Muğla
Mugla, a town of 48000 is the capital of Mugla a southwestern Turkish province. Mugla town is situated 20 kilometers inland at an altitude of 670 meters and makes for an attractive tourist destination.
The province stretched along Turkey`s Aegean coast has several famous holiday resorts drawing large numbers of tourists. The attraction of these resorts lead to much of the province being ignored. Poor roads also isolated the region, which developed its own peculiarities. Efforts are on to open up the rest of the province to tourism. After agriculture, tourism is now the most important economic activity in the province.
Mugla is well connected by road to all parts of Turkey. You will have to take mini buses to travel to places off the main highways and to remoter outlying regions. Marmaris has the nearest airport. The Bodrum and Dalaman airports can be used for arrival.
History
Mugla has little ancient ruins to extract any meaningful ancient history. Little that is there indicates Hittite and Frigian presence. In 1261 A.D. it became part of the Turkmen Mentese principality. In 1390 A.D. it was taken over by the Ottomans. Just 12 years later the Mongols defeated the Ottomans and returned Mugla to the Mentese rulers. In 1451 A.D. under Sultan Mehmed, the Ottomans regained Mugla. In recent times, an important event was the Greek - Turkish conflict. The conflict ended with the exchange of Turks in Greece for the Greeks in Mugla.
Gokova
Gulf of Kokova is a lovely place on the southern coast of Bodrun peninsula. The beautiful wooded coast with its shades of green, the sea with its range of blues and the sunset with its red and orange hues, are a sight for the gods.
Your holiday will not be complete without yachting or a boat trip along the beautiful shores of Kokova.
Koycegiz - Dalyan
Mugla`s famous Koycegiz natural reserve park lies next to Koycegiz Lake. This lake is linked to the Mediterranean with a maze like channel lined with weeds. The overall view of the lake is almost paradisiacal. Till noon it is known to be smooth as a glass. In the afternoon it is ready to take in wind surfers. The lake contains almost all variety of seafood including carp and crab.
Dalyan is a lovely delta with a beautiful golden beach, having Caretta turtles and blue crabs living in it.
Ancient Sites
Important archeological ruins are found in the Asar Hill area of Mugla. Here you can see the "Mobolla" Castle, mention of which can be found in the ancient Hittite inscriptions. The medieval palace has three floors constructed from mortared stones. Nearby are some burial grounds and tombs.
Other Resorts
Koycegiz is not the last in the list of resorts in Mugla. There are equally good resorts in Bodrum, Marmaris and Datca. The Gulf of Gocek also has many bays and a beautiful marina that is ideal for sailing.
Ekincik is a stopover for yachts and has lovely unspoiled bays. Sarigerme, near Dalaman airport has some fine beaches, village resorts and pine forests.
Sultaniye Thermal Springs
This spa in Mugla is Europe`s and the world`s best known and most famous spa. The waters of the spring have a high mineral content and are rich in radioactivity.
Mosques
You can visit several mosques in Mugla. The Kursunlu mosque in Mugla town was built in A.D. 1493. Its unique feature is the lead covered dome. The Ulu mosque is the oldest in the province. The Mentese Sultan, Ibrahim Bey in A.D.1334, built it. The other important mosque in the region is the Sahidi Mosque made in 1848 A.D. Within its courtyard is the mausoleum of Sahidi Dede.
The other attractions in Mugla are its inns and baths. Muglar`s well-known inns and baths are Yagcilar inn, Konukalti inn, Yarim inn and Vaklifar bath.
Highlands
The place has a charming natural beauty. This plateau 3 kilometers south east of Mugla town is a cool verdant region full of fruit trees, grape vineyards, vegetables and tobacco plants. The local whitewashed houses called "Kuyu Buryani (Well Buryan) look quaint, peeping through the trees hiding them. You can hear birds chirping and water being drawn from the wells in the houses ... a pastoral scene with a difference.
Sporting Activities
The beaches dotting Mugla with their clear waters can be used for any kind of water sport. Rafting can be done on the Dalman Creek during all seasons. The Ministry of Forests has campsites all over Mugla province. The more attractive and better ones are in Kulak, Gedova and Yuvarlak Cayi.