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34-455: The Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area is a protected natural reserve in the Turkish province of Muğla . In June 1988 it was determined and declared the first protected area of its kind ( Özel Çevre Koruma Bölgesi ) of Turkey. In 1990 the original SPA area was extended westwards. Up to now, there are fourteen natural reserves with this status, of which Pamukkale is probably

68-494: A pilgrimage by locals until the 1970s, also has the potential to be the only pyramid grave in Turkey . Excavation team also discovered an inscription with these words: “I will be vigilant at the very top so as to ensure that no coward can come and destroy this grave". In July 2021, archaeologists led by Abuzer Kızıl have announced the discovery of two 2,500-year-old marble statues and an inscription during excavations at

102-457: A crack next to the spa’s domed thermal bath, spreading the nasty smell of rotten eggs over the complex. The mildly radioactive water is rich in Radon content and furthermore contains sulfur, iron, calcium, potassium, and other minerals. It is recommended for -amongst others- skin complaints, arthritis , muscle fatigue and rheumatism . Sultaniye Spa also has mud baths which are said to rejuvenate

136-609: A long time building prominent cities, such as Knidos (at the end of the Datça Peninsula ) and Bodrum ( Halicarnassos ), as well as many smaller towns along the coast, on the Bodrum Peninsula and inland, including in the district of Fethiye the cities of Telmessos , Xanthos , Patara and Tlos . Eventually the coast was conquered by Persians who were in turn removed by Alexander the Great , bringing an end to

170-587: A result of the formation of a long stretch of dunes (İztuzu Beach). The lake is fed by the waters of the Namnam river in the northwest and the Yuvarlakçay in the east. The latter is reported to be an otter habitat. In the north and west some mountain streams flow into the lake. It is the biotope variety in such a relatively small area that makes the SEPA so special. There are fresh water lakes, rivers and brooks,

204-761: A significant naval power, trading with the Aegean Islands , Crete and as far as Venice and Egypt . Turkish settlement during the Menteshe period usually took place through migrations along the Kütahya - Tavas axis. In 1390, Muğla was taken over by the Ottoman Empire . However, just twelve years later, Tamerlane and his forces defeated the Ottomans in the Battle of Ankara , and returned control of

238-689: A vast brackish water zone in the estuary, the sea and its sandy beach. Apart from agricultural land for growing citrus fruit, sesame and cotton, there are wetlands , extensive liquidambar forests, pine forests and maquis . Around the lake there are numerous small wetlands with a rich bird population. Among the birds are the penduline tit , the Eurasian reed warbler , the great reed warbler and black-crowned night heron . The wetlands often border marshy Turkish sweetgum forests. The sweetgum forests are often intersected by ditches and frequently have an undergrowth of horse tail . The Turkish or Oriental sweetgum

272-573: A wonderful view of the river, Alagöl (Çandır bay) and the reeds at the estuary. Apart from its cultural and historical significance, the historic city is interesting for its abundance of reptiles, birds and insects. Many of the altogether 33 reptile species of the Special Environmental Protected Area can be found at Caunos. Among its most conspicuous species are the hardim or starred agama , the European glass lizard ,

306-399: Is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of Köyceğiz , Muğla Province , Turkey . Its population is 265 (2022). It is on Lake Köyceğiz , and popular among spa bathers and tourists. Its bath ruin was restored in the 1990s, to be turned into a major tourist attraction. Archeological finds both at Kaunos and Sultaniye indicate that there must have been a sanctuary dedicated to

340-475: Is about 1 metre in size. It is a protected, thermophile species. Consequently, it is often seen near the thermal springs along the fault line. The species occurs near to the sea, in lagoons, lakes, rivers and canals, both in fresh and brackish waters. The Nile turtle is mainly aquatic and will only leave the water for short periods to rest in the sun. In the Köyceğiz-Dalyan SEPA, oviposition takes place at

374-547: Is an endemic species that thrives in boggy areas and is often seen in combination with plane trees. The species has traditionally been important for the extraction of its sap, which is processed to balsam storax or Turkish sweetgum oil. The sap, which is collected by carefully stripping part of the bark, is used for medical purposes and for the production of perfume. For this reason, the forests used to be of major economical importance. However, there are fewer and fewer master oil makers who can pass on their trade. Unfortunately,

