Looking at history, in and around Marmaris; Traces of Caria, Rhodes and island civilizations, Egyptian, Assyrian, Ionian, Persian, Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations can be seen. Founded by the Carians, the first known name of the city in history is Fiskos, which means the city of nature.
The port, which is not affected by natural events due to the indented structure of the mountains, has made Marmaris an important port city throughout history; Thanks to its location on the route of Rhodes and some important trade routes and its naturally sheltered harbor, Marmaris has become an important trade center.
After nearly 200 years of Persian rule, Alexander the Great conquered the region in 334 BC. However, after Alexander the Great died in Babylon at the age of 33, although the region came under the sovereignty of the Pergamon Kingdom, the city of Fiskos was ruled by the Egypt-Rhodes Empire. Since the king of Pergamon left the region to Rome, the region remained under the rule of the Roman Empire until the birth of Byzantium.
The city, which was under the rule of Byzantium for about 650 years, passed under the rule of the Turkmen tribes and later the Anatolian Seljuk State in 1010. The importance of the region, which passed to the Mentese Principality with the beginning of the dominance of the principalities in Anatolia, as a port city has gradually increased with history. So much so that the Mentese Principality took Rhodes and used Marmaris as a navy base.
Interesting story behind “Marmaris”
Marmaris, which passed under the auspices of the Ottoman Empire in 1451, became a naval base again for Suleiman the Magnificent and his army, who went on the Rhodes Campaign in 1522. Suleiman the Magnificent had the present-day Marmaris Castle rebuilt at that time. According to a rumor among the people, the name Marmaris derives from the order of "Hang the Architect" of Suleiman the Magnificent, who found the castle small and disliked it. However, this information is not confirmed and is falsified in various sources.
A more plausible rumor is that Marmaris was an important marble trading port during the Byzantine period. During the Mentesogullari period, the city was called Mermeris because of this trade, and it was called Marmaras in Greek.
In 1867, Marmaris became a district of Mugla province.
Don’t end your trip without visiting ancient cities!
The main ancient cities in Marmaris are:
Amos, Loryma, Kedrai, Hydas, Erine, Castabus, Thyssanos, Phoenix, Bybassos, Amnistos. There are also many historical sites that have not been excavated in the regions waiting for their visitors with ancient theatres, statues, ancient city ruins, temples and city necropolises. Friendly warning, if you come to Marmaris and return without seeing these places, you may regret it.