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The city center of Marmaris, Turkey, may be scenic but it doesn’t have many historic or cultural sites to detain visitors.
Aside from the Marmaris Castle, which is covered in another entry, there are a few small parks, lots of shopping, and nice seaside paths.
Seaside Promenade
We started our exploration of Marmaris by walking towards the city center from the hotel zone. Right along our hotel was a seaside promenade that runs for a couple kilometers along the beach.
Some of the city’s best hotels, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, mostly geared towards foreign tourists, sit along the promenade. Many of the hotels have their own private beaches there as well. From our hotel it was about a 20 minute walk to the city center.
Marmaris Public Beach
At the end of the promenade closest to the city center is the Marmaris Public Beach (Marmaris Halk Plajı). It’s not the nicest or cleanest beach you’ll see in Turkey, but the views are fantastic.
Jinan Park
Just past the beach and across the street is Jinan Park (Jinan Parkı). It’s a small garden with a pagoda and fountain commemorating Marmaris’ sister city, Jinan, China. They became sister cities on October 21, 2011.
Abdi İpekçi Park
A bit further along is Abdi İpekçi Park (Abdi İpekçi Parkı). It’s a lot larger and has a dolphin monument in the center as well as some shaded benches to sit and relax. It’s named for Turkish journalist Abdi İpekçi (1929-1979), who was murdered in Istanbul for his left-leaning and secular political views.
Atatürk Statue
At the roundabout where Atatürk Street and Ulusal Egemenlik Street meet is a small park. In the center is a statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of the Turkish Republic. His famous quote, “Peace at home, peace in the world”, is written in Turkish and English on the base.
May 19 Youth Square
Quickly heading inland along Ulusal Egemenlik Street is a canal lined with sculptures of fish spitting water. At the end is May 19 Youth Square (19 Mayıs Gençlik Medyanı). It’s a pleasant open space with a large circular fountain in the center and surrounded by restaurants. On the south side of the park is a fountain with a statue of a mermaid holding a butterfly.
Tourist Cruises
Back to the roundabout, the path continues down Kordon Street towards the harbor. It’s lined with ships advertising touristic cruises and diving excursions around Marmaris Bay. Some of the ships have party or pirate themes.
Grand Bazaar
Just across the street from the cruises are a few entrances to the city’s massive Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı). This large covered shopping area caters to both locals and tourists. Inside are plenty of souvenir shops, leather goods, sweets, jewelry, clothing, and much more.
Hafsa Sultan Caravanserai
At the southern end of Kordon Street is the Hafsa Sultan Caravanserai (Hafsa Sultan Kervansarayı). It was commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in 1545 for accommodation and trade purposes. It was named after Süleyman’s mother, Hafsa Sultan (1479-1534).
The Hafsa Sultan Caravanserai has two stories on a rectangular plan. There’s one large and seven small rooms as well as a hamam. The lower level was used for storage while the upper level was used for accommodation. A vaulted ceiling topped the building.
The building was in a dilapidated state during my visit and is privately owned. It was being used as a warehouse for local shops, but there have been plans to restore it and open it as a museum (as of April 2023).
Marmaris Harbor
Back to the sea, the pedestrian path continues along the harbor, which is lined with yachts and gülets on one side and fish restaurants on the other side. Chartered blue cruises leave from the harbor.
Marmaris Old Town
The harbor surrounds the old town of Marmaris, which contains the aforementioned castle as well as several historic homes.
Walking through the quiet, narrow lanes of the old town is a pleasant experience. It contains a few restaurants, an art gallery, boutique hotels, and private residences.
