The Bodrum Guide

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CURRICULUM VITAE ET STUDIORIUM  CV

MEHMET ÇUHADAR

EDUCATION, WORK

M. Cuhadar studied Classical Archaeology at the Faculty of History and Letters at Ankara University. During his studies, he joined to some major archaeological digs in the Bodrum Region


After graduating from Ankara University, M. Cuhadar worked as curator at the Archeological Museum in Konya in Central Turkey and the Museum of Underwater Archaeology in Bodrum and represented the Ministry of Culture at foreign archaeological excavations in Western Anatolia.

LECTURING

For over 30 years, Mehmet Cuhadar lectured many biblical, study groups to Ephesus and other archaeological sites of Turkey. He gave many lectures about Biblical, Archeological Sites and Underwater Archaeology in Turkey and abroad.

In 2006, he gave lectures on Turkey and Ephesus for Wind Star Cruises.

In October 2010, he gave a lecture about  "Saint Paul's journeys in and their importance from the view of Faith Turizm"  During the Faith tourism Summit

In October 2010, he gave lectures on Turkey, Ephesus and Biblical Sites on Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

During the winter of 2011 Mr. Cuhadar gave lectures Lectures on Turkey, Ephesus, Terrace Houses and  and recent discoveries in Ephesus in Washington DC, Atlanta, Los Angeles (Paul Getty Museum in Malibu), Detroit and Chicago (Oriental Institute , Breasted Hall)

M.Cuhadar also guided some of the well-known figures of the world

Chelsea Clinton in Bodrum

Paul David Hewson (Bono) in Ephesus

Tommy Hilfigers in Ephesus

BOOKS PUBLISHED

M.Cuhadar authored some books about Cappadocia Region in Central Turkey and the Whirling Dervishes and Konya

Cappadocia, Panda Publications, Istanbul,  

Cappadocia Region, Mert Publications, İstanbul,

Konya, sacred city of Whirling Dervishes, Panda Publications, İstanbul

In 1997, TUYED, The Association of Tourism Writers, and Journalists honored Mr. Cuhadar as "the Best Guide of Turkey" because of his lectures, books and for his services for Turkish Tourism.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Languages: Turkish (native), English, French

Professional Photographer

M. Cuhadar lives in Bodrum (ancient Halicarnassus), in the South West Turkey. He owns a company publishing brochures, books, and special interest maps of Turkey.

Mobil Phone: 0532 2730489

E-mail cuhadar.mehmet@gmail.com


Some information about Bodrum and Caria region:

Bodrum was ancient city of Halicarnassus, the capital of district of  Caria

Carians were the indigenous people of the region and they were good sailors, skilled boat builders. Being great fighters, they served as mercenaries for many other nations.

Carians had many military inventions such as shield handles, signs and symbols on the shields and the crest on the helmets. These military Carian inventions, adopted by the rest of the ancient world

The oldest paintings in Western Turkey depicting gods and goddesses of Neolithic Age were discovered on Latmos Mountain (2 hours drive from Bodrum)

Caria region was known as Mira during the second millennium and it was the vassal state under Hittite Empire. Near Bafa Lake, a border inscription with Hittite hieroglyph was discovered.

Carians took part in the Trojan War and sided with the Trojans.

During the famous Kadesh Battle which took place between the Hittites, and Egyptian armies, Carians supported the Hittites in 1200 BCE

Turkish archeologist Yusuf Boysal discovered some sub Mycenaean tombs containing one if the richest Collection of Mycenaean Pottery.

Carians served under the rule of legendary king Minos and built ships for him that Carians also served as mercenaries in Egypt and some other countries.

Many Carian inscriptions helping deciphering of the Carian language were discovered in Egypt.

Bodrum was the birthplace of Herodotus, the father of history,

Did you  know Carian Queen Artemisia I, Carian queen, was the first woman admiral of the world in the 5th century BC, and she commanded the ships from Caria cities during the campaign of Persian King Xerxes. She was also one of the advisers of the Persian king.

Persian governor satrap Mausolos built Mausoleum, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world in Bodrum and after the construction of the Mausoleum, the word Mausoleum was used for monumental tombs all around the world.

 Mausolos's wife Artemisia II completed the unfinished monument of her deceased husband. Her love for the deceased husband was immortalized by many European painters including Rembrandt. This painting shows Artemisia drinking a cup of wine mixed with the ashes of her deceased husband. After the death of her husband, Rhodesians attacked to Halicarnassus, but she had had a double victory in one single day over the people Rhodes.

Did you know the sister of Mausolos, Ada, who had been exiled to the city of Alinda, became friendly with Alexander the great and she wanted Him to become her adopted son. After capturing Caria region, Alexander made Ada the ruler of the region.

 Brutus and Cassius came to Caria to collect money and soldiers.

 The word Hermaphrodite spread to the world from Salamis in Bodrum

Famous historian Dionysus of Halicarnassus was from Bodrum

Did you know Bodrum has one of the best museums of underwater archeology?

Famous (Serce Limani) glass wreck's miraculously preserved hull is displayed in Bodrum museum of underwater archeology

The Serce Limani vessel was carrying 3 tons of glass (a ton of broken glass, two tons of raw glass) and many other items such as weapons, Islamic earthenware, Islamic and Christian coins,

Famous Late Bronze Age ship Uluburun which was carrying 10 tons of copper and tin ingots had also fine jewelry, weapons and glass ingots. The shipwreck was discovered in 1984. After 11 years of underwater excavations, the stunning cargo of the ship is displayed in the museum of underwater archeology and it is the oldest shipwreck ever excavated.

Did you know that one of the artifacts discovered at Uluburun was the seal of Egyptian queen Nefertiti, the wife of Pharaoh Akhenaton?

 Two copies of Uluburun were built with the same ship building techniques and one of the ships made a similar journey which Uluburun ship had made in 14. Century BC. Second copy of the Uluburun ship made to sink at Kas for experimental archaeology.

Carian queen Ada, who ruled Caria for a while, met Alexander the great and wanted him to become his adopted son, was a royal figure from Caria. Ada was one of the prominent women leaders of the ancient world.

Alexander the Great captured Halicarnassus after a long siege. Bloody battles took place at the Myndos gate of Halicarnassus.  

Historian, writer Cevat Şakir who came to Bodrum during his exile, fell in love with the beauty of the town and his people. After his punishment was over, he spent the rest of his life here. Using a pen name "fishermen 0f Halikarnasus "he wrote many books about the ancient history, sponge divers, the beauty of the region. He and his friends were pioneers of the “blue trip"

Bodrum was the town of sponge diving and this led to underwater archeology.