ABOUT KUSADASI
Kusadasi meaning “Bird island” is situated in the Aegean region of Turkey, it is a harbour town, with a marina which has a capacity for up to 600 boats. It is surrounded by beautiful turquoise sea-water and sandy beaches. Close by stands the stunning ancient city of Ephesus, a city which dates back to 2000 years B.C. which hundreds of thousands of tourists visit every year, and has a large theatre in which concerts often take place and can hold up to 24000 people.There are countless restaurants and hotels in which you can relax or enjoy a meal, food from all around the world is served and of course the “Turkish Cuisine”!It has a buzzing nightlife with bars, cafes and night clubs open until the early hours of the morning whether it’s a relaxing drink or the pumping music of Bar Street, you’ll find what you are looking for…Kusadasi is a shoppers’ paradise, you can find almost anything you are looking for, for the right price, just be prepared for some good-natured haggling and you will not leave empty-handed, from leather, silver, gold, shoes and bags….the list goes on.
There are several markets during the week.Tuesdays – Aydin open market (65 km from Kusadasi)- Selcuk (20 km from Kusadasi)Wednesdays – Kusadasi textile market- Soke open market (20 km from Kusadasi)Fridays – Kusadasi green marketSaturdays – Selcuk open marketSundays – Davutlar open market (16 km from Kusadasi)
Many cruise ships dock for several days at a time at the dock and hundreds of passengers head into the town to explore.One of the first things they see when they come of is the Caravanserail, built in 1618 by an Ottoman statesman to attract international trade through the port. Nowadays it is a luxury hotel furnished to meet everyday modern needs whilst keeping all its characteristics
History
Though it is not clear who established Kusadasi first settlement a location near the city called Yilanci Burnu, or Neopolis supposedly established by Ionians, was connected to Ephesus. This city was settled around Pilavtepe hill in a place called Andizkulesi. After some time this area belonging to the Byzantines was economically dominated by Venetians and Genoese. Kucukada (Small Island) was a Byzantine fort protecting the shore and Guvercinada, an important military base for the Venetians and Ottomans, passed through a period of restoration and renewal in 1834, after which it received its famous castle.
While the city was connected to the Izmir district until 1954, it later became part of Aydin and rapidly developed. The city we know as Kusadasi was actually relocated from Andizkulesi to the present site, primarily named Yeni isklesi (New Dock). The bay and its close surroundings are known as art and cultural centers that have hosted a variety of civilizations since antiquity.
The area was dominated by Leleges in 3000 B.C., Aeolians in the 11th century B.C. and Ionians in the ninth century B.C. The area between the Buyuk Menderes (historically Meander) and Gediz (formerly Hermus) rivers was called iIonia in ancient times. Ionians who were merchants and sailors became very rich and powerful in a short time due to overseas trade. During their history they established 12 cities: the Ionian colonies. Kusadasi was one of the first ports to open Anatolia to the Mediterranean. The ancient kingdom of Lydia, whose capital was Sardes (modern Sart in the Manisa province of Turkey), became a dominant power in the region during the seventh century B.C. In 546 B.C. the Persians occupied the area, remaining until 334 B.C. and the arrival of Alexander the Great of Macedonia. At that time a completely new age began in Anatolia in which Greek and Anatolian civilizations merged — the Hellenistic era. Ephesus, Miletus, Priene and Didim (ancient name Didyma) were the most famous cities of the time.
During the second century B.C. the Romans became dominant in the area. With the arrival and settling of St. Jean in Ephesus during the first years of Christianity, this area also became religious center. Previously Ayasulu (Efes-Selck) and Balat (Milet) were the docks of the Menderes Valley. However, as the sea receded over time and the river silted up, the region had a need for another dock, attached to a modern city: Kusadasi Because much trade was being controlled by Venice and Genoa at the time, the new dock was renamed in Italian, Scala Nuova. The city was a commercial colony full of consulates, storage depots and merchants. Muslim Turks preferred to settle in Andizkule, a spot about five kilometers away, near the hill of Pilavtepe. As the city grew the Hacı Feyzullah, Alaca Mescit, Camii Atik and Turkmen quarters were added to the original two.
When Kucuk Aslan region was attached to the Seljuk state in 1186, the Turks finally controlled the region later to become a central gate toward the Aegean for caravans. After the fall of the Seljuks the Sultanate period began and for some time Aydinogullari ruled. The middle of the 15th century saw the start of Ottoman rule.
In 1413 Kusadasi was attached to the Ottoman Empire by Mehmet the First (Celebi). After that the city remained completely under Turkish rule and started to fill with Turkish art and cultural assets, some of them built on the orders of the Ottoman vizier Mehmet Pasha. Kusadasi started to take on its present structure around the 17th century. Mehmet Pasha, filling the position of vizier twice — for Sultan Ahmet I and Sultan Osman II — built walls around Kusadasi. The walls had only three gates, one of which today divides Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa Street from Kahramanlar Street. Its upper flat is being used as the City Traffic Control headquarters while the other gates no longer exist.
Mehmet Pasha also ordered the construction of a building complex consisting of an inn, a hamam and a mosque, as well as a new water system. At that time, Kusadasi consisted of two large quarters called Dag and Camiikebir. Because it was constructed on level ground Camiikebir consisted of narrow but sharply curved streets. Along the streets houses were grouped in pairs with their fronts along streets and courtyards in back.