Description
Kusadasi is a resort town located in a beautiful bay a few miles south of Ephesus.
The modern name of Kusadasi means “Bird Island”, from the resemblance of the shape of the peninsula to a bird’s head when viewed from the sea. Remains of ancient civilizations dating as far back as 3000 B.C. have been found nearby. Aeolians and Ionians settled here some 1000 years later. In the 2nd century B.C., the site was incorporated into the Roman Empire. Initially it was a minor port, but gained in importance when the harbour of Ephesus silted up. In the Byzantine period, this harbour city was known as Ephesus Neopolis.