Yatağan, Muğla

Sights of interest

Situated in the heart of ancient Caria and, during the 13th – 14th centuries, of the territory of the Anatolian beylik of Menteşe, the district boasts several localities of interest rich in history and in natural beauty. The region is covered in large part by Mediterranean pine forests.

At a distance of 10 km (6 mi) to the west of the district center, in the direction of Milas, is the ancient site of Stratonikeia, in the present-day village of Eskihisar, and at walking distance from the ancient city is its sanctuary Lagina, near the present-day township of Turgut. Turgut was called Leyne officially until recent date and is still called as such locally.

Another spot of interest is the village of Çaybükü on the road to Muğla. The village is famous for its old and restored coffee house, Belen Kahvesi, mentioned in a nationally renowned song called “Ormancı”, which has as theme a tragic event that took place there in 1946. The coffee house is a tourist attraction today both because of the curiosity aroused by the song and also due to its magnificent view of the surrounding plain. Once again, Çaybükü had a different official name, Gevenes, until the 1950s and that name is still used locally. An unsuccessful petition was even made by the inhabitants in 2006 for a return to the former name, but while the Ministry of Interior Affairs could accept Geven, it did accept Gevenes.^[3] The village is referred to by name in the song, under its former official name of Gevenes.

Yatağan Power Plant

Since the 1990s the town has attracted world attention due to the ecological pollution by the nearby Yatağan Thermal Power Plant, one of the largest Turkey’s coal-burning power plant, built in 1976. There have been campaigns to shut it down by Greenpeace since 1994, and several shutdown court orders have been issued, only to be overruled or ignored because of the energy shortage.^[4]