Marmaris

	Marmaris
Basic data
Province (il) :	Muğla
Coordinates :	36 ° 51 ' N , 28 ° 16' E Coordinates: 36 ° 51 '23 " N , 28 ° 16' 16" E
Residents :	94,749 (2019)
Telephone code :	(+90) 252
Postal code :	48700
License plate :	48
Structure and administration (as of 2019)
Mayor :	Mehmet Oktay ( CHP )
Website:	www.marmaris.bel.tr
Marmaris district
Residents :	94,749 (2019)
Surface:	878 km²
Population density :	108 inhabitants per km²
Kaymakam :	Ertuğ Şevket AKSOY
Website (Kaymakam):	www.marmaris.gov.tr

Newly built covered bazaar in Marmaris after the earthquake of 1958

Promenade at the port with Marmaris Kalesi Castle

Old town alley of Marmaris

Marmaris marina

Marmaris is a coastal city in Muğla Province in southwestern Turkey . It has 94,749 inhabitants (as of 2019) and is shaped by tourism. Marmaris is also the name of the district ( İlçe ). Since a regional reform, the district is identical in terms of area and population to the district town.

history

The exact founding date of Marmaris is not known. The first sources date from the 6th century BC. And call the city by its ancient name Physkos . The first settlement goes back to the Karer . The Carians came according to the writings of the historian Herodotus of Crete . They settled here in the area of today's Muğla Province and used the natural harbor as a naval base for their raids on the Phoenicians on Rhodes and the other islands in the Aegean Sea . In 138 BC BC Attalus III. , King of Pergamon ( Bergama ), Physkos to Rome . From then on, the city was subordinate to the Roman generals on Rhodes. In 1425 it was captured by the Ottoman Empire . The castle was built in 1522 for a planned Rhodes campaign.

According to a local legend, the city's name means four hanged architects . It comes from the history of the formation of the formative castle. In 1522, after his victory over Rhodes , the then Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent ordered his four architects to build a castle that could still be seen in Rhodes. A relatively small castle was built, which angered the Sultan to such an extent that when he returned from an expedition to Rhodes he should have shouted “Mimar äs!” When he saw the fort, which means “hang the architects”! There is no certified source for this.

In 1958, Marmaris was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake. As one of the few historical buildings, the Marmaris Kalesi fortress was hardly damaged. The half-timbered houses of the old town are grouped in narrow streets around the medieval fort. These are all under monument protection.

In 2009, Marmaris was a stage destination for the cyclists on the Tour of Turkey .

Surroundings

Marmaris is located on the Turkish Aegean Sea on the Bozburun peninsula. In the north of the city is the Gulf of Gökova , in the south the Mediterranean . To the west of the town is the Datça Peninsula . To the east lies the Köyceğiz district with the lake of the same name. In the wider area there are tourist centers such as B. Bodrum or Fethiye . Eight kilometers west of Marmaris is İçmeler, originally a small town that has developed into a bed castle over the last 20 years. The entire beach line is built with hotels. There is a boat connection to Turunç and good transport connections to Marmaris with the Dolmuş .

tourism

The beach promenade is around eleven kilometers long and densely built. The beach is ten to 15 meters wide and consists of fine to coarse pebbles. The hotels and restaurants on the waterfront have completely stocked the beach with sun loungers and parasols, which are mostly given out to guests free of charge in the hope of being able to sell drinks and food. Many restaurants are open in the evening.

The place offers a large number of leisure activities, such as B. visiting a Turkish hammam, visiting the castle, shopping, diving, sailing, fishing, quad and jeep rides, horse riding. In the surrounding area there are some archaeological evidence to be seen, such as B. Amos and Knidos . Local tour operators offer day trips to Ephesus , Pamukkale , Rhodes , and Turtle Beach.

port

Wooden yachts are a tradition in Marmaris

Street in Marmaris

promenade

Due to its location on the so-called " Turkish Aegean Sea ", Marmaris is an important tourist destination. The city is located on a large, sheltered bay that serves as a natural harbor for professional and recreational shipping. Large cruise ships such as the AIDA Cruises fleet and the ships of the Carnival Cruise Lines dock in the port . There are two large and several small marinas . Hundreds of skippers winter here every year. With more than 600 berths, the marina is the largest in the Turkish Aegean. Ferries run from Marmaris to the Greek island of Rhodes .