A tourism county "Marmaris"

Marmaris is a port city and a tourist destination on the Mediterranean coast, located in southwest Turkey, in the Muğla Province. * Marmaris Attractions



Marmaris' main source of income is tourism. While little is left of the sleepy fishing village that Marmaris was just a few decades ago after a construction boom in the 1980s, Marmaris still retains its charm due to the exceptional natural beauty of its location. The town's population is 28,660 (2000) and is estimated to reach 300,000 - 400,000 people during the tourism season, when the flow of people reaches critical levels. Marmaris' nightlife rivals anything on the Turkish coast.

It is also a major centre for sailing, possessing two major and several smaller marinas. It is a popular wintering location for hundreds of cruising boaters. There are regular ferry services to the Greek island of Rhodes, and large cruise ships call at the port.

Marmaris has a Mediterranean Climate characterized by a hot and humid summer and cool, rainy winter. Showers and rain are very unlikely between May and October.

Summers are hot and humid, and temperatures can reach over 40°C sometimes during heatwaves in July and August. October is still warm and bright, though with spells of rain, and many tourists prefer to visit in the early autum , especially in September, because the temperatures are not as hot.

Winters are very mild and frost occurrence is rare.

Winter is the rainy season, with major precipitation falling after November. The annual rainfall can reach to 1181,8 millimetres (46 in) ; the rainfall is concentrated during scattered days in winter falling in heavy cloudbursts which cause flash floods sometimes in flood prone areas. [1]

Although it is not certain when Marmaris was founded, in the 6th century BC the city was known as Physkos, and considered part of Caria.


According to the historian Herodotus, there was a castle in Marmaris since 3000 BC. During the Hellenistic Age, Caria was invaded by Alexander the Great and the castle was besieged. The 600 inhabitants of the town realised that they had no chance against the invading army and burned their valuables in the castle before escaping to the hills with their women and children. The invaders, well aware of the strategic value of the castle, repaired the destroyed sections to house a few hundred soldiers before the main army returned home.


Marmaris CastleThe next important event during the history of Marmaris was almost two thousand years later, in the mid-fifteenth century, when the Ottoman Empire began to rise after the efforts of Sultan Mehmet II, who succeeded in conquering and uniting under one banner the various tribes and kingdoms of Anatolia. Some of his greatest difficulties came from the Knights of St. John, who occupied the Dodecanese Islands. Based in Rhodes, the Knights had fought for many years; they were able to withstand the onslaughts of Mehmet II until a succeeding and more powerful Sultan came on the scene.



Beaches of Marmaris on the Turkish RivieraMarmaris castle was rebuilt from scratch in 1522 by the Ottoman sultan Süleyman the Magnificent when he had set out for his campaign on Rhodes, for which Marmaris served as a base. Since 1979, renovation work has been continuing at the castle, in order to restore it back to original condition. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the castle was converted into a museum. There are seven galleries, of which the largest is being used as an exhibition hall and the courtyard is decorated with seasonal flowers. Built at the same time as the castle in the bazaar, there is also a small Ottoman caravanserai built by Süleyman's mother Ayşe Hafsa Sultan.

Hoş Geldiniz! Welcome to Marmaris Hotels & Datça Peninsula!

To get the best of the Marmaris-Datça Peninsula, one should spend some time staying in the city as well as the countryside. Stay with the locals in a beautifully restored villa while enjoying some traditional cuisine and local produce!

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Turkey's foremost tourist destination, sophisticated and cosmopolitan, Marmaris is indeed the jewel in the crown of the Turkish Riviera. Located at a distance of 60 km from the Mugla province capital in the south-western region of Turkey, it is perched at the point where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean Sea, on the largest natural harbor in the world. It is encircled by the Gulf of Gokova in the north, the Mediterranean Sea in the south, the Datca peninsula in the west and the Koycegiz Lake in the east. With pine covered mountains that slope gently into these waters and its many scenic bays, Marmaris is quite lovely. Select from our range of Marmaris Hotels and book online today! Marmaris offers guests with some excellent Marmaris Hotel options and the selection of Marmaris Resorts will impress the traveller looking for a relaxed Marmaris Holiday!

