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MARMARÝS
Once a sleepy fishing village, Marmaris has
ballooned into one of the largest resorts on the Aegean coast, if
not Turkey. Little of its history remains, as the town is now a
modern development with tourism at its heart and soul. The population
swells to a massive 200,000 in the summer, with most hotels, restaurants,
nightclubs and shops catering to low-cost package holidays, although
there are facilities for all budgets.
Despite the development which reaches around 10km along the west
of the bay, Marmaris is also well-known for its expanse of green,
present the whole year round thanks to the pine-covered hills which
surround the town. There are many beaches around the bay, and there
are ancient cities and seaside villages close by for day trips.
The yacht harbour is the biggest and newest in Turkey, and therefore
the busiest charter port especially for trips along the Turquoise
Coast.
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In addition to the climate, beaches and facilities
of the town, the transportation infrastructure is a definite plus
for attracting visitors. It has easy connections to the nearby airport
Dalaman, ferries to Rhodes, and on the road to Datca and Fethiye.
The harbour has attracted private boats from around the world, with
yacht maintenance and production in the workshops on the Yalanci
Strait. With the climate being comfortable even in winter, and the
nearby impressive mountains and pine forests, Marmaris is likely
to remain a popular and practical holiday spot for a long time.
History
It is thought that the first settlement in
Marmaris, whose history dates back to 3400 BC, began with the arrival
of a tribe to the region, whose leader was called Kar. The area
was then called Karla after him, and its location around the Aegean
and Mediterranean Seas always made it an appealing region.
Suleyman the Magnificent assembled a force
of 200,000 in 1522, whilst launching the siege of the Knights of
St John’s base in Rhodes (Rodos). Soon afterwards, he made the city
more powerful with the rebuilding of the tiny castle overlooking
the town. Lord Nelson and his entire fleet sheltered in the harbour
in 1798, en route to Egypt to defeat Napoleon’s armada at the Battle
of Aboukir.
Marmaris therefore became a place where different
civilisations reigned over time, and there is architectural and
historical evidence of Egyptian, Asdur, Ion, Dor, Persian, Macedonian,
Syrian, Roman, Byzantium, Seljuk and Ottoman presence.
Climate
Summers are extremely hot and dry, with daytime
temperatures reaching up to 35 degrees, and winters are warm and
wet, plunging to 5 degrees at night. The area is quite typical of
a Mediterranean climate.
How to Get
By Road
Marmaris is well connected to most places
in Turkey by bus, with many more services in summer. There are buses
every hour to the closer resorts of Bodrum (3 hours), Fethiye 3
hours), Izmir (5 hours) and Datca (90 mins). Long distance direct
services include Antalya (7hours), Istanbul (13 hours) and Ankara
(10 hours). The bus station is 2km north of the city, and the dolmus
stop is near Ulusal Egemenlik Bulvari.
Bus station Tel: (90 252) 412 3037.
By Air
The nearest airport is Dalaman, from which
there are many international charter flights especially from Europe.
It is over 100km and takes 2 hours by bus, and there are regular
bus services between 07.30 – 22.00.
Dalaman Airport Tel: (90 252) 792 5291.
By Boat
Hydrofoils leave daily for Rhodes at
0915 in the summer. There are motorboats three times a week in the
summer, and Greek ferries, some of which can carry cars.
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