The Glass Hall is a rectangular building with a cut vault. In this hall, various glass works dated between 14th century B.C. and 11th century A.D. are displayed. In the first display window on the right, a Mycenaean glass bead string from the 14th century B.C. and glass nuggets dating to the same period that have been excavated from the shipwreck in Kaş Uluburun can be found. In other display windows glass finds obtained in ancient city excavations like Stratonikeia and Kaunos can be seen. A big part of the hall consists of the glass collection of the Serçe Limanı Shipwreck that is dated to 11th century A.D.

An aquarium has been placed inside one of the niches of this hall to show how underwater archaeological excavations are done. Inside this aquarium a fourth century A.D. early Byzantian Shipwreck Underwater Excavation is shown on a scale of 1/20.

The chapel was built by the knights in 1402-1437 in a gothic style with a single nave. It was renovated by Spanish Knights between 1519-1520. After the castle was captured by the Ottomans the chapel of the knights was added a minaret and turned into a mosque.

In the chapel, an East Roman ship that had sunk in Turgutreis-Yassıada in 7th century A.D. is on display. The ship’s stern is built on a 1/1 scale and the foreship is shown just as it was found underwater. The main freight of the ship is wine carried in about 900 amphoras. The most important artifact found on the ship is a set of bronze scales. The name and title of the ship’s captain is engraved on it. The knob of the scale is in the shape of the Goddess Athena who symbolises reason and justice.

This hall consists of three sections. In the first section artifacts from the Gelidonya

Cape shipwreck of 2th century B.C. and the Şeytan Deresi Shipwreck of 16th century B.C.

are displayed. On the left side of this section artifacts excavated from the world’s

first scientific underwater excavation are placed. This shipwreck was shown to

scientists by Captain Kemal Aras, owner of a sponge diving boat. The excavation of the

shipwreck was carried out by George F. Bass in 1960. This is a Syrian commercial ship

belonging to a merchant. Finds taken out from the shipwreck gives us information about

the commerce of the age. The ship sunk at Antalya-Finike-Gelidonya Cape, at the location

of Beş Adalar with copper nuggets it got from Cyprus. Large earthenware jars (pithos)

and amphoras found on the right side of the first hall were shown to the Institute of

Nautical Archaeology (INA) by the sponge diver Cumhur İlik. The excavation of the

shipwreck was carried out by Prof. George F. Bass in 1975.

In the second section the model of the Uluburun Shipwreck of 14th century B.C. can be

seen on 1/1 scale. Under this model, the distribution of the shipwreck under water is

displayed as it was found. In the third section various artifacts taken out from the

excavation of the Kaş Uluburun shipwreck can be seen.

In the second hall the Kaş-Uluburn shipwreck is shown in the harbour and underwater.

Such an exhibition is first of its kind in the world. This ship was shown in 1982 by the

sponge diver Mehmet Çakır of Bodrum. The first scientific dive to this boat was carried

out in October 1982 by a team from the Museum Directorship. The excavation of the

shipwreck was done between 1984-1994 by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA)

under the chairmanship of first Prof. Dr. George F. Bass and then of Dr. Cemal Pulak.

The ship’s load is spread over an area at 44-61 depth. It is approximately 15 m long and

is made of cedar wood. The rich load of the Uluburun ship consists mainly of raw

materials. It was carried in the form of 10 ton pure copper nuggets. Also about 1 ton of

pure tin nuggets have been taken hold of. Bronze alloy is produced by mixing tin and

copper at a ratio of 1/10. Over 150 of the oldest known glass nuggets have been found on

the Uluburun ship. Ebony tree logs, hippopotamus teeth and ostrich eggs are other raw

materials carried on the ship. Terebinth resin, glass beads and olive was carried inside

amphoras of three different sizes. Besides raw materials finished products were also

found on the shipwreck. Oil lamps, bowls, tin containers, flasks, tile drink containers

are other materials found on the shipwreck. A rich group of jewelry from Canaan Country

was excavated from the shipwreck. Among the Egyptian artifacts in the shape of the

scarab beetle used as personal seals or amulets, the golden seal of Egyptian pharaoh