In the olden days, all life in Marmaris revolved around the ancient castle on the hill, and most of the houses were built there. Today, these houses are being restored and preserved as models of Mugla architecture. It is very interesting to explore this residential district and the many small, quaint streets that lead up to it on one of the Tours of Marmaris. A Marmaris Holiday should always include at least one of these Marmaris Tours!

Today, Marmaris has a well developed tourist infrastructure with Hotels in Marmaris to suit every pocket, including Marmaris Luxury Hotels and Marmaris Resorts, interesting restaurants and a myriad of entertainment options. It has a beautiful and long promenade from the marina to Icmeler, right around the bay. Traffic is not allowed on this promenade. The beautiful forests on the slopes of the mountains surrounding Marmaris are a great place to explore with Marmaris Tours. The picturesque harbor contributes significantly to both the beauty and the economy of the region.

Marmaris is a famous yachting destination and has a fine marina which can accommodate up to 700 yachts. As a result of this, Marmaris is home to many foreign yacht owners and has evolved into a truly international resort, hence many Marmaris Villas and Marmaris Holiday Resorts! Marmaris Clubs offer plenty of activities for the sun-seeker and those wanting a real holiday! Apartments Marmaris are available for those wanting a bit more privacy. Our Luxury Marmaris Hotels will enable guests to really unwind and relax, or perhaps a Marmaris Apartment will do the trick!

One of the main reasons tourists flock to the region is the beautiful Marmaris Weather throughout the year. While it is obviously attractive in summer, flooded with tourists bathing in the sunshine, strolling along the waterfront and browsing the Marmaris shopping and restaurant strips, Marmaris is equally preferred in winter. Marmaris winters are mild, the waters are still warm, the hotels in are quieter and it is sunny enough to get tanned. Moreover, since it is less crowded the local people are more friendly, hospitable and receptive. Quite a few of the Marmaris Resorts close during winter so be sure to check with our local team for more information before booking your Marmaris Holiday.

Driving from Marmaris into the direction of Datça you will pass Balikasiran, a small isthmus, so small that the fish can skip from the Mediterranean Sea on one side to the Aegean Sea on the other! Just beyond this the Datca Peninsula commences. Datca, the town and district, is situated in the middle of this peninsula and can well be called an island, as it is linked to the mainland only by the isthmus. It is the focal point around which all activity is centred. Datca hotels are readily available and offer great services.

The best way to travel from Datca to Marmaris is by road. The drive offers an opportunity to observe minute details like the change in the nature of the vegetation from that found on the mainland. The historic city of Cnidos is located at the tip of the peninsula.

We are a local team and offer an excellent range of accommodations and pensions in Marmaris and Datca, as well as surrounding towns and villages. Be sure to check out our Marmaris Hotels or Datca Hotels online booking page! Marmaris Accommodation and Marmaris Turkey Hotels are provided on our website, including Holiday Village Marmaris!

The Marmaris Datca peninsula is a beautiful paradise located in the south-west corner of Turkey, perfect for both families and independent travellers who want to soak up the sun and enjoy the stunning scenery. Whilst Marmaris has developed over the years into a modern holiday resort, Datca is still an untouched wilderness of all things traditional and Turkish! Check out our great range of Marmaris Hotels and Datca Hotels! As well as Marmaris Travel information or our selection of Marmaris Tours!

About Turkey

Geographical & Political Location. Turkey, a country of utmost strategic importance in the world with its geopolitical location, is on the intersection point of Asia, Europe and Africa continents, which are referred to as the Lands of the Old World”. This country, with the generous divine gifts of all sorts of scenic wonders, is a unique bridge between Eastern and Western civilizations as well as for inter-faith dialogue.

