of Heaven Island near Marmaris. Since ancient times, it was used as a place of worship. According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, human presence in the cave dated back to 3000 BC but excavations carried out by the Municipality of Marmaris in 2007 pushed this back by almost 12,000 years. Research conducted in the cave revealed the existence of a cult of the Mother Goddess Leto, the mother of God Apollo and Goddess Artemis, in the ancient city of Physkos. Worship took place around the main rock which is surrounded by stone altars in a semi-circle raised about 30 cm from the ground. Offerings in the form of cremations, glass beads, terracotta, and sculptures of Leto were placed on these elevated stones. The cave was also used during the Roman period. Nimara Cave was declared a protected area in 1999. It shelters trogloxene butterflies, identical to those living in Fethiye's Butterfly Valley (). The Marmaris peninsula is the westernmost habitat for Tulipa armena, which normally grows in Eastern Turkey, Iran, and Transcaucasia at much higher altitudes. The plants may have been introduced during the Ottoman period. Climate Marmaris has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa) characterised by hot dry summers and mild rainy winters. Showers and rain are very unlikely between May and October. Summers are hot and dry, and temperatures are especially high during the heatwaves in July and August. Temperatures start to cool in September and October is still warm and bright, though with spells of rain. Winter is the rainy season, with most precipitation falling after November. Annual rainfall can reach 1,232.7 millimetres (48.531 in) and heavy cloudbursts can cause flash floods in flood prone areas.Winter temperatures are usually mild. Sports The Final Four matches of the 2013 Men's European Volleyball League were held in the Amiral Orhan Aydın Sports Hall in Marmaris from July 13 to 14,. The Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey () is a professional road bicycle racing stage race held each spring. Every year in late October Marmaris hosts a regatta attracting domestic and international boats and crews. International relations Twin towns/sister cities Marmaris is twinned with: Fürth, Germany Jinan, China Ordu, Turkey Ashkelon, Israel Dzerzhinsky, Russia See also Nimara Cave Heaven Island Gulf of Gökova Turkish Riviera References External links Turkish Riviera National parks of Turkey Mediterranean port cities and towns in Turkey Populated places in Muğla Province Tourist attractions in