About Kusadasi

Kusadasi, which means “bird island” in Turkish, is set in a superb gulf in the Aegean region of Turkey and is known for its turquoise sparkling water of the Aegean Sea, broad sandy beaches, bright sun and large marina with a capacity for 600 boats. A glorious ancient city stands beside it, Ephesus with millions of visitors from tours each year. The town is only 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Adnan Menderes Airport in Izmir. 

Around 2000 BC people coming from Lelek, Caria and Lydia had settled down as a society to the slopes of Pilav Mountain. Later one by one with the unit settlements Pigale, Maratheson, Neopolis and Panionion came to life; Ionians and later Romans by Ephesus coming into the dominance of Rome, had lived in these lands.

Today’s Kusadasi is founded in 16th century by Venetians as a colony. The castle on the small island was built for the purpose of observation in Byzantine times. In the Middle Ages Kusadasi was ruled by Venetians and Genoese which had taken the name of Scala Nova.