Turkey is linked to the oceans through the Black Sea, Marmara and Mediterranean seas, which encircle it on three sides. It is like a neighbor to the entire world and has been the epicenter of major trade and migration routes throughout history. The Black Sea is linked to the world via the Straits and momentous shipping routes pass through the Marmara, an interior sea. The country borders Georgia, Armenia, Nakhichevan and Iran to the east, Bulgaria and Greece to the west, and Iraq and Syria to the south.

Turkey, a founding member of the United Nations Organization and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, is also a NATO member and is undergoing a process of joining the EU.

Area and Surface Formations. Turkey, a rectan- gularly shaped country, has a surface area of 814,578 square kilometers. It is the possessor of vaster acreage in comparison to all of its neighbors except Iran, and all European countries except the Russian Federation. The land segment on the European continent with 3% of its total area is called Thrace, and the remaining 97% landmass in Asia is called Anatolia.

The length of the land borders of the country is 2,875 kilometers; its coastline is 8,333 kilometers long, while its landmass is approximately 550 kilometers wide and about 1,500 kilometers long.

Turkey is located in the temperate zone between the 36 and 42nd degrees of northern latitudes and 26 and 45th degrees of eastern longitudes; and there is a 76-minutes time difference between its easternmost and westernmost tips.

Turkey, an elevated and mountainous country with all types and ages of geological formations, is even higher than the highest continent Asia with an average altitude of 1,132 meters, the latter being 1,010 meters. It is surrounded by high mountains in the north and south. The North Anatolian Mountains along the Black Sea coast and the Taurus Mountains in the south set Turkey’s high elevation characteristics. The Kaçkar Peak, the highest summit in the North Anatolia Mountains, is followed by the Ilgaz and Köroğlu mountains. The Samanlı Mountains, Uludağ, Istranca Mountains and Tekir Mountains are located in the Marmara region; the Kozak, Yunt and Aydın mountains in the Aegean; the Kızıldağ, Mount Hasan and the İdris, Elma and Ayaş mountains in Central Anatolia; and the Karacadağ and Raman Mountain in Southeastern Anatolia. The Ağrı Mountain (Mt. Ararat) is the highest peak in Turkey with 5,165 meters, and along with it the inactive volcano Mount Süphan, Nemrut and Alaca mountains are also located in Eastern Anatolia.

Turkey is replete with seas, rivers and plains as well as lands fit for husbandry and raising livestock. The mountain ranges in the north and south are separated from each other by the large plains in Central Anatolia. The most fertile lands in the Black Sea Region are the Bafra, Çarşamba and Merzifon plains in addition to the Konya plain in Central Anatolia, the Çukurova Plain in Southern Anatolia, the Muş Plain in Southeastern Anatolia and the Bakırçay,

Turkey is located within the Alpine-Himalayan zone, one of the most prominent seismic zones in the world, and eight considerably high scale earthquakes have occurred along the North Anatolian Fault since 1939. The Marmara and Düzce earthquakes which occurred on August 17 and October 12, 1999 resulted in over 18,000 casualties and also enormous physical damage. The Marmara earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 and referred to as the “Disaster of the Century” was the second biggest seismic event in Turkish history after the 1939 Erzincan earthquake.

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Lives and Works in Istanbul

Targets and strategy of Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Visual Arts Directorate in the 2010 process have been determined in accordance with local and international requirements and activities of the modern actual arts domain in Turkey. Two basic phenomena arising at this point are:



a) Creative individuals and professional artists to be supported within the frame of cultural and industrial developments;



b) Large masses of people to embrace modern and actual arts.



Interactive and sustainable projects serving the targets like:

· Ensuring creative individuals and artist to produce arts in actual aesthetic and shapes that are valid in international arts environment;

· Preparing workshops and working facilities required within this context;

· Reinforcing cooperation with international centers of art and culture;

· Informing wide masses of people on modern arts are evaluated and carried out.



