Myndos

The Myndos Gate stands on the western edge of Bodrum, the last major surviving section of the fortified walls that once encircled ancient Halicarnassus. The walls were built under the Carian ruler Mausolus around 364 BC, stretching roughly seven kilometres around the city and anchoring its western defences at this gate.

The gate is best known for the fighting that took place here in 334 BC, when Alexander the Great laid siege to Halicarnassus. His troops attempted to cross the deep moat in front of the gate on a makeshift bridge, which collapsed under the weight of the assault and caused heavy losses among the attackers. The defenders held the line, and the episode remains one of the harder moments of Alexander's Anatolian campaign. What survives today is a twin-towered structure; ancient sources describe it originally as a three-towered gate, with the central tower long since lost.

Free to enter and open through daylight hours, the site today is a quiet green space with information panels explaining the siege and the surrounding tombs, sitting a short walk from the harbour. Along with the castle and old town, the gate is a popular stop for gulet charter guests exploring Bodrum before or after a few days at sea.