To the Datça Peninsula first the Snows and then the Egyptians, Hittites, Scythians, Assyrians, Dorians, Persians, Spartans and Athenians, Alexander the Great, Romans, Byzantines, Historical finds in the peninsula, dominated by the Seljuks and finally the Ottomans, show that more than 50 settlements with 80 to 120 thousand people lived between 600-700 BC.. Many settlements have been established on the peninsula.. These are:
1. First Knidos –Old Datça
2. Binassos near Emecik village
3. Akandos
4, established in Kargı Bay. New Knidos founded on Tekir Point
The peninsula came under the domination of the Dorians after the domination of the first Carians and after 1100 BC.. The first settlement of the Dorians was in Burgaz and they established the Old Knidos here.. During the same period, Kumyer, located in present Yaka Village, which is the second settlement on the peninsula, was established.
Knidians in Hızırşah Village on the Peninsula 4 BC. In the 19th century, they operated ceramic workshops and employed around 3000 slaves in these workshops.
In 1282, the region under the rule of the Byzantines passed to the Menteşoğlu Principality, and then with the attack of the Ottoman Empire on Menteşoğlu, Datça Peninsula joined the Ottoman Empire. Although Menteşoğlu recaptured the region, in 1413, during the reign of Çelebi Mehmet, the peninsula came under Ottoman rule.
After World War I, the peninsula was briefly occupied by the Italians.
The name of the peninsula was first Knidos and then Datça. During the reign of Sultan Reşad, Datça was replaced by Reşadiye.. The peninsula was renamed Datça at the beginning of the Republican era and became a district of Muğla province in 1928.
The Flora and Fauna of Datça
Knidos Ancient City has become a medical center as it is known. Therefore, the richness of plants in Datça dates back to ancient times.. Other plants grown in Datça, which is famous for its almonds, are thyme, sage, olives, capers, black cumin, Datça dates and carob.
Sage from the fresh branch
In the peninsula, where land hunting is prohibited, brown bears and wild goats continue to breed, although their numbers are low.. While the peninsula has a rich diversity as it is home to 86 bird species, unfortunately this is not the case for mammals.
It is often among bird species. falcon, partridge, dove, cormorant, falcon, jay, hawk, finch, woodcock, eagle, dove, sparrow, pied woodpecker species.
Sea Creatures : İstanbul University Institute of Marine Sciences conducted 2.5 years of research and determined that a total of 457 species of sea creatures live between Gökova and Marmaris.. Apart from the diversity of sea creatures, seabed forests and posidenya meadows that protect living things and contribute to ecology with the oxygen they create have also been determined.
The endangered and therefore protected It is also possible to see grouper in this region.
Other species are bream, sea bream, leer, whiting, fangri, scorpion, mackerel, sinarite, red mullet, sardine. , squid, tuna, octopus, cuttlefish, tabby, traconia, and sea bass.
Mediterranean Seal : The whole peninsula is most suitable for the endangered Mediterranean Monk Seal.
Bambus Bee: This bee species consists of 30-40 bees instead of colonies with 30-40 thousand members like other bees.. And another feature is that they do not make honey.. The bamboo bee wanders from flower to flower and contributes to the fertilization of flowers.
The Tastes of Datça
It’s okay to skip the three B’s. “Honey, almonds, fish”. Apart from the three B’s, the flavors you must taste are ümek roasted, winter chickpeas, dalampa (daisy stalk), dalankıta, köger, garaville (snail), stuffed sardines, ilabada, damson, labada, subye casserole, sea bean tarator, lakerda kiroz and more.. While we are talking about Datça flavors, it is impossible not to mention its desserts.. It is Datça’s most well-known and famous Groom dessert, which is definitely made at all weddings.. Even though the foreigners look like baklava at first glance, the interior material is entirely made of almonds.
Reaching Datça
Highway: It is possible to reach by bus from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Muğla. You can reach Datça from Marmaris after traveling 65 km by minibus. By sea: Another option is to reach Datça by ferry from Istanbul or Ankara by flying to Dalaman or Bodrum.. If you are coming from the Greek island of Rhodes and Symi, you can use the ferries that run between May and October.
