36.50.91N 28.16.58E Marmaris April 2014

Ariel of Hamble
Jim and Valerie SHURVELL
Sat 26 Apr 2014 18:36




April, 2014.


We have taken the bus from outside the marina into Marmaris for the Sunday or Thursday market as well as to look around.  It is very popular with Brits on holiday.  The market is wonderful and full of very fresh locally grown produce.  Hundreds of stalls selling nearly every fruit you can name from blackberries to lovely oranges and grapefruit are on display together with broad beans, peas, artichokes etc.. Fruit and vegetables we don’t see until later in the season.  Jim can’t pass the old chap selling his fresh eggs without buying some.  The fish shops which catch Jim’s eyes every time have a great display.  Near by are the butchers all very organised and very professionally presented.   All the stalls seem to do a very good trade.  There is no room for bartering in the market we were told by an experience shopper only at the shops outside but it won’t happen anyway as we are too British.

 

Marmaris was known as Physkos and was one of the important port cities of the Carians.  During the Hellenistic Period it came under the domination of the Seleucid Kingdom and later part of the Roman and Byzantine civilisations.  After the 13th century it came under the rule of Mentesecgullan Princilpality and in 1522 the city was conquered by Sultan Suleyman the Magificant and became part of the Ottoman domain.  Between 1919 and 1921 the region was occupied by Italians.  From the early years of the Republic until 1980 it remained a little fishing and sponge diving town until discovered by the tourists and hotels, restaurants and bars followed.  It is now a town where you can buy anything and everything if you know where to go.

 

The town has its own fortress at the back of the harbour which was built by the Ionians and now houses the archaeology museum.  The water front has tourist boats all lined up waiting for the holiday makers to visit the local attractions like Ciftlik Island, the Blue Cave, Cennet Island, Bozburun and small bays on the way.  A very wide pedestrian walk way has been made for eyeing up the restaurants on the other side of the road.  A very nice clean area to walk along around to the first marina.

 

We found the bazaar and it contains very nice shops under cover road upon road without any traffic.  A great place to wander and window shop if the shop keeper does not try to beat you into submission and enter his shop.

 

According to some you can swim all year round in Marmaris bay but I won’t be trying it out.  We have seen the Sunday morning race teams out enjoying themselves racing across the bay.  As the mountains surround the bay it is not always easy for them to lay the course as the wind funnels around the coast line.


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