MARMARIS
Marmaris is a natural harbour city on the Mediterranean coast. In summer the towns population rapidly increases from an estimated 18,000 to nearly 300,000, with tourists making there way to the town. Marmaris is most well known for its active night life, which would rival most Mediterranean tourist destinations. There are also regular ferry services from the port to several Greek Islands.
It is not clear when Marmaris was founded; however it was part of Caria in the 6th century. Since 3000 BC there was a castle in Marmaris, Alexander the Great invaded the city and the towns people attempted to burn down the castle before fleeing. The invaders repaired the castle and used it to their strategic advantage.
The castle was completely rebuilt in 1522 by the Ottoman Sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent, to serve as a base for his campaign against Rhodes. Renovation work has been ongoing since 1979 and has now been converted into a museum. The museum contains several galleries, a large exhibition hall and a courtyard.
NIGHTLIFE Marmaris has numerous night clubs, both on its waterfront and along the infamous Bar Street. The sea front really is the place to go after sunset. Many bars will have a Turkish night once a week, with Turkish Belly dancers, Folk dancing and regional dances will be performed. Most of the bars down Bar Street are open from 7pm to at least 4am daily. With the most popular being Back Street, Areena, Crazy Daisy and Greenhouse. These four have international DJ’s, elevated dance floors and laser shows.
DATÇADatça is a small harbour town, only slightly connected to the mainland, by a small isthmus, only a few hundred metres in width. It is a popular spot for many tourists, because of its large bays and undiscovered beaches. If travelling to Datça from Marmaris, the road is beautifully scattered in remarkable flora and fauna.
Datça has nine villages spread across it peninsular, most of these have small piers and jetty’s, accompanied with their long beaches. The settlement pattern for these small villages was dependent on their safety from the sea, since there was a sizeable problem with pirates. These pirates remained a grave problem until the early 20th century, especially during the weakening of the Ottoman Empire and often required international intervention.
Today the people of Datça make a clean living by growing and selling produce, including olives, almonds, honey and garden fruits and vegetables.