Muğla

Muğla (pronounced moo-lah) is a city in the Southern Aegean region of Turkey, with a population of about 120,000 in 2022, including the outlying villages. Yet for all its size, it has a remarkably well-preserved and scenic old town centre.

Understand

Muğla stands inland on the road between Izmir and the coastal towns (once trading ports and nowadays beach resorts), near the point where the Aegean Sea turns the corner into the Mediterranean. In antiquity it was Mobolla, which morphed through several spellings to become Muğla, but next-to-nothing remains of its earliest days. It has always been a quiet market town, set in an agricultural region though its immediate vicinity is rather barren. It stands at 670 m altitude on a mountainside, so it's pleasantly cool on summer days when the coast is hot and humid.

The city is the provincial capital, so if your bag is stolen or you prang your rented motor-scooter in Bodrum, Marmaris, Dalaman or Fethiye, then Muğla is where the police report will locate the mishap – local government and other bureaucracy is a major employer here. Most travellers zip past on the D550 bypass and hardly notice the place. But it's remarkable how, amidst so much Turkish urban mediocrity, Muğla has somehow retained so many charming 18th–19th century buildings. Visit it quick before the developers get there.

Get in

The nearest airports are Bodrum (BJV ^IATA) to the west, and Dalaman (DLM ^IATA) to the south. Both have domestic and international flights, especially budget flights full of European holidaymakers, and are an hour's drive from Muğla.

Muğla has a good bus service as it's on the route from Istanbul to the major resorts of Marmaris and Dalaman. Buses run every hour or so, taking 10-11 hours via Gebze, Izmir and Aydın, for a fare in 2023 of 900 TL. They continue south to Gökova (for Akyaka) then branch for either Marmaris or Ortaca (for Dalyan and Dalaman), Göcek and Fethiye (for Ölüdeniz). Bus lines include Pamukkale, Flixbus and Metro Turizm.

1 Menteşe Otogarı is the inter-city bus station, out on D500 four km southwest of town. This is also the hub for the provincial buses described below. Dolmuşes and taxis will get you downtown.

2 Muğla Otogarı the old bus station is on Atatürk Blv 1 km southwest of town centre. A dolmuş or local bus might deposit you here, then walk the rest.

By road from Izmir, take motorway O-31 / E87 south to Aydın, then turn onto D550.

From Bodrum, take D330 east to Milas and Yatağan, then join D550 southbound. From Denizli take D330 west.

Get around

Walk around the old centre - everything's with a km or so, and you don't want a vehicle in those twisty alleys.

Muttas is the regional bus service. Lines you might use are 48-22 to Milas-Bodrum airport, 48-12 to Dalaman, 48-7 to Marmaris and 48-1 to Bodrum town.

See

Theatre masque in the museum

• 1 Great Mosque of Muğla (Ulu Camii), Fabrika Sk 6. Large mosque built in 1344 by the Beys of Menteşe, but what you see now is a restoration of 1838. Further restoration in 2008 kept the later appearance. (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 Saat Kulesi the clocktower was built in 1895. It's hemmed in by dreary modern buildings and doesn't serve as a landmark as other cities' clocktowers do. Below is an Ottoman bazaar or Arasta.
• Şeyh Camii or Sheikh Mosque is north flank of the clocktower. It was built in 1565 by Sheikh Bedrettin and the minaret was added in the early 19th century.
• 3 Kurşunlu Cami, Fark Aksoy Sk 3. This large mosque was built in 1495, which you might not guess from the atrium extension to its front added in 1900. The interior behind that is more traditional and the dome is leaded, hence Kurşunlu in Turkish. It was refurbished in 2022. (updated Sep 2023)
• Yağcılar Han 100 m north of Kurşunlu Cami is a restored 18th-century caravanserai, used as a touristy craft and carpet market.
• 4 Muğla Museum, Eski Postane Cd, ☏ +90 252 214 6948. Closed. This has a good archaeological and ethnographical collection, as well as animal and plant fossils found at nearby Kaklıcatepe. It's temporarily closed. Free. (updated Sep 2023)
• Konakaltı Han opposite the museum is a caravanserai built around 1800 and used as an events venue.
• 5 Saburhane along Topaltı 1st Çk is the centre of a delightful quarter of 18th and 19th century buildings winding up the hillside, in a mix of Ottoman and Greek styles.

Do

• Hamams or Turkish baths / saunas: historic examples are Vakıflar Hamam (built 1258) at Mustafa Muğlalı Cd 5 by the museum, Sekibaşı Hamamı (15th century) 500 m further west, Han Hamam east and Rum Hamamı in the old quarter. Good luck finding any of them open.
• Football: Muğlaspor pay soccer away down in the amateur leagues. The stadium is next to Demircioğlu Park Hotel.
• Le Tunnel de l'Amour near the clocktower purports to be a marriage agency, bedecked with pix of cute Ukrainian girls. Best stick to watching football.

Buy

Lots of little stores: Şok, Migros and A101 chain stores all have franchises in town centre.

Eat

Chimneys in the old town

• Saatli Kule Cd the street west of the clocktower has a cluster of eating places. These include Kadir Usta'nın Yeri, Dedo muglakebap ve köftecisi, Muğla Lokantası and Du Buyon.
• Köfteci Kemal, Kurşunlu Cd 31 (by Kurşunlu mosque). Good meatballs. (updated Sep 2023)
• 1 Süpüroğlu, Karabağlar Yaylası 56, Orhaniye, ☏ +90 546 935 2683. Daily 09:00-02:00. Some km out, and you won't want to drive this road in darkness, but a charming garden setting for trad meaty fare. (updated Sep 2023)

Drink

• Lâl Wine Club is at Turgut Reis Cd 4 by Kurşunlu Cami, open M-Sa 15:00-01:00.

Sleep

• 1 TN&CO Suites, Recai Güreli Cd 5, ☏ +90 252 212 4864. Smart central place. B&B double 1500 TL. (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 Demircioğlu Park Hotel, Cumhuriyet Cd 4 (next to football stadium), ☏ +90 252 214 5050. Decent enough business hotel, cleanliness varies. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Sep 2023)
• Petek Hotel is 200 m south of Demircioğlu Park Hotel.
• 3 Carissa Otel, 14th Sk 10, ☏ +90 252 214 2222. New, squeaky clean and eager to please. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Sep 2023)
• Kötekli has a cluster of accommodation. It's south near the university and junction of D330.

Connect

Muğla and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of March 2023, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

An arc of major beach resorts lies within 100 km of Muğla.

• Bodrum is the party capital of Turkey, with a well-preserved citadel.
• Akyaka is a village with beautiful traditional architecture.
• Marmaris has an old castle, engulfed by a modern resort along a craggy coast.
• Dalyan has rock-cut ancient tombs, boat trips through marshlands, and a sandy beach where Mediterranean turtles lay their eggs.
• Fethiye is backed by mountains dotted with Lycian ruins. Just beyond is the "blue lagoon" of Ölüdeniz.

Routes through Muğla

Izmir ← Selçuk ←	N  S	→ Akyaka → Ends at
Bodrum ← Milas ( N) ←	W  E	→ Denizli → Konya