Visit the Iconic Castle with Cheap Holidays to Marmaris

by Amanda Sutcliffe Travel Deals

A beautiful Turkish port city located on the Mediterranean coast, Marmaris delights its tourists with its beaches and other fascinating natural features. It is also a popular destination for diving and sailing. Until the late 20th century, this city was a sleepy fishing village. It developed into a popular tourist destination after a construction boom that began in the late 20th century. During your holidays in this Turkish city, you can spend some relaxed moments on its beaches and buy some attractive souvenirs by visiting any of its shopping centres. Besides all these places, you can also visit Marmaris Castle.

Your cheap holidays to Marmaris would give you a significant amount of savings to explore this castle and several other attractions in the city. The castle is among the oldest structures in this part of the world and is a popular attraction for tourists holidaying in Turkey. It also has an in-house museum that contains some interesting exhibits that give some valuable insights into the history of this region. According to the ancient Greek historian known as Herodotus, the first walls in this city were constructed in the third millennium BC. According to the Ottoman explorer from the 17th century, Evliya Celebi, Sultan Suleyman had ordered the construction of this castle to serve as a military base.

However, it has also been the general belief that the Marmaris castle was built in the late 2nd millennium BC by the Ionians, who are believed to have been the descendants of Ion, a Greek hero. In the centuries that followed, this castle fell into the hands of the empires who invaded the region, such as the Dorians. In the year 334 BC, it was besieged by Alexander the Great. The Romans took over the region in 138 BC until the rise of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans took over the entire region and this castle became one of their prized possessions.

The castle came under tremendous fire from the French Fleet during the First World War, and it sustained some serious damages. Until the late 20th century, the castle remained a place of residence for a few communities until it was restored and turned into an architectural monument. The restoration works were carried out on the castle during the 1980s and it was officially registered as a monumental site in the year 1983. There are seven indoor sections, comprising two archaeological lounges, one ethnography lounge, and the remaining reserved for galleries and storage.

Having experienced the rule of several empires, this castle has undergone many modifications over the years. It is an excellent place to experience a rich history, coastal breeze, and the awe-inspiring views of the city from the castle's watchtowers. You can witness several antiques from a bygone era in the archaeology lounge. In the archaeology lounge, you can browse through 5,000 years of history in the form of ancient coins, earthenware, ornaments, and glassware. Most of them are from the Hellenistic, Byzantium, and Roman period. These artefacts have been brilliantly displayed and explained with appropriate information boards.