Kusadasi, Turkey

Thursday, November 12th
Route of the Ancient Traders
Day 2
M/S Nautica
Kusadasi, Turkey
Showers/Clear – 66 Degrees

Kusadasi is a port city along the Aegean coast of Turkey. It was a sleepy town until it became a major tourist destination as a summer home for Turks and other Eastern Europeans, and also a launching point for historical sites around the region.

The most famous destination is Ephesus, as in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in the Bible. Some of the best preserved ancient ruins in the Mediterranean region can be found here, and they are still excavating. We visited Ephesus in 2007, one of the highlights of that trip, so we had the opportunity to see some lesser, but still amazing, sites today.

Our guide for the day is Mustafa, named in honor of Ataturk, as many men in Turkey are. He provided a lesson in Turkish history, politics, and culture as we climbed up the hill from the port and out of the city.

Turks are very proud of their modern, democratic, and secular republic. With history going back millennia, they view the last 85 years as their crowning achievement. Turkey looks toward Europe and continues to seek full membership in the EU, but the vast majority of its land mass is in Asia and its Middle Eastern neighborhood is dominated by the politics of religion. Turkey is 95% Muslim, but they practice a very moderate form of Islam, and they do not allow it to intrude into their government. For instance, girls in public schools are actually forbidden to wear headscarves to school.

After a drive of about 45 minutes, we arrived at our first stop. Unfortunately, ancient ruins are not ADA compliant and it was a hike. The path leading to the ruins at the top of the mountain was made of marble. I am sure it was grand at one time, but it was treacherous today. It had been raining all morning and started to pour as we started to climb. The broken marble slabs at our feet were jagged and jarring, while slick with rain. We had always understood that people were shorter 2,500 years ago, but the rise in the steps was a challenge even for our long legs. Finally at the top, the rain stopped and it was worth the climb.


Priene, has ruins dating to the 6th Century B.C. The theater was originally built by the Greeks in the 4th Century B.C., but altered by the Romans in the 2nd Century A.D. to increase its seating capacity. It holds almost 6,000 spectators. The theater is so well preserved that it could host a performance today. It lacks creature comforts, but the basic form would be recognizable in any modern stadium. There is even a luxury box.



At the highest point on the hill we came to the remains of the Temple of Athena, erected by Alexander the Great in 334 B.C. The sun appeared and we dried out as we made our way back down the hill.

On a short drive to our next destination, we crossed the river Meander, claimed to be the inspiration for the term describing a river’s course. Miletus, was a major maritime power in the 6th Century B.C., famous for its four harbors. Now, it is landlocked, several kilometers from the sea. Siltation closed the harbors and the city died off. We visited another Greco-Roman theater, this one even larger than the last. Most of the rest of Miletus has been lost, but the Roman-Era Baths of Faustina are also well preserved.

Finally, we made our way to Didyma and the majestic Temple of Apollo, considered to be one of the great monuments of antiquity. Construction of this huge edifice, designed for ritual services honoring the renowned oracle, continued for more than 600 years, but it was never fully completed. Walking among the towering columns was an awesome experience.

Just across from the temple, we stopped for a Turkish lunch. The restaurant claimed to be authentic, but clearly caters to the tours passing through on their way to and from the temple. It was certainly rustic. Stray cats wandered under the tables and the open windows allowed the sounds and smells of the barnyard out back to waft through the dining room. There was an amazing buffet of salads and side items and we were served whole grilled sea bass at the table, followed by Turkish baklava for dessert. We had a nice lunch among good company, but it was nothing like the seafood feast we had in Istanbul.

We skipped the Turkish carpet-weaving demonstration and sales pitch back in town and returned to the pier. The port at Kusadasi is one of the nicest in this part of the world and caters well to the traveling hordes. Tres bought a bottle of the Turkish liqueur called Rokt. It is similar to Greek ouzo. As the Turks say, “Rokt is for men. Ouzo is for Greeks.” Big talk, but they cut it with water.
We toasted Kusadasi with Rokt and said goodbye to Turkey as we sailed away at sunset.

Next stop: Rhodes, Greece