Kuşadası () is a large

resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

's Aegean coast, and the center of the seaside district of the same name within

Aydın Province Aydın Province ( tr, ) is a province of southwestern Turkey, located in the Aegean Region. The provincial capital is the city of Aydın which has a population of almost 200,000 (2012). Other towns in the province include the summer seaside re ...

. Kuşadası is south of

İzmir İzmir ( , ; ), also spelled Izmir, is a metropolitan city in the western extremity of Anatolia, capital of the province of the same name. It is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara and the second largest urban agglo ...

, and about from

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar'', Ancient and Modern Greek: Τράλλεις /''Tralleis''/) is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of B ...

. The

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

's primary industry is tourism. The mayor of the district is Oğuzhan Turan.

Geography

The city is situated along a gulf of the same name in the Aegean. The island of

Güvercinada Güvercinada (literally: Pigeon Island) is an island in western Turkey connected to mainland Kuşadası of Aydın Province via a relatively narrow, man-made causeway which is in length. Castle There is a castle on the island, which is situated a ...

(in English: ''Pigeon Island'') is connected to mainland Kuşadası by a

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

, and is situated adjacent to the large hill of Kese Dağı near the center of town. It is located south of

, the area's metropolitan centre, and approximately in driving distance from the provincial seat of

, depending on the route taken. Its neighbours are

Selçuk Selçuk is a town in İzmir Province in the Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located northeast of the ancient city of Ephesus, that was once home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Its previous Greek name, Ag ...

to the north,

Germencik Germencik is a town and a district of Aydın Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. Geography Germencik is located in the middle of the fertile Büyük Menderes (Meander) plain, inland from the Aegean coastal town of Kuşadası, on the Ayd� ...

to the north-east, and

Söke Söke is a town and the largest district of Aydın Province in the Aegean region of western Turkey, 54 km (34 miles) south-west of the city of Aydın, near the Aegean coast. It had 121.940 population in 2020. It neighbours are Germencik fro ...

to the east and south.

Demographics

The district of Kuşadası had a total residential population of 121,493 in 2020, though the actual population is thought to rise to well over half a million in the summer months due to a significant influx of both domestic and international

tourists Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...

as well as those visiting family or returning to their summer residence. This also includes the hotel and bar staff, construction workers, and drivers who are required to work in/for the restaurants and other services accommodating these visitors. In addition to tourists from overseas, there is also a substantial community of foreigners that have permanently settled in the area.

History

Etymology

The name ''Kuşadası'' comes from the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

words ''kuş'' (bird) and ''ada'' (island), as

the island The Island(s) may refer to: Places * Any of various islands around the world, see the list of islands * The Island (Cache County, Utah), an island on the Bear River, Utah * The Island, Chennai, a river island in India * The Island, Chicago, a n ...

has the shape of a bird's head (when seen from the sea). It was known as ''Ephesus Neopolis'' ( Greek: ) during the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

era, and later as ''Scala Nova'' or ''Scala Nuova'' under the Genoese and Venetians. ''Kuş Adası'' was adopted in its place at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the citizens of Kuşadası often shorten the town's name to ''Ada''.

Antiquity

The area has been a centre of art and culture since some of the earliest recorded history, and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Later settlers include the Aeolians in the 11th century BC and Ionians in the 9th. Originally, seamen and traders built a number of settlements along the coastline, including Neopolis. An outpost of

Ephesus Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in t ...

in ancient

Ionia Ionia () was an ancient region on the western coast of Anatolia, to the south of present-day Izmir. It consisted of the northernmost territories of the Ionian League of Greek settlements. Never a unified state, it was named after the Ionian ...

, known as Pygela (Πύγελα) was located in the area between the

Büyük Menderes Büyük means "big" in Turkic languages and may refer to: People Given name * Büyük Jeddikar (born 1929), Iranian retired footballer * Büyük Vatankhah (born 1943), Iranian retired footballer Surname * Adem Büyük (born 1987), Turkish fo ...

(Maeander) and Gediz (Hermos) rivers. The original Neopolis, is thought to have been founded on the nearby point of Yılancı Burnu. Later settlements were probably built on the hillside of Pilavtepe, in the district called Andızkulesi today. Kuşadası was a minor port frequented by vessels trading along the Aegean coast. In antiquity it was overshadowed by

, until Ephesus' harbor silted up. From the 7th century BC onwards the coast was ruled by

Lydians The Lydians (known as ''Sparda'' to the Achaemenids, Old Persian cuneiform Wikt:𐎿𐎱𐎼𐎭, 𐎿𐎱𐎼𐎭) were Anatolians, Anatolian people living in Lydia, a region in western Anatolia, who spoke the distinctive Lydian language, an ...

from their capital at Sardis, then from 546 BC the

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

ns, and from 334 BC, along with all of Anatolia, the coast was conquered by

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

. From that point on the coastal cities in

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

became a centre of

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

culture.

Rome and Christianity

The

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...

took possession of the coast in the 2nd century BC and made it their provincial capital in the early years of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

. Saint John the Evangelist and (according to Roman Catholic

sacred tradition Sacred tradition is a theological term used in Christian theology. According to the theology of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Assyrian churches, sacred tradition is the foundation of the doctrinal and spiritual authority o ...

) the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

both came to live in the area, which in the Christian era became known as "Ania". As

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

and Genoese shippers began to trade along the coast, the port was re-founded (by the name of ''Scala Nova'' or ''Scala Nuova'', meaning "New Port"), a garrison was placed on the island, and the town centre shifted from the hillside to the coast.

The Turkish era

Long afterwards, in 1834, the castle and garrison on the island were rebuilt and expanded, becoming the focus of the town. This was to such an extent that people began to refer to the whole town as Kuşadası (bird island). However, in the 19th century, trade began to decline in favor of other nearby cities with the opening of the

railway, which bypassed Kuşadası. During the

Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...

, Kuşadası was occupied from 1919-1922, first by Italian troops between 14 May 1919 and 24 May 1922, and then by Greek troops. The Turkish forces eventually gained control of the city on September 7, 1922. Under the

Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, the Greek population was exchanged for Turkish people as part of the

population exchange between Greece and Turkey The 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey ( el, Ἡ Ἀνταλλαγή, I Antallagí, ota, مبادله, Mübâdele, tr, Mübadele) stemmed from the "Convention Concerning the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations" signed at ...

in 1923. It was a district in

İzmir Province İzmir Province ( tr, İzmir ili) is a province and metropolitan municipality of Turkey in western Anatolia, situated along the Aegean coast. Its capital is the city of İzmir, which is in itself composed of the province's central 11 distri ...

until its transfer to

in 27 June 1957.

Economy

Industry

Kuşadası caters to tourists arriving by land, or from the port for

cruise ship Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "s ...

passengers heading to

. In a controversial deal in 2003, the previously public-owned port was leased to a private company and renovated to attract luxury cruise liners. The area features several well-known local beaches, including Ladies Beach, the beach at the centrum, the beaches between the Batıhan Hotel and the Nazilli Site, the beach at Güzelçamlı, and the Dilek Peninsula National Park beach, referred to by locals as simply ''Milli Park''.

Transportation

There is public transport within the town and to nearby locations via shuttle minibuses (''

dolmuş In Turkey and Northern Cyprus, dolmuş () are share taxis that run set routes within and between cities. Background Their name is derived from Turkish for "seemingly stuffed" referencing the fact that in days past these taxis were often filled t ...

''). There are bus and taxi services going to the nearby airports in

and in

Bodrum Bodrum () is a port city in Muğla Province, southwestern Turkey, at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Its population was 35,795 at the 2012 census, with a total of 136,317 inhabitants residing within the district's borders. Known in ancient t ...

Muğla Province Muğla Province ( tr, , ) is a province of Turkey, at the country's south-western corner, on the Aegean Sea. Its seat is Muğla, about inland, while some of Turkey's largest holiday resorts, such as Bodrum, Ölüdeniz, Marmaris and Fethiye, are ...

. Day trips are available by boat from Kuşadası and Güzelçamlı. The city is a port of call for several

cruise ships Cruise ships are large passenger ships used mainly for vacationing. Unlike ocean liners, which are used for transport, cruise ships typically embark on round-trip voyages to various ports-of-call, where passengers may go on tours known as "s ...

. The port is linked by a six-lane highway to İzmir's

Adnan Menderes Airport Adnan ( ar, عدنان, 'adnān) is the traditional ancestor of the Adnanite Arabs of Northern, Western, Eastern and Central Arabia, as opposed to the Qahtanite Arabs of Southern Arabia who descend from Qahtan. His ancestry can be traced back t ...

. Several state roads connect the city to its surrounding districts, such as

and

. There are daily ferry services to the nearby Greek island of

Samos Samos (, also ; el, Σάμος ) is a Greek island in the eastern Aegean Sea, south of Chios, north of Patmos and the Dodecanese, and off the coast of western Turkey, from which it is separated by the -wide Mycale Strait. It is also a separate ...

. Kuşadası's bus station is a transport hub. Coach buses connect the city to various parts of the country.

Places of interest

Öküz_Mehmed_Pasha_Caravanserai,_Kuşadası_02

* The city walls – There were once three gates; one remains. * Kaleiçi Mosque – Built in 1618 by

Grand Vizier Grand vizier ( fa, وزيرِ اعظم, vazîr-i aʾzam; ota, صدر اعظم, sadr-ı aʾzam; tr, sadrazam) was the title of the effective head of government of many sovereign states in the Islamic world. The office of Grand Vizier was first ...

