Kemer
September 1st, 2008
Kemer is on the Gulf of Antalya, 53 km (33 mi) of sea coast with the skirts of the western Taurus mountains behind. The coast has the typical Mediterranean hot, dry weather and warm sea. Until the early 1980s this was a quiet rural district but today the town of Kemer and coastal villages in the district play a very important part in tourism in Turkey.
Research shows only that Kemer was the Lycian town of Idryos.
Kemer was called Eski Koy (old village) until in 1916 - 1917, a 23 km (14 mi) long stone wall was built to channel the mountain stream water and protect the town from flooding, which until then had been a persistent problem. The name Kemer refers to those walls.
Until the 1960s there was no coast road and the district was accessible only by boat. Then a road was built and from the 1980s onwards this was followed by a great investment in infrastructure, planned by the state and funded by the World Bank, aimed at developing a large tourist trade.
Kemer is popular for it's virgin nature - sea, mountains and pine forest combine in harmony. The shore from Beldibi to Tekirova consists of unspoilt beaches in bays of various sizes, mostly stoney rather than sand. With easy transportation, good communication and other municipal services Kemer has a large proportion of the hotel bed capacity of the Antalya region, and is a comfortable and peaceful holiday coast with internationally accepted reputation, attracting large numbers of visitors from countries such as Germany, The Netherlands and in recent years predominantly families from Russia. Many of the visitors come as part of low-cost all-inclusive package deals but tourism is still the mainstay of the local economy. There are so many visitors that most shops in Kemer are set up to sell things like leather jackets to overseas visitors and trade in the euro as well as the Turkish lira.
Kemer has a huge amount ofclubs, bars and restaurants, blue flag beaches and a 320 capacity yacht marina.
Annual events in the area include art exhibitions in Phaselis, boat races, WRC (World Rally Championship), Turkey Offshore Championship, Turkey Motocross Championship,Phaselis Art Festival, and Kemer Carnival. International pop stars and Djs, such as Tarkan and Dj Tiesto, give summer concerts on this coast.
Marmaris
June 20th, 2008
Marmaris' main source of income is tourism. Despite a construction boom in the 1980s, Marmaris still retains its charm due to the exceptional natural beauty of its location. The district's population is 18 000 (2005) and estimated to reach 300,000–400,000 people during the tourism season.
It is also a major centre for sailing, possessing two major and several smaller marinas. It is a popular wintering location for hundreds of cruising boaters. There are regular ferry services to the Greek island of Rhodes, and large cruise ships call at the port.
Although it is not certain when Marmaris was founded, in the 6th century BC the city was known as Physkos, and considered part of Caria.
According to the historian Herodotus, there was a castle in Marmaris since 3000 BC. During the Hellenistic Age, Caria was invaded by Alexander the Great and the castle was besieged. The 600 inhabitants of the town realised that they had no chance against the invading army and burned their valuables in the castle before escaping to the hills with their women and children. The invaders, well aware of the strategic value of the castle, repaired the destroyed sections to house a few hundred soldiers before the main army returned home.
The next important event during the history of Marmaris was almost two thousand years later, in the mid-fifteenth century, when the Ottoman Empire began to rise after the efforts of Sultan Mehmet II, who succeeded in conquering and uniting under one banner the various tribes and kingdoms of Anatolia. Some of his greatest difficulties came from the Knights of St. John, who occupied the Dodecanese Islands. Based in Rhodes, the Knights had fought for many years; they were able to withstand the onslaughts of Mehmet II until a succeeding and more powerful Sultan came on the scene.
The 17th century writer Evliya Çelebi mentions the castle, which was rebuilt by Süleyman the Magnificent in 1522 when he set out for his campaign on Rhodes. Since 1979, renovation work has been continuing at the castle, in order to restore it back to original condition. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, the castle has been converted into a museum. There are seven galleries, of which the largest is being used as an exhibition hall and the courtyard is decorated with seasonal flowers.
It was under Süleyman the Magnificent that Marmaris came under Ottoman control. In 1522 Süleyman assembled a fleet of over 300 ships and a force of 200,000 in the bay of Marmaris to challenge the Knights' headquarters on Rhodes. After many battles, the Knights had to give up and the Turks overtook Rhodes for the next 400 years.
Now, Turkey hosts thousands of tourists every year. Luxury hotels, wonderful sea and weather, beautiful virgin nature and friendly staff, all that combines with quite cheap prices and makes Marmaris one of the best resorts in the world.
