Kusadasi, Turkey
Turkey is a wonderful country with a unique culture that has elements of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Its been a crossroads for many years. In Turkey you can find spots that are important in Christian history such as the ancient Roman city of Ephesus. The people in Turkey are very friendly and you can shop for things such as carpets and other souvenirs. We visited the small resort city of Kusadasi that lies on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast while on our cruise in the summer of 2016. We visited Ephesus, the ruins of one of the Seven Wonders of the World (Temple of Artemis), the final home of the Virgin Mary, the grave site of John the Revelator, a museum about Ephesus, watched traditional Turkish dance while eating Turkish food and walked the beautiful town of Kusadasi.
Getting to Kusadasi and Transportation
Kusadasi is a relatively small city or around 70,000 people. The much larger city of Izmir has the international airport for the area and it is an hour and fifteen minute drive or bus ride from the airport to Kusadasi. We came to Kusadasi as a port of call on our Carnival Mediterranean cruise and it is the best way to get to Kusadasi. Unfortunately due to security concerns in Turkey shortly after our cruise Turkey was removed as a port of call by Carnival and some other US cruise lines but it is visited by other cruise lines. Kusadasi is a walk-able city. There are buses and taxi available but there are no trains. We took a guided excursion by bus and to us its the best way to visit the area, especially in such a small amount of time as a single day.
Other Country Information
Turkey is a country that is both part of Europe and Asia and is a crossroads of cultures. The Kusadasi area has a Mediterranean climate so it is quite nice. The area is mountainous away from the coast. The language is Turkish but most people in the area speak English as well. We had no issue communicating while in port. The national currency is the Turkish Lira and is usually a very favorable exchange rate compared to the US Dollar. The Euro and credit cards are accepted as well in the areas we visited. We found the area very safe and the people there warm and friendly. If you go to Turkey pay attention to any US State department notices but we found it safe.
House of the Virgin Mary
On our tour we left the Port of Kusadasi and headed out of the small resort city. We passed a water park and mosque minarets with storks nesting on top. We headed out into the hills and mountains that lie further inland. The countryside of the area is beautiful. As we approached our first stop we passed a large golden statue to the Virgin Mary. Our first stop was the Catholic and Muslim Shrine to the Virgin Mary. At the site is the home where Mary is said to have lived and died. The home is a very small Roman home that is now a chapel. After visiting the house there is a place where you can wash with Holy Water from the area and there is a wishing wall where you can leave an item and pray. Its a very pretty site and one of importance for both Christians and Muslims. There are small stores outside of the site where you can get some Turkish souvenirs. It was a nice stop to see outside of Ephesus.
Ancient Ruins of Ephesus
Our next stop on the tour was the amazing ruins of the Ancient Roman city of Ephesus. Ephesus is a place Paul visited in the Bible and is where Paul wrote to in the book of the Bible called Ephesians. I have been to quite a few ruins in Central America, and Europe and this site is one of the best preserved I have ever seen. We walked through the site and saw many homes, stone streets that still stand to this day, beautiful tiled sidewalks that are intact, the amphitheater where Paul was said to have spoken at, and we made it to the jewel of the the site, the Library of Celsus. The Library of Celsus held thousands of scrolls and was one of the largest libraries in the ancient world. It is an impressive building to see and walk through. We spent about an hour or so at this magnificent site, but if you walk through the entire area it could take longer. It is a must see when visiting Turkey and one of our favorite places we have ever visited in the World. There is shopping opportunities outside of the site and we bought a few items to remember this amazing stop.
Basilica of St. John
Our next stop was the ruins of the Basilica of St. John. It is where the Apostle John is buried. Only ruins are left of the once great church but you can still see the site where John is buried in the center of the ruins. Above the ruins you can see a Turkish Fortress. As you walk through the ruins you can still see how magnificent the church once was. After spending a few minutes walking through the grounds we left an went to an overview of the area and saw what was left of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. There is not much left but it is interesting seeing where the once mighty temple stood. At our next stop we got to see a replica of of the Temple of Artemis.
Temple of Artemis replica, Traditional dance and Turkish Lunch
After touring the different sites we stopped for a very nice Turkish buffet for lunch. The buffet was in a wonderful replica of the Temple of Artemis. The Turkish food was very good and had the flavors of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. While we were there we also tried the very strong Turkish Coffee. It was a good coffee and the small cup we had was more than enough. After finishing lunch and some Turkish baklava we had the chance to watch a traditional Turkish dance that was very nice and gave us a little more insight into Turkish culture.
Ephesus Museum
Our next stop after eating lunch was to the Ephesus Museum to learn a little more about the History of the Ancient City and the area of Turkey we were in. The museum has many statues, replicas of the temples and the city and great information about Ephesus. It included a statue of the goddess Artemis as well. We also met a few friendly cats at the museum. You can find many cats in Turkey. The museum took us around 45 minutes to tour but we walked through it quickly since we did not have much time. We could have spent longer there.
City of Kusadasi
Our final stop was to a carpet store to see the many wonderful Turkish carpets. We were tempted to buy one but did not. We then had a little time to walk around the city of Kusadasi. We visited some of the shops in the area and visited a statue of Ataturk along the coast. Kusadasi is a very nice city we great views of the ocean and some nice hotels and restaurants. The city has an ancient wall and there is a Fortress along the beach. We did not have a chance to walk the walls or go to the fortress but we saw them from a distance. Its a nice city to visit and one were you can get away from the hustle and bustle of a large city.
Kusadasi and Turkey in general are places that are unforgettable. Ephesus is an amazing site that is well preserved and there is an abundance of history in Turkey. The culture is very unique and there are few countries that are part of two continents in the world. The people are friendly and the food is great. Going to Turkey by cruise definitely has its advantages but you do miss being able to explore a little more. Donna and I would love to go back as long as there are no security issues. Check it out if you get the chance!