Travelling Kusadasi, Turkey
Travelling Kusadasi – Exploring Turkish Culture
Kusadasi, located on Turkey’s Aegean coast is becoming an increasingly popular destination for cruise ships. When travelling Kusadasi, there are a number of exciting places you can visit and things you can do within Kusadasi and the surrounding areas.
My absolute favourite thing to do when travelling Kusadasi was to explore the ancient ruins of Ephesus. It’s easily reachable by taxi, just be sure to agree a price before getting in, and ensure the taxi driver will wait to collect you at the exit, as you enter at a different gate than where you leave. Taxis are readily available where the ships dock in Kusadasi.
The site of Ephesus dates back thousands of years and was once a major Greek city before becoming a Roman one. The position of Ephesus on the west coast of Asia Minor meant that it was an important and influential port city and had a population of 250,000 in the first century BC. If you visit it today you are able to walk through the ruins of the city, which they are constantly restoring, excavating all the time! When travelling Kusadasi, the site of Ephesus should definitely be a place to explore.
The main street in Ephesus is paved with tiled marble and leads down to the incredible Celsus Library, an imposing structure with marble pillars and brilliant stone work. In its heyday the street was lined with opulent shops and houses. It’s the type of setting where you can shut your eyes and imagine exactly how it would have looked thousands of years ago. The history of Epheus seems to seep out of every pore of the city. The huge Roman style amphitheatre at the edge of the city holds around 44,000 people and is still used for concerts and shows even today. These magnificent showpieces are but just a range of sites you’ll fast become acclimatized to when travelling Kusadasi.
Close to Ephesus and Kusadasi is the House of the Virgin Mary, a place in the hills where Jesus’ mother Mary is reputed to have lived for a period of time. There is no concrete evidence that she lived here, and for this reason the Catholic Church have never officially pronounced it. However, the House of the Virgin Mary attracts a large number of visitors every day who want to experience the place for themselves. The shrine itself is merely a small chapel through which you can walk in just a few moments.
Kusadasi itself is a great town in which to shop and buy gifts for those at home, or to treat yourself. Where the ships dock is right in the heart of the city which means no shuttle buses or public transport if you just wish to experience the city. Haggling is common practice in Turkey, so be ready to work for a bargain. You’ll certainly find a range of treasures to suit all tastes when travelling Kusadasi.
There are a number of Turkish baths in the city and if you wish a more traditional experience try to visit one that is in a quieter, less touristic party of the city. Here, a Turkish bath experience will not only be more authentic, but less expensive. When travelling Kusadasi you’ll be astounded by the wealth of attractions on offer, choose to visit today and explore a diverse range of cultural hotspots.
Emma shares all of her travel adventures, tips and advice on her two websites Emma’s Travel Tales and Emma On Board, as well as writing for a number of other online publications. She has also partnered with many large companies and tourism boards around the world. She’s busy making memories around the world…
I’m Emma, a twenty-something Scottish girl who’s obsessed with travel.
I’ve been to 38 countries so far and had some incredible adventures around the world.
My passion for travel and writing led me to create my person blog Emma’s Travel Tales.