Things to Do in Menteşe: 4 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Menteşe

• 2 Historic
• 1 Religious
• 1 Nature

1 🏛️ Historic

Muğla Arasta Bazaar

Built in the 18th century, this covered market with 26 shops is a fine example of Ottoman commercial architecture. The restored market houses traditional crafts, coppersmiths and souvenir shops.

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i Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

2 🏛️ Historic

Muğla Historic Houses (Saburhane Neighbourhood)

The Saburhane neighbourhood of Menteşe contains some of the best-preserved examples of 18th- and 19th-century civil architecture in Muğla. Whitewashed houses with timber bay windows and stone walls, set along narrow streets, are protected as an urban conservation area.

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i Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

3 🕌 Religious

Muğla Grand Mosque

Built in 1344 during the Menteşe Principality period, this mosque is Muğla's oldest place of worship. Its timber ceiling craftsmanship and stone minaret make it an important example of Beylik-period architecture.

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4 🌳 Nature

Göktepe Nature Park

Located 1,000 m above sea level to the north of Menteşe, this nature park is covered with Calabrian pine and black pine forests. Its walking trails, picnic areas and views over the Muğla plain make it an ideal escape for nature lovers.

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While you are in Menteşe, you can also see the highlights of Muğla province. These places are in other districts.

• Bodrum Castle (Castle of St Peter) — A castle built by the Knights of St John around 1402, partly using stones from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
• Mausoleum of Halicarnassus — A monumental tomb built by Artemisia for her husband Mausolos, king of Caria, and counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Ölüdeniz — South of Fethiye, with its turquoise water and sheltered lagoon, this is Türkiye's most photographed beach.
• Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi) — A valley and beach south of Ölüdeniz, enclosed by sheer cliffs and reachable only by sea.
• Kayaköy (Levissi) — A ghost village 8 km south of Fethiye, made up of hundreds of abandoned stone houses spread across a hillside, where Greeks lived until the 1923 population exchange.
• Dalyan Canal and Kaunos — A reed-fringed canal linking Köyceğiz Lake to the sea, with the ancient city of Kaunos on its bank.

Practical Information for Visiting Menteşe

Suggested time

1–2 days

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn (April–June, September–November)

Places to visit

4 places

• 🍖

  Muğla Tava Kebabı

  Lamb cooked in a copper pan with onions, tomatoes and peppers. It is the best-known local dish of Muğla and a product with a geographical indication.

• 🍹

  Kızılcık Şerbeti

  A traditional sherbet made from cornelian cherries that grow in the Muğla mountains. Its tart-sweet flavour makes it a refreshing summer drink.

• 🥧

  Patlıcan Böreği

  Roasted aubergine layered with cheese and parsley between sheets of yufka pastry and baked. It is one of the distinctive flavours of Muğla cuisine.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Menteşe

• 🏛️

  Legacy of the Menteşeoğulları Principality

  The district of Menteşe takes its name from the Menteşeoğulları Principality, which dominated the region between the 13th and 15th centuries. Mosques, madrasas and caravanserais from the principality period form the historic fabric of the district.

• 🎓

  Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University

  Founded in 1992, the university has more than 50,000 students and has made Menteşe a lively university city. Its campus makes an important contribution to the social and cultural life of the district.

Local Products

• Muğla Menteşe Zeytinyağı — Cold-pressed olive oil made from olives grown in the mountain villages of Menteşe, produced to international quality standards.
• Muğla Kestanesi — Chestnuts grown in the high-altitude villages of Menteşe. They are gathered in the autumn and eaten fresh or as chestnut sugar.

Economy

Menteşe is the provincial centre of Muğla, where administrative and educational functions dominate. Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University makes an important contribution to the district's economy. Olive growing, chestnut production and livestock farming are the traditional sources of livelihood.

How to Get to Menteşe

Dalaman Airport is 80 km away and Bodrum-Milas Airport is 60 km away. Muğla's intercity bus terminal is in Menteşe. The D-330 highway links the district with Aydın and Denizli.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Muğla

Menteşe: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Menteşe Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Muğla The province's 19 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Muğla

• Bodrum 7 places Bodrum Castle (Underwater Archaeology Museum), Mausoleum at Halicarnassus (Halikarnas Mozolesi) and Ancient Theatre
• Dalaman 8 places Dalaman River and Rafting Course (Dalaman Çayı ve Rafting Parkuru), Kapıdağ Peninsula and Dalaman State Production Farm
• Datça 7 places Knidos Ancient City, Old Datça (Datça Quarter) and Palamutbükü Cove
• Fethiye 7 places Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi), Amintas Rock Tombs (Amintas Kaya Mezarları) and Saklıkent Canyon
• Kavaklıdere 4 places Kavaklıdere Castle, Hydai (Damlıboğaz) Ancient City and Kavaklıdere Pine Forests
• Köyceğiz 5 places Köyceğiz Lake, Kaunos Ancient City and İztuzu Beach (Caretta Caretta Beach)
• Marmaris 7 places Marmaris Castle and Archaeology Museum, Cennet Island (İncekum) and Bozburun Peninsula
• Milas 12 places Beçin Castle and Ancient City, Gümüşkesen Monument Tomb and Euromos (Temple of Zeus Lepsynos)
• Ortaca 11 places İztuzu Beach, Dalyan Channel and Dalyan Channel and Kaunos Rock Tombs
• Seydikemer 7 places Saklıkent Canyon, Tlos Ancient City and Yakapark (Yaka Village)
• Ula 10 places Akyaka, Ula Castle and Akyaka (Gökova)
• Yatağan 5 places Stratonikeia Ancient City (Stratonikeia Antik Kenti), Lagina Hekate Temple (Lagina Hekate Tapınağı) and Yatağan Sword Museum (Yatağan Kılıç Müzesi)