It is not known when Marmaris was founded, but Physkos as Marmaris was previously known, was part of the Carian Empire in the 6th century B.C. when overrun by the Lydians. Another invasion by the Lydians in 334 B.C. led to the partition of the Roman Empire of Alexander the Great.

According to the historian Herodotus, the Carians settled in what is now the province of Mugla after coming from Crete. They also took over the town of Physkos with its large natural harbour, and used it as a military base for their campaigns against the Phoenicians in Rhodes and other Aegean islands.The Carian civilization entered a dark period after 300 B.C., coming under the rule of the Egyptians, Asstrians, Ionians and Dorians successively. The Dorians turned the Carian province into 9 colony cities, also including Halicarnassos and Knidos, which became an active trading centre for Anatolia and led to an increase in handicrafts and maritime trade.

In 138 B.C. Attalos the 3rd, King of Bergama, whose predecessors had ruled Caria for 90 years, ceded Physkos to Rome and the city was ruled from Rhodes by Roman generals. The city became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1425, and the castle was built in 1521 AD for use in a planned assault on Rhodes. The Ottoman Sultan at the time, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman, changed the name of the town to Mimaras, which then became Marmaris according to the historian Evlija Celebi.

A local rumour has it that the reason for the change of name Mimaras was that Suleyman, on returning from his expedition to Rhodes, disliked the castle and exclaimed "mimar as!", which means "hang the architect!" Unfortunately there is no evidence to support this amusing story.

Part of the Mediterranean which is placed between Turkey and Greece ia called Aegean Sea. Two neighbors use this term for this part of the Mediterranean where placed between their territories. Aegean sea connects to the Dardanellas(Çanakkale Boğazı) and Bosphorus (İstanbul Boğazı) The answer of the question to the wuestion “ where do the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea meet” is Marmaris. Marmaris splits the mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea with a long and narrow peninsula.

The marmaris Peninsula has always been an important part of the history of the mediterranean civilization with its strategic and geographic position also its natural beauty and rich past as a connection part of Aegean and Mediterranean. Marmaris and its around also was a host of many harbours and cities. Today’s big ships don’t need a port to take a shelter in against every storm. But the Mediterranean is still very generous to people living on her coasts. Nowadays numerous flights landed and departure at the Airport. Lots of tourists from abroad prefer to come here for their holidays.