Mudanya is a port in the Southern Marmara Region of Turkey. It's on the Marmara coast 12 km north of Bursa, with ferries from Istanbul, and most visitors are just passing through. The town sprawls along the coast for several km and includes the secondary port of Güzelyalı. In 2020 the population was 102,523.
Mudanya of old was the Hellenistic town of Apamea Myrlea, one of many small ports along the Marmara and Aegean coasts. It remained small as its harbour lacks shelter, and its hinterland is rugged hills good for olive growing and goat herding and not much else. However it does have a short sea crossing from Istanbul and a valley leading inland to the city of Bursa, first bastion of the Ottoman dynasty and centre for silk manufacture. So Mudanya has always been a trading and ferry port, and also has a small fishing fleet.
The First World War in the east Mediterranean was ended by the 1918 Armistice of Mudros and 1920 Treaty of Sèvres. The defeated Ottomans had to cede not only their sprawling Empire, but large tracts of mainland Turkey and its islands, and submit to foreign governance. The Greeks saw a chance for even greater territorial gain, landed in strength at several points including Mudanya, and marched on Istanbul and Ankara. The other Allies joined in and faced a disorganised demoralised force, until Turkish army officers rallied around Mustafa Kemal, and the fightback escalated into the Turkish War of Independence. This was ended in Oct 1922 by the Armistice of Mudanya then the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923. Turkey still lost its empire but recovered its mainland, its independence as a secular modern republic, and its pride.
The price of this was population exchanges. The many Greeks in the area were deported to settle in "New Moudania" on the Halkidiki peninsula, while ethnic Turks from Crete were re-settled in Mudanya.
BUDO ferries sail five times a day from Istanbul Eminonu and take just under two hours to Mudanya. A single fare in 2022 is 40-55 TL.
Mudanya ferry pier 📍 is east side of town centre. From Bursa, take the Bursaray metro to its north terminus at Emek (allow 30 min), then the frequent 1/M bus to the square next to the ferry pier (another 25 min).
İDO (dead link: January 2023) ferries sail five times a day from Istanbul: they start from Kabataş and pick up from Kadıköy then Yenikapı - this is just south of Sultanahmet and likely to be the most convenient for international travellers. They take just under two hours to Güzelyalı, usually non-stop but occasionally calling at Armutlu, for similar fares to BUDO.
Güzelyalı ferry pier 📍 has buses to Bursa main bus station.
By road from Istanbul it's quickest to stay on O-5 to Bursa then turn north on D575, but you could turn off at Gemlik to tootle along the coast road.
Buses from Bursa ply the coast road between Güzelyalı, Mudanya and Tirilye. You'll need your own vehicle to get further afield.
There's a rash of small stores along the main highway. The biggest is Migros, on Zeytinlik Sk 200 m west of the Armistice House, open daily 09:00-22:00.
Blue Mudanya, Manolya Sk, 40.3840°, 28.8615°, +90 224 544 7544. This resort and spa hotel at the west edge of town gets great reviews for comfort, service and cleanliness. B&B double 900 TL 2022-02-15
Lafontaine Butik Otel, Fevzi Paşa Cd 36, 40.3803°, 28.8795°, +90 224 543 1041. Reliable mid-town choice. B&B double 500 TL 2022-02-15
Hotel Montania, İstasyon Cd, 40.3726°, 28.8909°, +90 224 544 6000. Hotel in the neo-classical former railway station, showing its age and overpriced for what you get. B&B double 1000 TL 2022-02-15
In Güzelyalı Yali Bahce Butik Otel and Yalı Bahçe Otel are two basic places on the seafront just west of the pier.
Mudanya has 4G from all Turkish carriers, which extends along the coast to Güzelyalı and inland to Bursa. As of Feb 2022, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division