TURKEY
Marmaris

Marmaris

Marmaris is a tourist city on the Aegean coast of Turkey. The wonderful climate, the beautiful resorts, the beautiful apartments, the vibrant nightlife and the pleasant city life make Marmaris one of the most popular destinations in Turkey. Especially Dutch and English tourists love the city. In the high season there are around four hundred thousand tourists in the city, which is ten times as many as the number of inhabitants.

Marmaris Boulevard_{Photo: Hajotthu CC 3.0 Unported no changes made}

Location

Marmaris is located on the Aegean coast on the south side of Turkey. On the other hand, the city borders the mountains of the Mugla province. You have landed at Dalaman Airport since 2012. Previously, you landed at Bodrum airport by default. The idyllic town of Içmeler is also located near Marmaris, with a pleasant city center and a beautiful location by the sea.

Weather

Marmaris has a Mediterranean climate. The town has warm, dry summers and humid winters. Between April and November rainfall is nil and there is plenty of sunshine. The average maximum temperature in this period is standard around twenty degrees. In the high season it quickly gets above thirty degrees. The number of hours of sunshine in the top months is about eleven to twelve per day.

From December to March it is a lot more humid and it can even get chilly in Marmaris. For example, the lowest temperature recorded in March is -1.2 degrees. Remarkably, the highest temperature recorded in March is 28.4 degrees. In short, the weather is fickle. You have a real guarantee on sun in the months of May to September.

History

The history of the city goes back to far before the beginning of the era. The city castle is estimated to date from the year 3000 BC. As part of the ancient Greek Empire, the city was known as Physkos and was part of Caria. Caria was taken by Alexander the Great. Conquering the castle was not a hard job for Alexander, who easily took over the small town and the harbor that was useful to him. He restored the castle on the hill and stationed several hundred soldiers to protect his new territory.

Marmaris Castle_{Photo: Dave Dunford in the public domain}

From the Middle Ages Marmaris was part of the Ottoman Empire. Suleiman the Great made Physkos an important part of the coastal defense of his empire. The Sultan changed the town's name to Mimaras and renovated the castle in 1520, in preparation for an attack on Rhodes and its Christian crusaders. The city was then used as an important base for the Ottoman Navy in this area. Suleiman the Great established a caravanserai (an inn centered around a courtyard where merchants could rest) along the road between the castle and the harbor in 1545. The caravanserai is now a tourist spot in Marmaris.

Sariana's tomb on the north-eastern edge of the city was a tribute to the woman who helped the Ottoman forces during the campaign against Rhodes. The Aqueduct, Tashan and Ibrahimaga Mosque are other architectural monuments that clearly show the power of the sultan's rule.

Marmaris entered the history books again in 1798, when Lord Nelson and his fleet took shelter in the town's harbor. Nelson was on his way to Egypt to fight Napoleon's fleet, a battle that Nelson won.

In modern times, Marmaris has emerged as one of Turkey's most popular wintering spots for tourists. The marinas are especially popular with sailors, who fill the city during the pleasant winter months. For a complete overview of the history of Turkey see the history page of Landenweb.

Sights

Marmaris Castle has stood there as described for thousands of years. It is a symbol of the city on the coast. The castle is under constant restoration, but the parts open to the public are well maintained and the view of the harbor is simply fantastic. It is also home to a large museum (the Archaeological Museum) and a popular café.

Marmaris Bazar_{Photo: Hajotthu CC 3.0 Unported no changes made}

Marmaris is a pleasant city. The center has a gigantic indoor bazaar, a kind of covered maze of shopping streets. The retailers here have aggressive sales techniques. This is regularly experienced by the tourists as disturbing. If you want to escape the crowds, you can relax in the square surrounding the statue of Atatürk, which is a few dozen meters away from the bazar.

Marmaris Harbor_{Photo: Mstyslav Chernov CC 3.0 Unported no changes made}

A walk through the beautiful harbor of Marmaris is a real "must". Picnic here at the water fountain, buy a portion of mussels from one of the many vendors or enjoy the water pipe on one of the cozy terraces. The port area exudes familiar cosiness in everything.

Tips

Stroll along the long beach promenade to the center or the other way. There is always plenty to do here and there are countless cozy bars. Choose a bar with live music, sing karaoke or opt for a cozy sports bar. Highly recommended is the Faros bar, which is about a fifteen minute walk from the center. Many vacationers come to Marmaris for the whole package, the sand, the warm weather and the parties. There are plenty of bars and nightclubs and an entire street is devoted to the art of drinking. It is known as Bar Street and has a number of pleasant terraces, bars and clubs. There are also plenty of bars and cafes scattered along the beach where you can admire the sunset.

A must-do for those looking for the full Turkish experience is the Armutalan Hamam behind the town and beach. It is a very well-constructed Turkish bath complex, with a Finnish sauna and a warm room with massage and options for a body scrub. There is also a swimming pool on site.