Kuşadası


Kuşadası is a large resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast, and the center of the seaside district of the same name within Aydın Province. Kuşadası is south of İzmir, and about from Aydın. The municipality's primary industry is tourism.

Geography

The city is situated along a gulf of the same name in the Aegean. The island of Güvercinada is connected to mainland Kuşadası by a man-made causeway, and is situated adjacent to the large hill of Kese Dağı near the center of town.
It is located south of İzmir, the area's metropolitan centre, and approximately in driving distance from the provincial seat of Aydın, depending on the route taken. Its neighbours are Selçuk to the north, Germencik to the north-east, and Söke to the east and south.

Demographics

The district of Kuşadası had a total residential population of 116,966 in 2019, though the actual population is thought to rise to well over half a million in the summer months due to a significant influx of both domestic and international tourists as well as those visiting family or returning to their summer residence. This also includes the hotel and bar staff, construction workers, and drivers who are required to work in/for the restaurants and other services accommodating these visitors. In addition to tourists from overseas, there is also a substantial community of foreigners that have permanently settled in the area.

History

Etymology

The name Kuşadası comes from the Turkish words kuş and ada, as the island has the shape of a bird's head. It was known as Ephesus Neopolis during the Byzantine era, and later as Scala Nova or Scala Nuova under the Genoese and Venetians. Kuş Adası was adopted in its place at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the citizens of Kuşadası often shorten the town's name to Ada.

Antiquity

The area has been a centre of art and culture since some of the earliest recorded history, and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Later settlers include the Aeolians in the 11th century BC and Ionians in the 9th. Originally, seamen and traders built a number of settlements along the coastline, including Neopolis.
An outpost of Ephesus in ancient Ionia, known as Pygela was located in the area between the Büyük Menderes and Gediz rivers. The original Neopolis, is thought to have been founded on the nearby point of Yılancı Burnu. Later settlements were probably built on the hillside of Pilavtepe, in the district called Andızkulesi today. Kuşadası was a minor port frequented by vessels trading along the Aegean coast. In antiquity it was overshadowed by Ephesus, until Ephesus' harbor silted up. From the 7th century BC onwards the coast was ruled by Lydians from their capital at Sardis, then from 546 BC the Persians, and from 334 BC, along with all of Anatolia, the coast was conquered by Alexander the Great. From that point on the coastal cities in Anatolia became a centre of Hellenistic culture.

Rome and Christianity

The Roman Empire took possession of the coast in the 2nd century BC and made it their provincial capital in the early years of Christianity. Saint John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary both came to live in the area, which in the Christian era became known as "Ania".
As Byzantine, Venetian and Genoese shippers began to trade along the coast, the port was re-founded, a garrison was placed on the island, and the town centre shifted from the hillside to the coast.

The Turkish era

Long afterwards, in 1834, the castle and garrison on the island were rebuilt and expanded, becoming the focus of the town. This was to such an extent that people began to refer to the whole town as Kuşadası. However, in the 19th century, trade began to decline in favor of other nearby cities with the opening of the İzmir-Selçuk-Aydın railway, which forwent Kuşadası.
During the Turkish War of Independence, Kuşadası was occupied from 1919-1922, first by Italian troops between 14 May 1919 and 24 May 1922, and then by Greek troops. The Turkish forces eventually gained control of the city on September 7, 1922.
Under the Republic of Turkey, the Greek population was exchanged for Turkish people as part of the population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922. It was a district in İzmir Province until its transfer to Aydın Province in 27 June 1957.

Economy

Industry

Kuşadası caters to tourists arriving by land, or from the port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus. In a controversial deal in 2003, the previously public-owned port was leased to a private company and renovated to attract luxury cruise liners.
The area features several well-known local beaches, including Ladies Beach, the beach at the centrum, the beaches between the Batıhan Hotel and the Nazilli Site, the beach at Güzelçamlı, and the Dilek Peninsula National Park beach, referred to by locals as simply Milli Park.

Transportation

There is public transport within the town and to nearby locations via shuttle minibuses. There are bus and taxi services going to the nearby airports in İzmir and in Bodrum, Muğla Province. Day trips are available by boat from Kuşadası and Güzelçamlı.
The city is a port of call for several cruise ships.
The port is linked by a six-lane highway to İzmir's Adnan Menderes Airport.
Several state roads connect the city to its surrounding districts, such as Germencik and Aydın.
There are daily ferry services to the nearby Greek island of Samos.
Kuşadası's bus station is a transport hub. Coach buses connect the city to various parts of the country.

Places of interest

The football teams of the local sports clubs Kuşadasıspor and Kuşadası Yıldız Fenerspor, which compete in the Turkish Regional Amateur League, play their home matches in the Özer Türk Stadium.

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

Kuşadası is twinned with: