About Kusadasi

Kusadasi is the heart of the Turkish Aegean seaside. It is one of the most beautiful places for recreation and fun holidays. Thanks to the marina and great harbor, Kusadasi is a favorite calling place for yachts and tour vessels with the result that there are many good shopping opportunities to be found. Also is a a very good start point for trips at Ephesus, Pamukkale, Miletos, etc.

Turkey’s national language is Turkish. In Turkey, especially in Kusadasi, most people can speak English and also some can speak some other foreign languages such as German, French, Italian and other languages. The national currency is the Turkish Lira (TL). But currencies like USD, GBP, or DEM are universally accepted at various places at current exchange rates.

Foreign currencies and travellers cheques can be changed all over Kusadasi in banks, hotels and money exchange offices. Banks are open nationwide Monday through Friday except public holidays between 8:30 am and 17:00 pm. Some banks and money exchange offices remain open until midnight, especially in summer.. Major international credit cards, such as Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, American Express and Dinners Club are accepted by all major banks, restaurants, hotels and shops.

In Kusadasi, your have the perfect mix of Eastern mysticism and modern western technology that is one of the reasons why Kusadasi is a shopper’s paradise and why shopping remains a top tourist attraction. Kusadasi is one of those remarkable places where shopping is a not just a journey around shops. Its more like a journey for your personal gain.

You will enjoy the fun of bargaining while a smiling salesman speaks many languages negotiating for their goods while you still feel at home. Shopping is high on most Kusadasi itineraries and deservedly so as it creates competitive prices. All this helps to make your spending spree a memorable experience.

One of the delights of shopping in Kusadasi is that most shops are open seven days a week There are no set hours of business but generally shops in Kusadasi remain open from 09:00 am to 12:00 AM in summer. Every Tuesday and Friday there is a large open market that sells locally grown fruit, vegetables, household items, Turkish embroideries and textiles.

History

It is not very well known when and by whom the city was founded, but was most probably by the Lonians who called it "Neopolis". Ruins of this early settlement can be seen at the "Yilanci Burnu" (under water). Neopolis was bound to Ephesus and functioned as a holiday resort for the Ephesians. Neopolis has been governed by the Lydians and Persians before the Romans occupied it. During the Byzantine period, Kusadasi became a harbour town mostly used by the Venitians and Genoese who called it "Scalanova" (New Harbor).

When Kusadasi became a part of the Ottoman Empire, Turkish monuments started to be built such as the city walls and the Kervansaray (can still be seen today). It then became an important military protection basis against pirate attacks. In 1865 Kusadasi was declared an independent district. Jews, Greeks, Armenians and Italians settled around the harbor and remained there till W.W.I.