrum Castle was designated as
a museum it was little more than a romantic
ruin attractive only to those interested
in traces left by medieval crusading knights
on the Anatolian shore. For that story click
(THE CASTLE). Castle restoration projects
and the beautification of grounds were started
by the first director, Mr. Haluk Elbe, whose
name has been given to the art gallery at
the entrance to the museum. But it is the
director, Mr. Oguz Alpozen, (retired in july 2005) who
deserves credit for implementing the "living
museum" concept which attracts hundreds
of thousands visitors and which has earned
international renown and recognition in
the form of the Museum of the Year Award. In the present time Bodrum Museum of the Underwater Archaeology is directed by Mr.Yaşar Yıldız .
 Fifty-two
museums from all over Europe were entered
in the "European Museum of the
Year Award '95" (EMYA'95) competition;
forty-five were declared eligible to
compete and twelve went into the final
round. The Bodrum Museum of Underwater
Archaeology, representing Turkey, survived
the initial selection process, .became
one of twelve finalists and was awarded
a "Certificate of Special Commendation
1995" at the competition finals
held on June 10 in Sweden" |
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