Muğla

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Turkey's southwestern coast early on Aug. 1, the country's disaster authority announced.

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The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the quake struck off Datça town of Muğla province at 7.31 a.m. local time (0431GMT).

It occurred at a depth of 14.85 kilometers (9.2 miles) below the surface, it added.

Turkey has mobilized and united in efforts to fight against wildfires that have wreaked havoc on swathes of the country's south and Aegean region, as the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said 107 of 112 fires have been brought under control as of early Aug. 1.

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Ninety-eight of 107 forest fires in Turkey are under control, the nation's Agriculture and Forestry Minister said late on July 31.

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Efforts to contain nine blazes are still ongoing, Bekir Pakdemirli said during a news conference at a fire management center in the Depirmenyanı district of southwestern Muğla province.

Located in the Aegean province of Muğla, the Datça resort town has become one of the top choices of holidaymakers during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. (AA Photo)

The Turkish Coast Guard on July 18 rescued 26 irregular migrants illegally pushed back by Greek forces, according to a Turkish security source.

Two 2,500-year-old marble statues and an inscription have been found during excavations at the Temple of Zeus Lepsynos, one of the best-preserved Roman temples of Anatolia, in the western province of Muğla.

Built with donations in the second century B.C., the temple is located in the ancient city of Euromos.

The owner of Karaca Island, which is located in the Gökova Gulf of the southwestern province of Muğla and was on sale with a discount price for two years, has raised the cost of the property to 225 million Turkish Liras ($25.9 million) after seeing the interest of international buyers.

A forest fire that broke out in Turkey's southwestern Muğla province on June 27 has been brought under control, said a local official.

"The fire is now under control. Teams continue cooling work from air and land in the region," Orhan Tavlı, the Muğla governor, told Anadolu Agency.

Known for its special location at the junction of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, the ancient city of Knidos, whose foundation in Datça district of the western province of Muğla dates back 4,000 years, Knidos started welcoming its visitors again as of June 1 following a reopening after COVID-19-related restrictions were loosened.

The Temple of Zeus Lepsynos, which was built with donations in the second century B.C. in the Milas district of the western province of Muğla and is among the best-preserved temples in Anatolia, is being restored. (AA Photo)