The marble, named after the Marmara Sea and Marmara Island in the Marmara Region, is exported from the Saraylar District of the island to the Middle East, Europe, the Balkans, China, and the United States.
The production of marble extracted from Marmara Island has been ongoing for 3,000 years in the quarries in Saraylar, since the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods.
The first marble factory in Turkey was established on the island in 1912, where production is carried out in 35 quarries and 42 establishments. Marmara marble, which has a natural, healthy, and sturdy structure, is mostly preferred in mosques, baths, and tombs, as well as in the bathroom walls and restaurant flooring of luxury hotels in the United States and Europe.
Marmara marble used in some buildings belonging to the Ephesus and Troy civilizations, the San Marco Basilica in Venice, the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine, art museums in Germany, Byzantine and Ottoman madrasas in various cities of Turkey, places of worship, and palaces, also adorns the Topkapı, Çırağan, and Dolmabahçe palaces.
Named after the Greek “marmaros,” marble also gives its name to the Marmara Region and the Marmara Sea, in addition to the island it is extracted from.
Most exports to Greece In 2023, 114,065 tons of marble were exported in blocks and processed forms to 38 countries including China, the United States, Greece, Bulgaria, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Poland, and Iran.
Exports of block and processed Marmara marble amounted to 20,518 tons in January and February 2024.
Last year, Greece was the country that received the most Marmara marble with 24,465 tons. During this period, 18,071 tons were sold to China, 16,954 tons to Egypt, and 9,069 tons to Bulgaria.
The product, registered as a geographical indication with the names “Marmara Island marble,” “Marmara marble,” and “Marmara white” by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in 2018, earned 11,391,000 dollars from exports last year.
Halil Kan, President of the Marmara Island Industrialists and Businessmen Association, told AA correspondent that the Saraylar District harbors one of the world’s largest carbonate and calcium deposits.
Kan stated that the port in Saraylar needs to be expanded, saying, “I anticipate that our sales will be good this year, and we will increase them by 25 percent compared to last year.”
Süleyman Aksoy, Mayor of the Marmara Islands, stated that the marble extracted from the island for 3,000 years has a durable structure resistant to external factors.
Aksoy emphasized that marble can be used in all areas of structures, saying, “We continue our production of our marble, which has gained worldwide fame from our Saraylar District, without slowing down.”
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç