About Us
Kapurcuk Culture and Gastronomy House is a project brought to life by Baysal Ltd. Co. under the leadership of Mehmet Baysal. The primary aim of this project is to remind those who have begun to forget the daily life of the Marmaris we long for, its lost professions, and the flavors that can no longer be found in today’s Marmaris, while also introducing them to those who have never experienced them.
At the same time, we are all aware that perspectives on tourism are changing in today’s developing world. Expectations from tourist destinations have evolved significantly compared to the past. Recognizing that businesses reflecting local culture create a strong attraction for visitors, we launched this project to help promote and expand such initiatives in Marmaris.
Before introducing Kapurcuk to you, we believe it is important to touch upon a few significant moments in the history of Marmaris in order to better explain why we brought this project to life — and more importantly, to share our respect, love, and admiration for Marmaris and its cultural value.
- Marmaris was known as Physkos, a Carian city, as early as 3000 BC.
- In 1522, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his army of nearly 100,000 soldiers established a camp in Marmaris during the campaign to conquer Rhodes. During this expedition, Sultan Suleiman also ordered the construction of Marmaris Castle. It is believed that an extraordinary event took place during this conquest: Sarıana’s cow miraculously managed to feed the entire army on its own. Today, Sarıana’s Tomb, located in the Sarıana district of Marmaris, is still visited by many people who come to pay their respects and offer prayers.
- Between 1800 and 1801, 120 ships of the British Royal Navy and 5 ships of the Ottoman Navy carried out what is considered the first planned military exercise in world history in Marmaris Bay. During this period, the soldiers who lost their lives were buried on Bedir Island, where traces of British graves can still be found today. Later, these two fleets launched an expedition to Egypt, which was under French rule at the time, and achieved a major victory against Napoleon. During this campaign, the daughter of the captain of the ship Agenoria was born on the shores of Marmaris, and Captain Barcham named her Marmorice Caramania Barcham.
- Between 1933 and 1935, the great leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk visited Marmaris three times aboard the ship Gülcemal.
- In 1960, the renowned intellectual Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, famously known as “The Fisherman of Halicarnassus,” began the very first Blue Voyage journey from Marmaris.
With this awareness, and recognizing how valuable it is — not only for us but also for Marmaris itself — to preserve, sustain, and revive the values of the “old Marmaris” that have gradually begun to fade alongside the historically significant events mentioned above, we brought this cultural project to life.
