Hidden Paradise on Earth
Muğla, which connects the Aegean and Mediterranean seas with its turquoise waters and virgin bays, is waiting to be explored. It is like a hidden paradise, where the sun, blue and green are intertwined, shedding light on the history of hundreds of ancient cities and ruins from 8,000 years ago. Muğla has Türkiye’s longest coastline, it hosts many local and foreign tourists with its historical and cultural values and natural beauty. The city is located in the south of the Aegean Region. In addition to its magnificent sea and natural beauty, it is also the home to many civilizations such as the Carian, Lycian, Roman, Byzantine, and Seljuqian, as well as the Menteshe Principality, and the Ottomans.
Connecting the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, Muğla is known where the time has stopped, the history and nature are protected, sea and pine forests are intertwined like an aquarium.
Located in the south of the Aegean Region, Muğla conquers the hearts of visitors with both its historical and cultural values, preserved from antiquity to this time, and its soul-warming sun, sparkling sea and untouched bays.
The first human settlement in Muğla, which has been home to many civilizations throughout history, dates back to the pre-historic period according to the rock paintings in the caves in the region.
Visitors to Muğla, while enjoying the sea, sand and sun on the one hand, visit hundreds of museums and archaeological sites in the region, and take a journey through history as well.
Walking the ancient roads
Muğla has a great potential in terms of many alternative tourism types in addition to the sea-sand-sun holiday type. The Lycian Way (Likya Yolu), the Carian Way (Karia Yolu) and the Kanuni Trail (Kanuni Yolu) are trekking routes that are of great importance for trekking, which is an alternative tourism type.
The Lycian Way, one of the oldest known roads with a length of 540 km and connecting 19 ancient cities along its path, is regarded one of the 10 best long-distance walking routes in the world.
The Lycian Way, which has a history of thousands of years, and which is still used by nomads, starts from Fethiye and extends to Antalya. The Lycian road passes between the coast and mountains, and generally consists of Roman roads, old paths and mule roads. Along the course, there are beauties of nature such as Kabak Bay (Kabak Koyu), Cennet Bay (Cennet Koyu), Butterfly Valley (Vadisi), Patara, Kekova, Korsan Cove, Gelidonya Lighthouse, Adrasan, Çıralı; ancient cities such as Antiphellos, Sdyma, Letoon, Limyra, Simena, Xanthos, Patara, Apollonia, Chimera, Myra, Olympos, Phaselis.; It is possible to swim in virgin bays and stay in settlements, accommodation facilities or tents on the road.
Muğla Culture House
Muğla Culture House (Muğla Kültür Evi) is one of the most loved and visited places. It is possible to see both Turkish and Greek architecture together in the House of Culture, which dates back to the 1800s and was nationalized in 1999.
Muğla Museum
Our museum is built upon a two-storey rectangular plan with an open courtyard and has Archeology, Ethnography, Gladiators and Natural History Halls. In the Ethnography section, accessories of everyday clothing, utensils, paraphernalia related to the weaving and carpentry profession. The Gladiators hall has 7 Gladiator grave steles, which it received from the Stratonikeia ancient city; and animal and plant fossils of 9 million years are exhibited in the archaeology department.
Yağcılar Inn
The Yağcılar Inn’s (Yağcılar Hanı) history dates back to the 1940s. It was an important trade centre in the city’s past. There is a resting area under the shade of the plane tree in the courtyard of the restored inn, which ones consisted of former oil production facilities, called the yağhane. We recommend that you take a tea break under this plane tree during your trip.
Saburhane Square
Saburhane Square (Saburhane Meydanı) is a typical settlement where the unique architectural character is shaped in harmony with the geography, and where two different cultures, Turkish-Greek or Muslim-Christian, live together. The square takes its name from the prison that used to be located here. Saburhane Square is an exemplary Urban Site with nearly 400 registered houses, nearly 170 examples of civil architecture, nearly 100 streets, old inns, fountains, bazaars, squares and mosques. Some houses can be reached by passing through courtyard gates in the dead ends. Porches and Patios, wooden decorations, verandas, closet-shaped bathrooms embedded in the wall are the distinctive features of Muğla houses and the houses in this region.
Muğla Houses and their Chimney
Natural and genealogical-cultural environmental factors play an important role in shaping the traditional Muğla houses, which are one of the important symbols of the city. It is possible to divide Muğla houses into two as Turkish houses and Greek houses. The distinction between haremlik and selamlık in traditional Turkish houses is not included in Muğla houses. The area opening to the garden in Turkish houses, which are generally built on two floors, is called “life”. Greek houses, on the other hand, are usually two-storey stone-built houses with simple lines. The ground floor of the houses is generally planned as a warehouse and the upper floor as a living space. The fact that the houses facing the street or the road are not separated by a wall shows the status of the merchants in the society.
The most important feature that distinguishes Muğla houses from other houses in the region is their chimneys. Climate plays an important role in shaping Muğla chimneys. Chimneys are shaped in a rectangular shape by covering the top so as to block the wind and rain. The “Muğla Chimney (Muğla Bacası)” formed by the unity of Turkish style tiles in the hands of stone masters has become the symbol of the city.
Historical Arasta Bazaar
As the only factor connecting the city to the outside world was the İzmir -Aydın -Cine, Tavas-Denizli route, the caravans using this route were passing through Muğla. Camel caravans entered the city from today’s Sekibaşı Street and, following this road, they reached the centre and stayed in Yağcılar Inn and Kocahan Inn in the region, which is still the commercial centre of the Urban Protected Area today. The caravans left the city from the Saburhane district, reached Tavas on the “Yılanlı Mountain Road (Yılanlı Dağ Yolu)”, which is still present today, and from there they passed to Denizli. It is known that Inns, like the Yağcılar Inn (Yağcılar Hanı), İbrahim Inn (İbrahim Hanı), Bacılar Inn (Bacılar Hanı), Balcıoğlu Inn (Balcıoğlu Hanı), Konakaltı Inn (Konakaltı Hanı), and the Kocahan, which is not existing anymore, were the most active places of the city in the past. They were located on the route through which the historical caravan route passes. There were guilds of various professions in the Arasta Bazaar (Çarşısı) and they gave their names to the places they were found collectively.
“Demirciler Arastası” and “Bakırcılar Arastası” are still called the same today. Tabakhane, which is located in the north of the Arasta, was an important trade centre within the city structure. The leathers processed here attracted a lot of attention from the caravans. Other goods that are important to the caravaners are fabric produced on hand-operated waving looms, forest products (timber), and high-quality lime extracted from the Hamursuz Mountain. The Arasta, which is a traditional trade centre, is located at the intersection of north-south and east-west axes on the former caravan route of Muğla, which is a region with commercial density, reflecting the historical texture of civil architecture.
