Muğla Turkey this time (the name is pronounced Moola; but Μούγλα in Greek since Byzantine times). I came here for a workshop but enjoying the nature, culture and language of Turkey. I walked a couple of times out of town to the ancient Acropolis on Masa Dağı (Table Mountain) and the lower part of the Değirmendere Canyon (immediately near the city, a peri-urban area really). Muğla is a relatively small city by modern turkish standards, about 61,550 (2009 estimates) and often overlooked by visitors to nearby coastal resorts, Muğla has received a new boost with the foundation of Muğla University in the 1990s.
Muğla's center is situated inland at an altitude of 660 m and lies at a distance of about 30 km from the nearest seacoast in the Gulf of Gökova to its south-west. We also visited the Akyaka (ate at the Akyaka Orman Kampi Restorani that provides a view of the inner bay of Gökova). On Masa Dağı, to the north of the city, a few ancient remains and rock-cut tombs indicate that it was the site of an acropolis. It appears in the historical record for the first time at the beginning of the 2nd century BC under the name Mobolla (Ancient Greek: Μόβωλλα).
I have not researched the presence of Modern Greeks in this area, but Wikipedia says that in 1912 the Sanjak of Menteşe (Muğla) had a total population of 42,000, of which 1,500–4,000 were ethnic Greeks, according to varyious sources. Most Greeks residing in the subprovince lived in the city of Muğla, totalling slightly more than 1,000 in number; but I did read somewhere (Muğla Chamber of Commerce and Industry website) that there were maybe 3000 Greeks in Muğla City. So easy to forget the history. But I did find one house in the old part of the city with some Greek letters above the doorway.
Anyway, I really recommend staying a couple of nights in this city to soak up a truley authentic turkish experience. The people are extremely friendly and hospitable. There are very very few foreign tourists. On the trails I saw no-one. I did have an encounter with a dog, but it was very shy.
The little walking I did was wonderful and I had some good wildlife experiences, especially finding my first Caucasian Squirrels (Sciurus anomalus) and wonderful photo-ops of Rüppell's warbler, Masked Shrike, Wheatears, Rock Nathatch, Peregrine and Gull-billed Terns at Gökova (see below). Of course, I would return to this part of Turkey anytime. Turkey is a wonderful place to explore!
