Herodotos has written that the first city walls in
Marmaris were constructed in 3000 BC.
Physkos (
Marmaris) which was a
Karya City in that period was a passage point between
Aegean Sea and
Mediterranean Sea as it is today. The harbour of the city has kept its importance for ages with its trade routes opening to
Rhodes and
Egypt.
Charles Texier, a 19th century researcher , has mentioned in his work a fort dominating on
Physkos Gulf the remnants of which were found at
Fineks Mountains. It is known that
Alexander the Great who invaded
Marmaris in 334 BC has had the fort repaired because of İts strategic importance. The only written source mentioning about the construction of
Marmaris Fort located at a high point at the back of the
Yacht Harbor is the
Seyahatname (
Travel Book) of
Evliya Çelebi. An important part of the fort has been destroyed in 1914 during the First World War with the cannon balls of a
French Destroyer. It is known that in the fort which is used for settlement by the people of
Marmaris starting from the pre-republic period until a recent date , there are 18 dwellings, one fountain and one cistern.
Marmaris Fort was restored between the years 1980-1990 and opened to service as
Marmaris Museum in 1991. It has seven closed areas. The cradle vaulted entrance is opening to the inner garden. The stairs on the right and on left of the courtyard provide access to the city walls. Two of the closed areas covered with cradle vaults are arranged as archaeology halls. In these halls and in the garden the stone opuses collected in the region, amphora belonging to Hellenistic,
Roman and
Byzantine Periods, candles, bottles, figurines made of cooked soil, various pots and glass opuses , arrow ends, coins and ornamental goods found in
Knidos,
Burgaz,
Hisarönü excavations are being exhibited. In the ethnography hall weavings, carpets, rugs, furniture, copper kitchen tools, guns and ornamental goods are exhibited. In the first gallery the plates and gifts given to the 7th
President Kenan Evren are displayed. The places other than those halls are used as art gallery, office and depot. The museum is open to visit between the hours 08.30-12. 00 ve 13.00-17.30 everyday except Mondays during the tourism season.