The project LIVES AND WORKS IN ISTANBUL has been carried out within this context since November 2008 and KADIRGA ART PRODUCTION CENTER has been serving for both visual arts projects and projects in different disciplines in Istanbul 2010 process.



LIVES AND WORKS IN ISTANBUL and KADIRGA ART PRODUCTION CENTER

Seven artists from EU countries who have accomplished great projects in visual arts and contributed to universal arts are invited to Istanbul. These artists are provided with opportunities for living, working and producing in Istanbul; and they are ensured to conduct workshops, thought meetings and production together with creative individuals, academicians and local artists of the young generation.



Fatih Municipality allocated the cultural center in Kadırga for Art Production Center which is the basic component of the project. This center where international artists will hold workshops and production for three years has got common ateliers (photography, video, multi-media equipment and technicians) and halls for conference, library and archive that will serve the synergy and joint production of artists working together. Kadırga Art Production Center functions as a venue for production, working, show and presentation of main projects by Istanbul 2010 Agency as well as the application projects.



LIVES AND WORKS IN ISTANBUL 2008 – 2009 - 2010



GUEST ARTISTS



Remo Salvadori (Italy)

Remo Salvadori was born in Cerreto Guidi, Firenze, Italy 1947. He lives and works in Milan. His work by the early 1970s was mainly photographs and installations re-interpreting philosophical concepts, original and mythological figures. Salvadori sees the science and philosophy as indispensable parts of the art, intersects these aspects with physical, historical, traditional and actual data of the environment to produce his art. His major exhibitions took place in: 1982 Venice Biennale (1982, 1986 and 1993), 1982 Documenta VII, Kassel and 1992 Documenta IX, Kassel, 1997 Arte italiana 1945-1995.



Remo Salvadori Workshop 16 December 2008-6 January 2009

Held with 24 artists among which Ali İbrahim Öcal, Ayhan Mutlu, Ayşe Doğan, Beyza Tükel, Candan İnan, Eser Erözdemir, Hera Büyüktaşçıyan, Ozan Gezer, Özge Enginöz and Sine Ergün will exhibit their works by 9 September at Kadırga 2010 Art Production Center and other venues they choose. Invited by the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency Visual Arts Directorate within the context of the project “Living and Working in Istanbul” the Italian artist Remo Salvadori accomplished his masterpiece “CONTINUOUS, INFINITE, PRESENT” in the courtyard of Archeological Museum of Istanbul just in front of spectators on 10 September.



Antoni Muntadas (Spain-USA)

Antoni Muntadas, born in Barcelona, Spain in 1942, is a multidisciplinary media artist, lives and works in New York since 1971. Muntadas was a Research Fellow at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT, 1977-1984, and is currently Visiting Professor with MIT Visual Arts Program. His work has been exhibited widely, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Venice Biennale, documenta 6 and documenta X.



In 1995, he was awarded an Ars Electronica Honorary Mention for his well-known work "The File Room". It is an early and ongoing Internet art project, started in 1994, consisting of an open database of cases of censorship. Another long-term work, "On Translation" deals with language and the notion of translation, interpretation and transcription. The project was realized in various formats over the years, including several different exhibitions and a website hosted by the seminal Internet art gallery äda'web. He received the 2009 Velazquez Prize from the Spanish Culture Ministry. The award was bestowed in recognition of his outstanding and intense career and contribution to contemporary national and international art.



Antoni Muntadas Workshop 17 June 16 July 2009

The Antoni Muntadas workshop ‘In Between’ was attended by 10 young (Ercan Vural, Gülşen D.Akbaş, Güneş Oktay, Mehmet Dağ, Özerk Ergenç, Pablo Marchinez Muniz, Suat Öğüt, Gökçe Özdamar, Eşref Yıldırım, Arzu Kuşaslan) Antoni Muntadas took interest in previous works of each and every participant and elaborated their future works to be realized in 2010. He also made shots with intellectuals, academicians, theorists and culture specialists for the film-work he would produce for Istanbul and gave an interview on the subject.



