Mugla Is the City of Turkey Where Real Life Takes Place

Many travelers have long been tired of crowded tourist resorts and are looking for places where there is still a tourism-free atmosphere. Such a city can be found in Mugla province, Turkey. Authenticity, the absence of noisy crowds, picturesque mountains and ancient buildings – all this awaits a traveler who has looked into Mugla. How to get there and what you can see, we cover in detail in our article.

Mugla is not considered a resort, and in general the city is not popular among tourists. However, there are many decent hotels, cafes and restaurants on its territory, as well as green parks. Mugla can be called a European rather than an eastern city, which is characterized by a good standard of living. Turkish youth often come to local universities to study, and after graduating, they stay here to live.

The city will appeal to tourists tired of standard beach resorts. The authenticity of Mugla can be traced in its numerous cultural attractions, including mosques and museums, ancient houses and towers. There are alsointeresting natural objects in the province, such as mountains and various parks. And the city is also considered a great place for shopping: it has a lot of shops and shopping centers, prices in which are much lower than in the usual resorts of Turkey.

Attractions

Mugla is perhaps one of the few cities in western Turkey where you can visit the sights, on the territory of which there are no noisy crowds of tourists, and a calm atmosphere reigns. Among its iconic objects can be distinguished:

Mosques

As in any other region of Turkey, Mugla province houses several remarkable mosques, which will be very interesting to visit. First of all, it is worth visiting the Kurşunlu Mosque, built at the end of the 15th century. Today it is not only a religious sanctuary, but also a valuable historical monument, preserved in excellent condition thanks to restoration work. It is also worth visiting the wooden mosque in the Jamikebir quarter, as well as a small mosque on Saburkhan Square in the Old City.

Archaeological Museum

Located on the territory of the former prison, the gallery includes a Turlian Park, where you can get acquainted with the remains of plants and animals.

Saburkhan district or old town

This authentic part of the city has preserved ancient buildings, among which the residential houses are only partially interesting. Only in Mugla you will be able to see curious pipes with caps made of tiles on the roofs. Since the area has an important historical value, local authorities regularly allocate funds to maintain its landscaping. By the way, many owners of old houses are always happy to invite a rare tourist to their yard and treat them to tea.

Carpet Fair and Saatli Tower

Strolling through the Old Town, be sure to look at the fair of oriental carpets, where you can look at the original handmade products. And in the old quarter stands the Saatli Tower, built more than a century ago and characterized by interesting architecture.

Mount Asar

The path to this unusual mountain begins in the Saburkhane area. You can climb to its top on foot: an improvised observation deck is located here, offering a beautiful panorama of the city, hills and ruins of ancient buildings of the Hittite period. Mount Asar, because of its flat surface, received another name – Masadaga, which means “Table Mountain” in Turkish.

Where to stay?

Despite the fact that Mugla is not a frequently visited city compared to other resorts in the province, there are quite a lot of hotels of different categories located here. A particularly wide selection is presented among 3* hotels. But the choice of apartments in Mugla is not great at all, and the price tags installed on them are no lower than in hotels. It is best to choose a place of residence on the central streets, where all the sights are at hand.

In the city center, as well as in remote areas, there are numerous cafes and restaurants. Some of them belong to the budget category, others are famous for their service and high prices. Among the Mugla cafes that have won the status of the best, we can distinguish the following establishments:

• Gel Dostum İsmail Usta’nın Yeri
• PABLO CAFE (breakfast, burgers, pizza, delicious coffee)
• Burak Restaurant (family restaurant with local cuisine)
• Kordon Restaurant (seafood, Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine)
• Selanik (family restaurant with original dishes and delicious snacks)

How to get to this beautiful city?

There are two main ways to get to Mugla by air, through the airports of the cities: Dalaman and Bodrum. Both of these air harbors are equidistant

If you are tired of popular cities and crowds of people, we advise you to get away from the center of Turkey and enjoy other beautiful and historical cities such as Mugla.

You can read this article in Russian language: Мугла – город Турции, где протекает настоящая жизнь