Muğla Marmaris Museums

Marmaris muesum serves in Marmaris castle that is a histrorical site. Marmaris castle is a registered historical site that according to the cultural and natural heritage preservation board in 14.10.1978 and desicion number 11 declared as a first degree important monumental structure. 

The castle was built on a peninsula behind marmaris harbour located on dominant position facing towards sea . First information about Marmaris Castle received by historian Heredot of Halicarnassus( Bodrum) lived in between 490 B.C - 425 B.C.

Heredot inform us that castle built first time in 3rd millenium B.C. and  for the first time entered into Ottoman rule in 1390 A.D. Famous traveller of 17th century Evliya Çelebi in his book seyahatname mention that castle was built by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent during Rhodes expedition in 1522 A.D and used as military base. 

Castle made of ashlar and rubble on main rock with 4 bastions on corner and has a building inscription panel at above main entrance.

Castle has 7 covered  rooms. Entrance part with barrel vault ceiling is opening to inner garden. Stairs are on right and left sides provide acces to the fortress wall. Indoor areas with barrel vault ceiling used as exhibition halls. Courtyard of castle also used as open air exhibition area. 

At exhibition halls artifacts are on display with chronological order from Bronze age, Archaic age, Classiccal period, Hellenistic age, Roman and Eastern Roman (Byzantine), period to Rebuplic Days of Türkiye. Other avaliable areas except exhibition halls are used as depots and offices. 

There are 4 exhibition halls in Marmaris museum. After entering into museum First room to visit is Knidos Hall that artifacts brought here from Datça town in Reşadiye peninsula in Muğla province. Knidos once was a prominent center of ancient Caria region. 

At Knidos Hall, marble statues brought to daylight by knidos excavation, head of statues, figurines, ornaments, amphoras and daily usage pots are on display. In same hall except these items above also bronze sheath believed to belong a collosal statue and sitting priest statue are among important pieces. 

Second exhibiton hall called Burgaz- Emecik hall. On this hall group of mostly limestone statuettes and baked clay figurines are on display. These collection is among the most important artifacts of Museum where excavated at burgaz in datça  and apollon sanctuary nearby emecik in datça dated back to archaic period.

3rd hall is called Marmaris and its enviroment located at where east and south front of castle unite. In this hall gold pieces, coinages, ornaments, figurines, glass objects and daily usage pots are on display. These items are bought, retrieved and presented to museum from Marmaris and neighborhood. Within this hall you may see traces of cities located in Marmaris and surrounding such as Physkos, Amos, Kastabos, Hydas, Erine, Tymnos, Bybassos, Phoenix . There is a part of this hall where gold items are on display. At another section in this hall, Coinages from Persian, Roman, East Roman, Selcuk and Ottoman eras are prominent artifacts on display. 

4th hall designed as stone pieces hall. There are grave stones, ostheoteks (graves contains ashes and bones), friezes and head of statues on display in this hall of our museum.