April 2009: Sanja Ivekovic (Croatia)

Sanja Iveković was born in 1949 in Zagreb. She studied graphics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb between 1968 and 1971 and works with video since 1973. Her art production has spanned a range of media such as photography, performance, video and installations. The originating point of her work has been her own life as a woman but her art puts this theme into a broader context - the situation of women in our time and society. On Croatian art scene she was the first woman artist who called herself a feminist artist. She lectures at the Center for Women's Studies in Zagreb since its beginning in 1994 and is a founder of Electra – The Women Arts Center, Zagreb.



Discovery Tour (17 March2009- 22 March 2009):

During her visit Sanja Ivekovic paid a visit to the Kadıköy Shelter and met women the staying there. She also contacted the Mor Çatı (Purple Roof) and visited the Hafriyat (Excavation) exhibition curated by Canan Şenol on 21 March to meet other female artists. Sanja Ivekovic is invited to the 11th Istanbul Biennial.



November 2009: Victor Burgin (United Kingdom)

Victor Burgin was born in England in 1941. He studied art at the Royal College of Art in London from 1962 to 1965 before going to the United States to study at Yale University in 1967. He taught at Trent Polytechnic from 1967 to 1973 and at the School of Communication, Polytechnic of Central London from 1973 to 1988. From 1988 to 2001 Burgin lived and worked in San Francisco. He taught in the History of Consciousness program at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he became Professor Emeritus of History of Consciousness. Burgin has also taught at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. In 2005 he received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Sheffield Hallam University.



Burgin first came to attention as a conceptual artist in the late 1960s. He has worked with photography and film, calling painting "the anachronistic daubing of woven fabrics with colored mud". His work is influenced by theorists and philosophers such as Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, Michel Foucault and Roland Barthes. In 1986, Burgin was nominated for the Turner Prize for his exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and Kettle's Yard Gallery in Cambridge and for a collection of his theoretical writings (The End of Art Theory) and a monograph of his visual work (Between).



December: 2009 Peter Kogler (Austria)

Peter Kogler was born in 1959 in Innsbruck /Austria. He studied at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. He has exhibited his works since 1979, recently (among others) at the 46th Biennale in Venice (1995), at the documenta X in Kassel (1997), at the Expo in Hannover (2000), in the Villa Arson in Nice (2002), in the Kunstverein Hannover (2004) and in the Galerie Crone in Berlin (2004). Since 1997 he has himself been a professor at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, where he leads the master class for computer and video art.



April 2010: George Lappas (Greece)

George Lappas was born in Cairo as a Greek citizen in 1950. He studied psychology at Reed College between 1969 and 1973. He worked at State Mental hospitals in Salem, Oregon, San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose. He stayed in India for one year on Watson Fellowship 1974. He was interested in Indian architecture and sculpture. He studied at AA School of Architecture, London (1975), Athens School of Fine Arts, Department of Sculpture, Athens (1976/81) Ecole Supérieur des Beaux-Arts, Paris (1985/84). He worked and travelled in France and Great-Britain in 1985 and 1986. He studied as guest artist at the Cartier Foundation, Jouy-en-Josas in 1991. He works as professor of sculpture at School of Fine Arts, Athens, Greece since 1995 and travels through United Kingdom, USA and Japan.



May 2010: Sophie Calle (France)

Sophie Calle, born 1953, is a French writer, photographer, installation artist, and conceptual artist. Her work frequently depicts human vulnerability, and examines identity and intimacy. She is recognized for her detective-like ability to follow strangers and investigate their private lives. Her photographic work often includes panels of text of her own writing. On her performances she fictionally puts herself in positions that she has to encounter the people. She is regarded as a detective and voyeur. Among her prominent works are Suite Vénitienne (1980), The Hotel (1981), and The Blind (1986).