Kusadasi, Turkey a gateway to Ephesus UNESCO Site
Celsus Library, Ephesus Turkey Dear Traveler, An exciting stop in our Northern Cyclades sailing voyage with the Star Clippers was the port of Kusadasi -- a popular resort town (especially for Europeans) on the Aegean coast of Turkey. Due to its strategic geographical position, the region played an important role in shaping the history of the Mediterranean. Among the abundance of archaeological sites nearby, arguably, one of the most important is Ephesus, a UNESCO site- today located about 11 miles inland from Kusadasi. Star Clipper docked in Kusadasi Port, Turkey The jewel of the Eastern Mediterranean, Ephesus was founded in the 10th Century BC as a Greek settlement and gradually emerged as one of the largest trade ports in antiquity. However, the main draw to the city was the nearby Temple of the Goddess Artemis (completed around 550 BC), known as one of the " Seven Wonders of the Ancient World ". According to ancient historians, the edifice was four times larger