According to Greek historian Herodotus, the first city walls in Marmaris were constructed in 3,000 BC, although the only known written source about the construction of the castle is by the renowned Ottoman traveler, Evliya Çelebi, in his work Seyahatname.

Çelebi, who visited Muğla and its vicinity in the 17th century, says that Sultan Suleiman ordered the construction of the castle before his expedition to Rhodes and that the castle served as a military base for the Ottoman Army during the expedition.

An important part of the castle was destroyed during World War I by a French warship.

Only the castle and the historic buildings surrounding the fortress were left undamaged.

Until 1979, locals inhabited the castle, which is known to include 18 residences, a fountain and a cistern.