Marmaris

Marmarisis a port city in the southwest part of Turkey. It’s a major area for sailing and a popular cruise ship port. It has captivating scenery of pine filled mountains and of the sea. It has a very diverse culture of ancient Byzantine, Ottoman, and Roman roots. It was originally a sleepy fishing village before the 1980s development. It is a vibrant resort, which still has its country side charms.

The weather in Marmaris is fine in the months of May until October. The summer is long and winter is mild. People here are friendly and there is an abundance of fast foods, restaurants, and bars in most places. Getting to Marmaris is by land, sea, and air. Buses are available inland. As a lively port there are numerous choices for sea travel, there are catamarans that sail daily, Turkish cargo boats that sail weekly, and the cruise ships that stop over at its port. There’s the Dalaman airport 120km east of the city. From there, airport buses are available for transfer to Marmaris.

The castle of Marmaris is in the town centre. This is an important historical structure that was originally built by the Ionians. It was ruined in 1914 by shelling a French battleship. The current castle was rebuilt by the Ottomans in 1512. Today it is converted to a museum, which is open to the public. Its entrance opens to a garden courtyard with a fountain. It showcases an ethnography section of a Turkish house, archaeological displays, and a room of the castle commander.

A walking city tour is the best way to experience the history of Marmaris. There are plenty of Ottoman structures sustained or reused that are quite appealing in design. There’s the Hafza Sultan Kervansaray which was a previous travellers inn now used as a market place. In the Kemeralti district there’s the Ibrahim Ağa Camii mosque. There are also the bridges of Tashan and Kemerli Köprü.

The marketplace of Marmaris is bustling with a variety of trades and wares. You’ll be sure to find Marmaris’ famous pine honey, spices, healing herbs, and handmade woven rugs and carpets. And for the more leisure pace, Marmaris rugged coastline is a nice area to explore.

Marmaris