The Sea of Marmara, in the region of Marmara, gets its name from the second largest island in Turkey, Marmara Island. The name comes from the Greek word Marmaron meaning marble which has been extracted here since ancient times. The island is large enough to sustain a reasonable sized community. There are actually two towns and four villages on the island, the main town being called Marmara too. The terrain is mountainous with forested areas and the inhabitants earn a living through fishing, agriculture and olive cultivation as well as tourism.

The island is served by regular ferry crossings from Tekirdag and Erdek. The same service also calls in at Avsa Island. During the summer the island can get quite busy with tourists from the mainland. The island has some good restaurants, cafes and places where you can purchase alcohol. You can rent kayaks by the hour and local handicrafts and food are sold near the ferry pier.

There is an open air Marble Museum in Saraylar village on the site of an old ancient quarry. In the village of Asmali there are some old Greek houses which were used by the Greek inhabitants prior to the Turkish Greek exchange of 1923.