Although Marmaris is known for itshoney, its main source of income isinternational tourism. It is located between two intersecting sets of mountains by the sea, though following a construction boom in the 1980s, little is left of the sleepy fishing village that Marmaris was until the late 20th century.
As an adjunct to the tourism industry, Marmaris is also a centre forsailing anddiving, possessing two major and several smallermarinas. It is a popular wintering location for hundreds of cruising boaters.
During the period of theBeylik of Menteşe; the city became known asMarmaris, a name derived from the Greekmàrmaron (marble;Turkish:mermer), in reference to the rich marble deposits in the region, and the prominent role of the city's port in the marble trade.
It is not certain when Marmaris was founded but in the 6th century BC the site was known asPhyskos (Ancient Greek:Φύσκος orΦοῦσκα,Phouska) inGreek, also Latinised asPhyscus. It was in a part ofCaria that belonged toRhodes and contained a magnificent harbour and a grove sacred toLeto.[5][6]
According to the historianHerodotus, there had been a castle on the site since 3000 BC.[citation needed] The area eventually came under the control of thePersian Empire. In 334 BC,Caria was invaded byAlexander the Great and Physkos Castle was besieged.[citation needed] The town's 600 inhabitants realised that they had no chance against the invading army and burned their valuables in the castle before escaping to the hills. Aware of the strategic value of the castle, the invaders repaired the destroyed sections to house a few hundred soldiers before the main army returned home.[citation needed]
Throughout Ottoman rule, Marmaris retained itsGreek population up until the end ofWorld War I. In the aftermath of the 1919–1922Greco-Turkish War and the subsequentpopulation exchange, the Greek population of Marmaris left forGreece and the town was settled by Turkish migrants from theBalkans. The twoFethiye earthquakes of 1957 almost completely destroyed the city. Only thecastle and the historic buildings surrounding it were left undamaged.[citation needed]
Renovation work on the castle started in 1979. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, it was converted into a museum with seven galleries, the largest of them used as an exhibition hall. The courtyard is full of seasonal flowers. Built at the same time as the castle, there is also a smallOttomancaravanserai built by Süleyman's motherAyşe Hafsa Sultan in the bazaar.[citation needed]
There were many forest fires in the early 2020s.[9]
Marmaris is now a major package-holiday destination popular in particular with British visitors. Although adjacentİçmeler is theoretically a separate resort, these days the two more or less run into each other.
Most visitors to Marmaris come for the beaches and watersports. There are also popular cruises that take in islands in the surrounding bay, includingSedir Island(Turkish: Sedir Adası), commonly known as Cleopatra's Island, which is famous for its soft, white - and now protected - sand. Summer visitors can also take day trips to the Greek islands ofSymi andRhodes.
In 2018, archaeologists discovered the 2300 year-old pyramid-shaped tomb of the ancient GreekboxerDiagoras near the city of Marmaris. The following words were inscribed on it in Greek: "I will be vigilant at the very top so as to ensure that no coward can come and destroy this grave,"[10] The structure had been believed to be the grave of a saint and was visited by locals seeking answers to their prayers, but once it was realised that it was not a holy site, the mausoleum was looted.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][excessive citations]
Nimara Cave is located at the highest point ofHeaven Island near Marmaris.[18] Since ancient times, it was used as a place ofworship. According to the ancient Greek historianHerodotus, human presence in the cave dated back to 3000 BC but excavations carried out by the Municipality of Marmaris in 2007 pushed this back by almost 12,000 years.[19] Research conducted in the cave revealed the existence of a cult of the Mother GoddessLeto, the mother of GodApollo and GoddessArtemis, in the ancient city of Physkos. Worship took place around the main rock which is surrounded by stone altars in a semi-circle raised about 30 cm from the ground. Offerings in the form ofcremations,glass beads,terracotta, and sculptures of Leto were placed on these elevated stones. The cave was also used during theRoman period.
The Marmaris peninsula is the westernmost habitat forTulipa armena, which normally grows inEastern Turkey,Iran, andTranscaucasia at much higher altitudes.[21] The plants may have been introduced during the Ottoman period.
Marmaris has ahot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) characterised by hot dry summers and mild rainy winters. Showers and rain are very unlikely between May and October. Summers are hot and dry, and temperatures are especially high during the heatwaves in July and August. Temperatures start to cool in September and October is still warm and bright, though with spells of rain. Winter is the rainy season, with most precipitation falling after November. Annual average rainfall is 1,257 millimetres (49.488 in) and heavy cloudbursts can causeflash floods in flood prone areas.[20] Winter temperatures are usually mild.
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