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Kusadasi |
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Kusadasi,
which means "bird island" or "piegon
island", is set in a superb gulf in the
Aegean region of Turkey and is known for
its turquoise sparkling water of the
Sea, broad sandy beaches, bright sun and
large marina with a capacity for 600
boats. A glorious ancient city stands
beside it, Ephesus with hundreds of
thousands of visitors from tours each
year. The town is not far from Adnan
Menderes Airport, Izmir (only 80 km). |
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Numerous
holiday villages and hotels line its
shores and hundreds of restaurants
serves food from all around the world
and, of course, Turkish Cuisine, which
is one of the largest cuisines of the
world. We mustn't forget discos, bars,
cafe pubs and "Turkish Nights"; all
those to cater holiday-makers.
Kusadasi has retained a certain
earthiness to it and inexpensive meals
and pensions can still be found in town.
Many shops do a brisk trade with
passengers from hundreds of cruise ships
that dock for a day or two, allowing
enough time for a trip to Ephesus and a
shopping expedition.
The tiny Güvercin Adasi (Pigeon Island)
is connected to the mainland with a
causeway. Its romantic setting includes
a well-maintained flower garden which
surrounds the restored 14th or 15th
century fortress housing a restaurant
and disco frequented by lovers or those
hoping to find one by the night's end.
Beaches close to town tend to get quite
crowded during summer. If you prefer
more serenity, head for Dilek Peninsula
National Park, known locally as Milli
Park about 28 km (17 miles) from
Kusadasi.
It is also possible to get to Greek
island Samos by regular daily ferries.
History
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 Genoeses which
had taken the name of Scala Nova.
The city was surrounded with castle
walls for being protected from the
violence of pirates, very common in the
Mediterranean those centuries. It known
that there is an Ionian Region of
Kusadasi. This had taken an important
harbor mission on Asia - Europe trade
road for many years.
In the period of Scala Nova, the
Armenians dominant to trade, Greeks and
Jews had joined to former nations. With
the Malazgirt War in 1071 Seljuk Turks
had started to spread in Anatolia and
during the process of Turkish
principalities formation, in 1304 Sasa
Bey had been the authority of Kusadasi
and surroundings. Mehmet Bey had
connected this vicinity to Aydinogullari
after Sasa's death.
Kusadasi is a harbor town and Turks had
kept this in mind. Although they were
nomads from central Asia and far away
from maritime business, they had learnt
maritime as well as the Ephesians in a
short time. They had lived comfortably
with the spoils they caught at naval
battles. Kilic Arslan added this town to
Selcuk government and Scala Nova again
had become the exportation gate of
Anatolia in 1186. The Ottoman sultan
Yildirim Beyazit had joined Ayasulug (in
Selcuk) to his principalities and the
city became Ottoman in 1390. Tamerlane
(Timurlenk) decided to take whole of
Anatolia under his sovereign, but when
he could not take Ayasulug he put the
castle on fire in which Ottoman soldiers
resisted, and St. Jean's Church was
damaged very badly. With Cellebi Mehmet
I Kusadasi had gathered to the Ottoman
Empire and became a district.
With the vicinities passing to Ottomans,
Turks entered into societies in these
areas. At the end of 1st World War
Ottoman Government had overcome, so
Kusadasi was given to Italians with a
treaty, and under their rule, the town
was filled with Turks, Greeks, Jews,
Armenians. Most of those minorities left
the country on 7th September 1923 after
the victory of War of Independence led
by Atatürk. Lands between Güzelcamli and
Selcuk, the estates of Greeks which went
back during the agreement to exchange
minorities between Greece and Turkey,
were given to Turkish immigrants in
return to their properties there; the
same was done by the Greek government.
This migration was between 1941 and
1955.
Kusadasi is living parallel to Ephesus
in history and the settlements around
it. The places that have historical and
tourist values are:
Panionian Agora, Roman Bath, Ilica Hill,
Scala Nova, Pygale, Kadi Castle, Andiz
Tower, Neopolis, Aquaducts, Ania, Melia,
Kursunlu Monastery, Okuz Mehmet
Pasha Caravanserai, The Castle on Pigeon
Island, Ramparts surrounding the City,
Kusadasi Houses, Kaleici, Mosques,
Turkish Baths, Yacht Harbor and Dilek
National Park.
Pygale
According to Xeonophon, one of the
authors of 5th c BC, Pygale was
assembled by the king Agamemnon of
Myknai and Argos. In the 14th volume of
Strabon geography book it is told that
Pygale was established by Agamemnon and
he settled large amount of his soldiers
there who made good use of boiling
healing water in the land. According to
Strabon again, there was a temple made
for the moon goddess Munkyia in Phigale.
During the period of Trojan Wars that
continued ten years, Pygale was used for
curing soldiers and repairing ships.
After the Granikos Wars, Pygale was also
used as an entertainment and treatment
centre for Alexander the Great's
soldiers. Written inheritance of the
whole past and visual inheritance going
over today prove us that one of the
first cities established on purpose of
health in the world was in Kusadasi
known with its name "Pygale".
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