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408-410: Is endemic for the eastern Mediterranean and Turkey is the main part of its range. It usually grows at lower altitudes, from sea level to 600 metres height. The tree reaches a height of 20–35 metres, with a maximum trunk diameter of approx. 1 metre. On the river opposite Dalyan are the rock tombs of Caunos , the capital of ancient Caria . From the topmost rows of its amphitheatre and its Acropolis one has

442-555: Is rich in ancient ruins, with over 100 excavated sites including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Letoon , near Fethiye . In 2018, archaeologists unearthed a 2,300-year-old rock sepulchre of an ancient Greek boxer called Diagoras of Rhodes on a hill in the Turgut village, Muğla province, Marmaris . This unusual pyramid tomb was considered to belong to a holy person by the local people. The shrine , used as

476-526: Is the longest among the Provinces of Turkey and longer than many countries' coastlines, (even without taking any small islands into account). Important is the Datça Peninsula . As well as the sea, Muğla has two large lakes, Lake Bafa in the district of Milas and Lake Köyceğiz . The landscape consists of pot-shaped small plains surrounded by mountains, formed by depressions in the Neogene . These include

510-667: The Menderes plain through Gökbel , or northeast to Tavas . Despite court decisions upheld by the ECHR , as of 2020 , Yatağan , Yeniköy and Kemerköy coal-fired power stations continue to pollute. The following are aspects about transportation in Muğla province: In ancient times in Anatolia , the region between the Menderes ( Meander ) and Dalaman ( Indus ) rivers in the south

544-461: The little egret , the great egret and the cormorant. At the west side of the delta is Alagöl, the bay of Çandır, which is heated by a number of thermal springs. This may be the reason why the bay is the mating scene for the loggerhead turtle in the second half of April. Oviposition takes place at İztuzu Beach in May and June. With an average number of nests of approx. 200 per annum (57-330 range over

578-523: The satrapy of Caria. In 1261, Menteshe Bey, founder of the Beylik (principality) that carried his name, with its capital in Milas and nearby Beçin , established his rule over the region of Muğla as well. The beys of Menteshe held the city until 1390 and this, the first Turkish state in the region, achieved a high level of cultural development, its buildings remaining to this day. The province also became

612-520: The Köyceğiz, Toparlar, Beyobası and Dalyan districts. There are 17 settlements of which Köyceğiz on the north bank of the lake, and the tourist town of Dalyan on the river emerging from the lake are the most important ones. The area consists of various terrestrial structures around the Köyceğiz subsidence lake. Köyceğiz Lake is one of Turkey’s largest coastal lakes, which was formed in Antiquity as

646-514: The Temple of Zeus Lepsynos in Euromus . According to Abuzer Kızıl, one of the statues was naked while other was wearing armor made of leather and a short skirt. Both of the statues were depicted with a lion in their hands. The following are notable residents of Muğla province: The Republican People's Party (CHP), Turkey's principal center-left party has a traditionally strong presence across

680-484: The beach or at the estuary are taken to the centre for treatment and rehabilitation. The beach is also accessible by road. The route leads along the wetlands of Sülüngür Lake, which is shut off for boat traffic at the river side by a dalyan or fishing weir. On Bozburun Tepesi above İztuzu Beach lies a radar station, which offers a wonderful panoramic vista of the Köyceğiz-Dalyan SEPA. Mu%C4%9Fla Province At 1,100 km (680 mi), Muğla's coastline

714-587: The best-known. All these areas are under the supervision of the ÖÇKK , the Turkish Environmental Protection Agency for Special Areas. The area got its special status as a result of Prince Philip´s request to the Turkish Prime Minister Turgut Özal for a moratorium on the construction of a hotel complex at İztuzu Beach , while awaiting an environmental impact assessment. At the time Prince Philip

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748-453: The brackish waterside of İztuzu Beach. The Dalyan-Köyceğiz basin is in the utmost northwest of the species’ range. Northeast and southeast of Köyceğiz Lake there are lowlands, whereas other parts are surrounded by hills. The highest among these are the Ölemez (937 m) in the southwest, and Bozburun Hill (556 m) in the south. The hills at the periphery of the area are mainly covered with Turkish pine trees ( Pinus brutia ). The Turkish pine

