Oludeniz Museums and Art Galleries

(Oludeniz, Mugla Province, Turkey)

Oludeniz is a bit thin on museums and art galleries, as most visitors are only really interested in one thing - the sublime beaches. There is, however, an ethnography museum in the resort town, which does well in mimicking what life must have been like in the region, through a series of interesting wax figures.

You will need to get out of town for anything remotely interesting in the way of culture. The Fethiye Museum in nearby Fethiye is a good starter, while the exhibitions at the Marmaris Castle are also worth a visit. The best offering within a day's drive of Oludeniz is the Alanya Archaeological Museum. This has gallery after gallery of interesting art work and artefacts, along with an outdoor section in a garden setting.

Oludeniz Ethnography Museum

Address: Oludeniz, Turkey, TR
The Ethnography Museum in Oludeniz lends insight into the people of the past in this region of southern Turkey. It features dozens of small wax human figures of varying heights in a variety of scenes of typical Anatolian villages, including women milking, spinning and cooking bread; shepherds, oxen and carriages, and many more. The scenes are well done and the figures are up to a metre in height.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Fethiye Museum

Address: Fethiye, Turkey, TR
This is one of the top museums in nearby Fethiye and displays a wealth of Lycian artefacts from diverse periods, all found in the region. Included are Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine pieces. The coins, ornaments and statues are particularly impressive and there is also a trilingual stele (stone slab) featuring Greek, Aramaic, and Lycian inscriptions. The Fethiye Museum also comes with an ethnographic section and is located in a purpose-built, single-storey building near the main street.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 08:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Marmaris Museum

Address: Marmaris, Turkey, TR
Tel: +90 0252 412 1459
If you are anywhere near Marmaris (north-west of Oludeniz), be sure to check out Marmaris Castle and its associated museum. While the castle fort is the main attraction for its fabulous views and medieval architecture, the museum provides interesting information about the history of the town and castle, and comes with some decent exhibits. There are fabulous stone sculptures here and the displays have plenty of appeal.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 08:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17.30
Admission: charge

Central Mugla Museum

Address: Mugla, Tashan District, Turkey, TR
Tel: +90 0252 214 4933
Visitors checking out Marmaris might like to also take in the administrative capital, Mugla. It features the Mugla Museum, which displays major fossil finds from the archaeological site at nearby Kaklica Hill, as well as from Yatagan. Mugla Museum also has sections dedicated to ethnography and to natural history, with fossils of many animals and various traditional items of clothing.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 08:30 to 18:00
Admission: free

Alanya Archaeological Museum

Address: Saray Mahallesi Hilmi Balci Sokak, Alanya, Turkey TR
Tel: +90 0242 513 12 28
This excellent museum is one of the largest in the country, and if you fancy visiting the Antalya Province, be sure to give the Alanya Archaeological Museum a look. There are more than a dozen exhibition halls, along with a huge open-air gallery. In all, there are over 5,000 art works on display and many more thousands of artefacts in storage. The Lycian Hall, the prehistoric and ancient art, and the exceptional outdoor gallery space all serve as particular highlights. Do bear in mind, however, that this attraction is just over 300 km / 186 miles away, and so is really only suitable for those heading in this easterly direction.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 19:30
Admission: charge