Marmara Island: deposits of white marble, which has been mined for more than 2.5 thousand years

The Sea of Marmara, sandwiched between Europe and Asia, is not accidentally called that. This sea got its name from the island of Marmara, which is located in the western part of the sea and is the oldest marble mining site on the planet. Marble mined on this island was used in the construction of many ancient architectural monuments, and industrial development of its deposits on the island continues to this day.

Marmara Island, owned by Turkey today, has not always been called that. At that time, when it had just begun commercial mining of white marble, he bore the name Prokonnessos, which the Greeks gave him, and the sea itself was called Propontis. According to researchers, the island was inhabited by the Greeks in the III millennium BC. There were favorable conditions for winemaking and farming, and after high-quality white marble was mined here, the island began to flourish, and representatives of the Greek aristocracy lived here.

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (modern reconstruction)

Using white marble from the island of Marmara, many ancient monuments were built, including the famous Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, ranked among the ancient wonders of the world. Throughout its history, the island was ruled by Greeks, Romans, Turks, and all of them highly appreciated the quality of the marble located here, and its extraction has been conducted here for more than 2.5 thousand years.

The island of Marmara is the largest in the Sea of Marmara and has an area of 130 sq. Km. Until 1923 it was inhabited mainly by Greeks. But following the First World War, the island became the property of Turkey, and most of its population left these places forever. In 1935, a destructive earthquake occurred in Marmara, as a result of which many ancient monuments of architecture were destroyed or severely damaged. Nevertheless, there is something to see, so tourists often visit the island.