782-405: The common chameleon, and the black whip snake. Moreover, there are numerous tortoises and terrapins at the site. Spectacular birds at and around Caunos are the rock nuthatch , the common kestrel , the blue rock-thrush and the European roller . The Dalyan estuary is a labyrinth of canals through the reeds. During a boat trip through the reeds one can see all sorts of birds, such as kingfishers,

816-494: The geological importance of the Dalyan-Köyceğiz hinterland. Because of its protected status, the area offers good and ample opportunities for ecotourism and recreation. For one, the Köyceğiz-Dalyan SEPA boasts the most fantastic panoramic vistas. From 1990 onwards the protected status of the area was elaborated in a number of sustainable environmental projects, in order to: The SEPA covers an area of 461 km and includes

850-486: The goddess Leto near the present Sultaniye Spa. Nearby the thermal spring area ruins have been found dating back as far as the Roman era, which show that there must have been a sort of spa and treatment facility ever since the first settlements in the area. The Sultaniye hot springs are located on a fault line at the southwest bank of the lake, on the slope of Ölemez Mountain. Sulfurous water of 40°C seeps out of

884-466: The liquidambar forest area has been reduced by illegal tree felling to create new or vaster agricultural fields. Representative sweetgum forests can still be found on the Yuvarlakçay near the village of Kavakarası, on the bank north of Sultaniye , northwest of Hamitköy, at Köyceğiz and at Tepearası. At the south side of Lake Köyceğiz there is a NW-SE fault , along which several sulphurous thermal springs are located. The only spa resort, at Sultaniye,

918-428: The plain of the city of Muğla itself, Yeşilyurt , Ula , Gülağzı , Yerkesik , Akkaya , Çamköy  [ tr ] and Yenice ). Until the recent building of highways, transport from these plains to either the coast or inland was quite arduous, and thus each locality remained an isolated culture of its own. Contact with the outside world was through one of the three difficult passes: northwest to Milas , north to

952-515: The political landscape of Muğla Province, closely followed by the traditional center-right represented by the Democrat Party (DP) in Turkey's politics, with the incumbent Justice and Development Party (AKP) having less support. 37°01′49″N 28°30′23″E  /  37.03028°N 28.50639°E  / 37.03028; 28.50639 Sultaniye (K%C3%B6yce%C4%9Fiz) Sultaniye

986-638: The region to its former rulers, the Menteshe Beys, as he did for other Anatolian beyliks . Muğla was brought back under Ottoman control by Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, in 1451. One of the most important events in the area during the Ottoman period was the well-recorded campaign of Suleiman the Magnificent against Rhodes , which was launched from Marmaris . With this long history Muğla

1020-411: The turtle’s habitat. In September 1987 the construction project was suspended for an environmental impact assessment , and in 1988 the Turkish government decided upon a construction prohibition because of the area’s special significance. That was not only because of the natural importance of the beach and its significance as a turtle habitat, but also because of the cultural and historical significance and

1054-546: The years of recording), İztuzu Beach is one of the main breeding areas of the species in the Mediterranean. For this reason there are strict regulations to counter any disturbance Since May 2009 there has been a sea turtle centre at the beach, run by the Biology Department of Pamukkale University. The staff and volunteers patrol the beach and keep records during the breeding season. Injured turtles found at

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1088-448: Was President of the WWF , which had been approached by environmentalists such as June Haimoff , Günther Peter, David Bellamy , Lily Venizelos , Nergis Yazgan and Keith Corbett to help stop the construction of a hotel complex at the beach. İztuzu Beach was one of the main nesting areas for the endangered loggerhead turtle ( Caretta caretta ), and the environmentalists were trying to preserve

1122-584: Was called Caria . The inhabitants were Carians and Leleges . In his Iliad , Homer describes the Carians as natives of Anatolia , defending their country against Greeks in joint campaigns in collaboration with the Trojans . A major city of ancient Caria , Muğla is known to have been occupied by raiding parties of Egyptians , Assyrians and Scythians , until eventually the area was settled by Ancient Greek colonists. The Greeks inhabited this coast for

1156-464: Was restored in the 90’s and has been a popular tourist attraction ever since. The water temperature amounts to 40 °C. Apart from the thermal spring, it also has a mud bath. There is another mud bath somewhat downriver at a former river branch. This is a location where the Nile turtle ( Trionyx triunguis ) can be spotted. It is a turtle with a soft shell, thence also called African softshell turtle, which

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