Turkey - Kusadasi

Kuşadası (1995 pop. 50,000) is a town on the Aegean coast of Turkey, near the ancient city of Ephesus. 90 km south of İzmir and a short distance across from the island of Samos, it is well-known as a tourist destination, both for its many beaches, and as the port for cruise ship passengers going to Ephesus.

Kusadasi was a minor port overshadowed by Ephesus until Ephesus' harbor silted up. It was known as New Ephesus, Scala Nuova, and Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century.

The name comes from kuş (bird) + ada (island). Just next to the old harbor is a small island that has a rock with the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea).