Turkey, Marmaris

Marmaris is an important port city and a tourist destination on the Mediterranean coast, located in southwest Turkey, in the Muğla Province.

Marmaris' main source of income for the city is tourism. As opposed to Bodrum, Alaçatı or similar Turkish coastal towns, its traditional architectural tissue has been less vividly preserved due to a construction boom of the 1980s, but Marmaris still retains its charm due to the exceptional natural beauty of its location. The district's population is estimated to reach 300,000–400,000 people during the tourism season.

It is also a major center for sailing, possessing two major and several smaller marinas. It is a popular wintering location for hundreds of cruising boaters. There are regular ferry services to the Greek island of Rhodes, and large cruise ships call at the port.

History

Although it is not certain when Marmaris was founded, in the 6th century BC the city was known as Physkos, and considered part of Caria.

According to the historian Herodotus, there was a castle in Marmaris since 3000 BC. During the Hellenistic Age, Caria was invaded by Alexander the Great and the castle was besieged. The 600 inhabitants of the town realised that they had no chance against the invading army and burned their valuables in the castle before escaping to the hills with their women and children. The invaders, well aware of the strategic value of the castle, repaired the destroyed sections to house a few hundred soldiers before the main army returned home.

The next important event during the history of Marmaris was almost two thousand years later, in the mid-fifteenth century, when the Ottoman Empire began to rise after the efforts of Sultan Mehmet II, who succeeded in conquering and uniting under one banner the various tribes and kingdoms of Anatolia. Some of his greatest difficulties came from the Knights of St. John, who occupied the Dodecanese Islands. Based in Rhodes, the Knights had fought for many years; they were able to withstand the onslaughts of Mehmet II until a succeeding and more powerful Sultan came on the scene.

The 17th century writer Evliya Çelebi mentions the castle, which was rebuilt by Süleyman the Magnificent in 1522 when he set out for his campaign on Rhodes. Since 1979, renovation work has been continuing at the castle, in order to restore it back to original condition. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the castle has been converted into a museum. There are seven galleries, of which the largest is being used as an exhibition hall and the courtyard is decorated with seasonal flowers.

It was under Suleiman the Magnificent that Marmaris came under Ottoman control. In 1522 Suleiman assembled a fleet of over 300 ships and a force of 200,000 in the bay of Marmaris to challenge the Knights' headquarters on Rhodes. After many battles, the Knights had to give up and the Turks overtook Rhodes for the next 400 years.