Öküz Kara Mehmed Pasha. * The

Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai The Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai ( tr, Öküz Mehmet Paşa Kervansarayı; ota, ALA-LC: ) is a caravanserai located in Kuşadası, Aydın Province, western Turkey, built by Ottoman statesman and military commander "Öküz" Mehmed Pash ...

is near the docks. It was built in 1618 as a strong-room for the goods of seamen. * Güvercin Adası ("Pigeon Island" in English) – The peninsula/island at the end of the bay, which has a castle and swimming beaches, including a private beach and cafe with a view back across the bay to the harbour of Kuşadası. Public beaches are located at the back of the peninsula, towards the open sea. * Kirazli – Traditional Turkish village from Kuşadası. * Yılancı Burnu – A second peninsula beyond Güvercin Ada. Possibly the location of the original settlement of Neopolis. Some walls are visible. There are beaches and beach clubs here. * Several aqua-parks with wave-pools and white-water slides are located near the town. * Ladies Beach – Very close to the town center, one of the primary tourist attractions. * Kadıkalesi – Venetian/Byzantine castle, along the Kuşadası-Davutlar road. * Panionium – south of Kuşadası, situated along the Davutlar-Güzelçamlı road. Once the central meeting place of the Ionian League. The ruins are in poor condition and their authenticity is disputed. *

Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park Dilek Peninsula-Büyük Menderes Delta National Park ( tr, Dilek Yarımadası-Büyük Menderes Deltası Millî Parkı), established on May 19, 1966, is a national park in western Turkey. It contains within its borders the entirety of the Dilek ...

– About south of the city centre, the national park is adjacent to the town of Güzelçamlı. It has several coves, beaches, canyons, and a sink cave. It is one of the most diverse and protected national parks in Turkey.

Culture

* An annual song contest has been held here. It was once won by

Cem Karaca Muhtar Cem Karaca (5 April 1945 – 8 February 2004) was a prominent Turkish rock musician and one of the most important figures in the Anatolian rock movement. He was a graduate of Robert College. He worked with various Turkish rock bands such ...

. * The annual Fanta Gençlik Festivali (Fanta Youth Festival), hosted by the Turkish franchise of

Fanta Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta originated in Germany as ...

(see

International availability of Fanta Fanta is an American-owned German brand of fruit-flavored carbonated soft drinks created by The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Deutschland under the leadership of German businessman Max Keith. There are more than 200 flavors worldwide. Fanta ori ...

), travels across the country on specific dates, holding concerts at each location. On July 17, 2010, the festival hosted one of the concerts of this festival in Kuşadası. * The Kuşadası Gençlik Festivali (Kuşadası Youth Festival, not to be confused with the above) has been hosted annually since 2016 at Sevgi Plajı (Love Beach), one of the main beaches situated on the coast of the district's

Davutlar Davutlar is a neighbourhood of the municipality and district of Kuşadası, Aydın Province, Turkey. Its population is 15,877 (2022). Before the 2013 reorganisation, it was a town (''belde''). It lies at the north of the Dilek Peninsula and sout ...

locality – roughly a drive south from central Kuşadası, serviced regularly by

departing from the city. Facilitated each year in July over the course of five days with a total of over 30 artists performing, the festival saw an estimated turnout of about 90,000 people in its 2017 iteration according to its promoters. Since its inception, it has continuously grown in popularity and has become among the most regarded music festivals in Turkey.

Sports

The football teams of the local sports clubs Kuşadasıspor and Kuşadası Yıldız Fenerspor, which compete in the

Turkish Regional Amateur League The Turkish Regional Amateur League ( tr, Bölgesel Amatör Ligi) is the fifth tier of the Turkish football league system. The tier comprises a number (usually 11-13, varies by season) of groups across Turkey, each consisting of teams grouped ac ...

, play their home matches in the

Özer Türk Stadium Özer is made up of the Turkish ''öz'' meaning "core, essence" and ''er'' meaning "private, soldier". Ozer is also a personal name or surname in Jewish culture. Özer may refer to: Given name * Özer Ateşçi (born 1942), Turkish alpine skier *Ch ...

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

Kuşadası is twinned with: *

Batumi Batumi (; ka, ბათუმი ) is the second largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, located on the coast of the Black Sea in Georgia's southwest. It is situated in a subtropical zone at the foot of th ...

, Georgia * Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Cherkasy, Ukraine *

Drogheda Drogheda ( , ; , meaning "bridge at the ford") is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, north of Dublin. It is located on the Dublin–Belfast corridor on the east coast of Ireland, mostly in County Louth ...

, Ireland * Gjorče Petrov (Skopje), North Macedonia *

Marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, clays, and silt. When hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. Marl makes up the lower part o ...

, Germany *

El Mina El-Mina or El Mina (Arabic: الميناء / ALA-LC: ''al-Mīnā’'', which means "the harbour"), is a coastal independent town in Tripoli, Northern Lebanon. El-Mina occupies the location of the old Phoenician city of Tripoli. It acts as the har ...

, Lebanon * Monterey, United States *

Prizren ) , settlement_type = Municipality and city , image_skyline = Prizren Collage.jpg , imagesize = 290px , image_caption = View of Prizren , image_alt = View of Prizren , image_flag ...

, Kosovo *

Sinaia Sinaia () is a town and a mountain resort in Prahova County, Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Muntenia. The town was named after the Sinaia Monastery of 1695, around which it was built. The monastery, in turn, is named after t ...

, Romania * Vathy, Greece

References

External links

Kusadasi Information

Kusadasi Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kusadasi Populated places in Aydın Province Populated coastal places in Turkey Seaside resorts in Turkey Aegean Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Tourist attractions in Aydın Province Fishing communities in Turkey Towns in Turkey