where to go in turkey – Ultimate Travel Adventures

Turkish Patriotism in Kusadasi

Touring Kusadasi, Turkey

A tour of Kusadasi, Turkey treats you to many exotic delights! Kusadasi, (or Kuşadası in Turkish), is a vibrant port city on Turkey’s west coast. It’s a popular stop on cruise ship itineraries. It makes a great launching pad for exciting attractions in the region. These include the poignantly preserved ancient Roman metropolis of Ephesus, which I covered in another blog post here Tour Ephesus Turkey Treasures. Ephesus is a 12 mile trip. Sirince, which I cover in another blog post here Tour Sirince, Turkey, is about a 35 minute drive. If you’re not adverse to a road trip, the spectacular thermal pools of Pamukkale are just under 3 hours’ drive. I’ve marked Pamukkale a must for my next visit to Turkey!

Tepe Neighborhood

Mayor Özer Kayali promoted the Tepe project, which involved painting over 400 homes on this hillside in a rainbow of beautiful shades. He strategically selected this location directly on the port of Kusadasi, because here cruise ships and other tour boats would get their first glimpse of this up-and-coming city. It’s a brilliant sight to behold. It’s on a high perch, visible from much of the downtown area. The Tepe neighborhood stands as both a colorful symbol of the colorful personalities of the Turkish people, and creative spirit of the city.

Okuz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai

Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai

Öküz Mehmed Pasha, military commander in the Ottoman Empire, commissioned the Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai. It was built between 1615 and 1618 and is still standing strong. Today this former customs building for port commerce serves as a hotel. You will feel very safe and secure in this robust fort-like structure! It stands out like an exclamation point a couple of blocks from the port, and is the most noticeable structure in town.

How Turkish Coffee is Served

Turkish Coffee Tasting

Turkish coffee is, admittedly, an acquired taste. It’s like an extra-strength espresso on steroids. So many Turks add sugar to the brew to tone down the bitter notes. When you order a Turkish coffee, you’ll be asked how you want your sugar. I asked a local what’s the most popular request for Turks, and he suggested “medium sugar.” I’m a firm believer in the old “when in Rome…” adage, so I always want to try the local specialties anywhere I go, and preferably in the most authentic form possible. With my “medium sugar” Turkish coffee I received a bowl of delicious candies and fresh water. I enjoy strong flavors, so I liked the coffee. There was a lot of residue at the bottom of the cup – I added some of the water to it so I could finish it off, which worked well!

Cafe Cats in Kusadasi

The cafe I visited was right on the port. I enjoyed beautiful views of the harbor, ships, Kusadasi Castle, and the Tepe neighborhood. I made a new friend – a local cat joined me, sitting on the bench right next to me. There’s a lot of cats out in public areas here, and they’re not afraid of tourists! Shopkeepers and restauranteurs feed them, because they keep the mice away. Do you want to learn more about Turkey’s cats? Check out the amazing film Kedi: click here.

Turkish Carpet Demonstration

Turkish Carpet Demonstrations

Many merchants in town will tell you no visit to Kusadasi is complete without a Turkish Carpet Demonstration. You can experience this visual stimulation all over town, and it will often come with a delicious pastry, Turkish coffee, and a licorice-flavored alcoholic drink Raki. The show was quite the spectacle, but no amount of Raki could have convinced me to spend the thousands of US dollars these merchants wanted for the carpets. They were extremely impressive though, so even though the demonstration was a “sales pitch,” I greatly enjoyed the artistry of their work nonetheless.

Touring around the Port

More to Tour in Kusadasi, Turkey!

There’s much more to tour in and around Kusadasi, Turkey! You can view my full video tour of Kusadasi, Turkey in my YouTube video here!:

And if you still have an appetite for Turkey, check out my other Turkey blog posts here!:

Tour Ephesus Turkey Treasures

Tour Sirince, Turkey

Finally, if you don’t want to miss out on Turkey’s fascinating cats, check out the amazing film Kedi! Click here for Kedi!

Thanks for reading! See you next week!

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Ancient Main Road

Tour Ephesus Turkey

Welcome to another travel Turkey blog. Ephesus was one of the most vibrant major cities in the Roman Empire. Located on the west coast of Turkey near the port city of Kusadasi, it provides some of the finest examples of Roman architecture and civil engineering on the planet. Archaeologists continue to unearth more treasures to this day, as there is much more yet to be uncovered.

Ancient Roman Roads: Quality Construction!

When you tour Ephesus, Turkey, the first thing you notice is how well the main road through the town has stood the test of time. They don’t build them like they used to! Roads were vital to Roman trade, governance, communications, and military movement, just as they are today. The Romans constructed 250,000 miles of roads, many of them paved with stone like this one in Ephesus. Rome had many kinds of roads, from back alleys to major highways. These roads were critical to the explosive growth of the Roman Empire in the ancient world.

The Building Blocks of Civilization

Building Blocks of Civilization

The columns and bricks here represent more than the brilliance of ancient Roman civil engineering. They represent the building blocks of civilization: the institutions that continue to shape our culture today. We have adopted many staples of Roman society, like public squares, government buildings, libraries, marketplaces, theaters, stadiums, bathhouses, places of worship, and more. These institutions are now an important part of our daily lives.

Sophisticated Ancient Roman Plumbing

Very Sophisticated Plumbing

The plumbing system of the ancient Romans was highly advanced. The Romans built elaborate aqueducts to channel water from the countryside into the cities. Once in the cities, the water was delivered through a system of pipes, just like we use today. In Ephesus public toilets and their pipes are still intact. While it seems like there was no privacy, at least live music was provided in public restrooms to drown out the sound…!

Cats on Mouse Patrol

Cats On Patrol

Many cats roam the ruins in Ephesus. I asked a guide about them, and he told me they feed the cats and encourage their presence. The cats keep mice away, and delight visitors! Cats are cherished all over Turkey, and you will find them friendly and frisky. For a wonderful film about Turkey’s lovable feline population, watch the film Kedi. Click here to learn more: Kedi the Movie. This critically acclaimed film is heartwarming, fun, and fascinating, and I highly recommend it!

Library of Celsus

The consul Gaius Julius Aquila commissioned the Library in the 110s A.D. At the time this was the third largest library in the world after the libraries in Alexandria, Egypt and Pergamum, Persia. The Library of Celsus has impressively survived fires, earthquakes, and attacks by the Goths, not to mention centuries of time. This massive and exquisitely preserved structure is the highlight to any tour of Ephesus.

Tour Ephesus Turkey More!

Ancient Rome survives today, not only in it’s timeless ruins, but on the influence it continues to have in our lives to this day. Check out my video tour of Ephesus, Turkey on YouTube here!