Turkeys long peninsula coast lines both the Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The answer to the question “where do the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea meet” is Marmaris. It is not just the sea and the nature that attract people to Marmaris from all over the world, nor even the rich history reaching from past civilizations to today. There must be something more. Historian and expert Fernand Braudel in his book named “Mediterranean” says:
“What is this Mediterranean? All of a thousand things. Not one landscape, countless landscapes. Not one sea, many seas following each other. Not one civilization, many civilizations piled on each other.”
Marmaris is a place sheltering many of these landscapes, seas and civilizations.
The old trade ships are replaced by yachts with colourful sails decorating the modern marinas and by comfortable passenger ships. Airport traffic is heavy. Tens of thousands of people from numerous countries, different nations come for their vacations.
Historical City Centre
The most important building in the centre is the castle. The castle was first constructed by Ionians. The preserved form today was built by Ottomans in 1522. During the First World War, it was damaged by cannonball fire opened from a French war ship. A museum in the castle was restored between 1980 and1990.
Another Ottoman building in the city is Hafza Sultan Caravanserai built in 1545. Seven small rooms and one big room of the Caravanserai are allocated to gift shops. The historical shops in the market place which used to sell second hand goods are still in the shopping centre of the city.
Marmaris is a large tourism resort with a selection of accommodation starting from small, quaint pensions to big holiday villages and 5-star hotels. Restaurants offer all kinds of cuisine from Chinese, French, Indian and Italian to traditional Turkish cuisine, with many using the blended delicacy of natural herbs grown in the fast changing climate from the Mediterranean shores to the mountains.