Akhenaten’s wife Nefertiti (1376-1358 B.C. or 1339-1327 B.C.) was found. The ship is

thought to have sunk in the period after the reign of Nefertiti. The scarab was found

among a scrap pile of jewellery on the shipwreck. Cylindirical seals of Babylonian,

Syrian and Palestine origin were found on the ship. Ivory cosmetics boxes, beads, rings

made out of seashells, a golden goblet without a handle, a bronze goddess statuette

whose neck, hands and feet are covered with gold leaf (perhaps the ship’s guardian

goddess?), swords of Canaan and Mycenian origin, weapons of near eastern origin, bronze

tools, zoomorphic scale weights of Syrian-Palestinian origin and geometrical weights, a

wooden writing plate held together with ivory hinges, fishnet sinkers show the richness

of the ship’s load. The Uluburun ship is one of the most important finds of the last

century. The cedar tree was used to date the ship to 1305 B.C. using dendrochronology.

In World War I Turkey entered the war against Austria, Bulgaria and their allies

England, France, Russia, Greece and later Italy. The allied forces decided to

investigate Bodrum Harbour and the boats in Bodrum. On 25 May 1915 a French battle

cruiser anchored near Bodrum. The Commander of the Gendarmerie Lieutenant Rıfat Bey gave

Ibrahim Nezihi Bey the duty of protecting Bodrum against any attempts of the French

dublex battle ship at sending troops to the town to investigate it. The French tried

three times to send troops to the harbour but they were unsuccessful each time. The

French after leaving many casualties and prisoners behind, left Bodrum after bombarding

the Castle and the Turkish Neighbourhood.

The tower at the southwestern end of the castle was restored and dedicated to the

memories of İbrahim Nezihi Bey, who defended Bodrum with Lieutenant Rıfat Önal and the

head of the district of Bodrum Faik Üstün on the 77th anniversary of the martyrdom of

İbrahim Nezihi Bey in battle. The upper floor of the Commander Tower is arranged as the

Commander’s room and the lower floor as his bedroom.

All the exhibitions at Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum are carried out in

accordance with modern museumship.

The Turkish Bath adjacent to the south wall was built in 1895 during the prison period. As opposed to the knights who were proud of the fact that they never washed, the Turkish Bath shows the service Ottomans provided for the prisoners. The Turkish Bath consists of the entrance, cooling room (dressing room), hot room (washing room) and the boiler room. For the first time in Turkey Turkish Bath materials are exhibited in their own environment.

The biggest group of artifacts in the Museum are the amphoras. The world’s biggest Eastern Mediterranean Amphora collection is in Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum. The exhibit is situated under a shed in the lower courtyard. Amphora is a word formed out of the Greek words amphi (two sided) and phoros (portable). These two-handled and portable jugs with a pointed bottom were used in the commerce of ancient times to carry and store wine, olive oil and dry foodstuff.

The exhibit is displayed chronologically starting from the 14th century B.C. until present-day jugs. The bottom of mastic amphoras are supported by nobs and there is a seal with a sphinx motif which is the island’s symbol on their necks. Mastic wine of antiquity is well known. The Knidos amphoras belong to the third century B.C. They have cone handles. These amphoras were transported by being stowed on top of each other thanks to their pointed bottoms and they are displayed the same way. Kos Amphoras are known for their twin handles.These amphoras have crab seals on their handles. Roman amphoras have thick and broad mouths, long necks, thin bodies and cylindrical handles. Carthagian amphoras have cylindrical bodies. Byzanthian amphoras have round bodies. The exhibit ends with contemporary Geyre pitchers. The amphora exhibit is supported with the use of pictures showing commercial sites of ancient times, harbour life and how wine and olive oil is made.