Monday 14 April 2008

Marmaris, our hometown


This weekend was the start of the touristy season here in Marmaris. That is the reason that we wanted to share with you these pictures, taken a couple of weeks ago, with only locals in sight. A couple of weeks more and the deserted narrow streets will be clogged with hordes of tourists in various states of nudity and sunburns.


There is not much that is old in Marmaris, many of the old stone houses being damaged by an earthquake in the sixties and than demolished to make place for shapeless concrete, in the time when ‘picturesque’ had no value yet. The remnants of a badly over-restored garrison, here called ‘the castle’, do offer a great view over the harbor.


Thirty years ago, Marmaris was still a fisher’s village with orange grooves and sesame fields.
Now, they only fish on tourists and the orange plantations have made place for big hotels. In Marmaris mild winter, though, you still can see glimpses of the old charm and it is a great place to live.


The reason for us to choose Marmaris when we decided to move to Turkey was inspired by the fact that we didn’t speak any Turkish at that time. In Marmaris, being a touristy town, it is possible to make yourself understood with English, and had at that time already a big supermarket and a good hospital. The most important part, thought, is the fact that people are used here to the presence of foreigners, while in other parts, two foreign women living alone would be approached with mistrust.


And a bonus are the surroundings. You only have to travel for a few kilometers to find the most beautiful, quite and very green places.

14 comments:

  1. It looks wonderful, indeed. And quiet and peaceful! But I can imagine the tourists strolling around :)

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  2. I love the pictures! It´s amazing how different life is there turning the winter and summer. Almost like in my hometown Pärnu which is also a resort- no people in the winter, but too much in the summer :)

    I really hope I can come to Marmaris too this summer...l

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  3. wow before you, I've never heard about mamaris, but I can see it's a beautiful place to live or visit!

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  4. oh Star, i'm jealous for the blue skies and the beautiful sun and the blue water .... . But you should take some pictures again in a couple of weeks to show us the difference with the tourists - that would be fun to see!!

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  5. Ohhh! Can I move to Marmaris too? =)
    Lovely! Looks so much like any spanish village lol =)

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  6. Marmaris lokks really a wonderful place to live... I envy you a little bit for this wonderful sea and blue sky!

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  7. Such a great place to live!

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  8. Thank you for sharing this with us.....

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  9. Whoaaa!
    Such a great place for a hometown..to live next to the see.
    Ovearll, I really like Turkey :-)

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  10. What a wonderful place to call home. I loved seeing all the photos (pre-tourist)...

    It's beautiful...must be so inspiring for your work!

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  11. Beautiful town! I have to repeat myself for 100th time: lucky you!! :)

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  12. Ok, I'm packing, where's my passport?
    oh well, i guess i'll wait till kids have grown up :)

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  13. I don't like tourist hords but I do love the scenery you hsow here! What a great place to live! :)

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  14. Hello Esther and Estella! :)
    I LOVED this post!!! My boyfriend told me that the surroundings are wonderful! And I loved seeing all these charming corners in your town!
    Thank you for linking back to this post, and I enjoyed your background story too!
    "(...) hordes of tourists in various states of nudity and sunburns"... LOL, that was great, have to write it down somewhere!! ;D I can SO well relate to this -- after so many years traveling to Rhodes I have become like a local too, and looking at the phenomenon of "tourism" with mixed feelings! I love Rhodes off-season, it is so genuine and authentic.

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