Day 8 - Welcome to Kusadasi!

Kusadasi, Turkey * Thursday, June 22, 2006

From the Navigator:
After departing Mykonos harbour yesterday, the Golden Princess made northerly courses into the Aegean. Before midnight the vessel altered her course to starboard onto an easterly heading towards the Gulf of Kusadasi. Shortly after sunrise the Golden Princess altered her course to the southeast to enter Kusadasi harbour. Kusadai, which means "bird island" is located in the Aegean region of Turkey and is known for its turquoise waters, broad sandy beaches and bright sun. The Golden Princess will depart today at 5pm and make courses towards Rhodes at an average speed of 17.6 knots.

Kusadai: A Historic Crossroads of Empires and Shadows of Stature

Just a few years ago, Kusadasi looked like any other sleepy fishing village. There were only a few buildings of note. Castillo de Santa Catalina, a Genoese castle dating from the 13th century, was later used as a base by the pirate Barbarossa and his brothers.

There is also a large Caravansary built in 1613 by the Turkish governor Mehmet Pasha. Originally designed as a haven for passing merchants and their camels, it has now been renovated as a luxury hotel.

The local bazaar has also grown to be one of Turkey's largest markets for leather goods, jewelry, and oriental rugs. Only the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is bigger.

The entire town has been transformed into a center for tourists, with access to Ephesus and the entire Ionian coast. Ionian Greeks settled this part of Asia Minor as early as the 10th-century B.C. They founded cities around the finest natural harbors in the Mediterranean, and rapidly became an important commercial zone.

These Ionian Greeks made important contributions to the commerce and culture of the Aegean region. In fact, many of the earliest Greek philosophers and thinkers lived here along the Ionian coast, and not in mainland Greece.

The conflict that led to the Greek-Persian Wars also began here. The Greeks resisted the encroachments of the Persian Emperor Darius, and later his son, Xerxes. When Athens and mainland Greece supported their cousins against Persia, the conflict became general, and ended only when the Persians failed to subdue the Greek cities.

Smyrna may be the birthplace of the poet Homer. Since Homer's Iliad is about the siege of Troy, it is significant that Smyrna is little more than 100 miles from ancient Troy. He was certainly familiar with the local tales and legends of the epic siege, on which he based his work.

East of Smyrna was Sardis, capital of the kingdom of Lydia. The first metal coins were probably minted here. Lydia conquered Ephesus and established itself as a regional power.

Pergamum was once known for a huge altar honoring Zeus. The altar was discovered by German archaeologists a century ago, and is displayed in a Berlin museum today. Pergamum also had one of the greatest libraries of antiquity, with more than 200,000 volumes. The only greater library was at Alexandria in Egypt.

One of the ancient world's medical centers was the Asclepeium there, known for healthy spring water, massage, mud baths, and herbal cures. The great 2nd-century physician Galen was a native of Pergamum.

Ephesus temporarily replaced Smyrna as the commercial capital of Asia Minor until its river port silted up in the 3rd-century. Another claim to fame was the cult of Artemis at Ephesus. A huge temple was built to house the statue the multi-breasted goddess, a popular and powerful symbol of fertility. St. Paul preached against the shrine with mixed results. He later wrote his Letter to the Ephesians, which remains one of his finest works.

St. John likely wrote his Gospel here, and addresses part of the Book of Revelation, indicating that he knew the region well. Among his "Seven Cities of Asia" are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Sardis. Ephesus was also home to Polycarp, an early bishop and martyr.

Tradition also says that both Mary, the mother of Jesus, and John the Evangelist lived at Ephesus during their final years. Mary and John are revered by both Christians and Moslems.

A visit to Ephesus will put you in touch with some of this area's most stunning ancient ruins. There is an Odeon, or small theater, with a capacity of 1,400. It was also used for public meetings of the city council. The Magnesian Gate and Town Hall are near at hand.

The impressive Library of Celsus stands at the foot of the main street. Its stately two-level facade is being carefully restored. The interior walls were designed to display 12,000 scrolls in niches, which protected them from the humidity.

The Temples of Domitian and Hadrian are impressive, and the Great Theater (which is still in use) seats 25,000 spectators.

Harbor Street - also known as the Arcadian Way - connected the port district with the center of town. Beautiful colonnades on both sides and marble pavement made a dazzling first impression on visiting dignitaries. It was one of the rare ancient streets to be lit by lamps at night.

Some distance away, you can see the ruins of the massive Temple of Artemis, which was several times larger than the Parthenon. There had been temples here as early as the 7th century B.C.; this one was completed about 430.

Even in its abandoned state, Ephesus remains an awe-inspiring city, in an amazing setting. The Ionians lived well and wisely. Even those who live in great luxury today must tip their hats to these imaginative people.

An now, local tid-bits:

• Food specialties - The food in Turkey can be a real pleasure, especially if you like seafood. Recommended foods include Athopot Salatasi (cold octopus salad, often with shrimp, tossed in olive oil, vinegar and parsely), Dolma (general name for a variety of stuffed dishes, such as mussels stuffed with rice, pine nuts and currants), grilled fish such as palamut (baby tuna), lufer (bluefish), and levrek (sea bass).
• Drink specialties - The national drink is raki, similar to the Greek ouzo, made from grapes and aniseed. There are also a number of good local wines, including Villa Doluca and Kavaklidere (each in white and red varieties).
• Some useful words - Evet (Yes), Hayir (No), Lutfen (Please), Tesekkur ederim (Thank you)

Martini of the Day on board the ship, anyone? Today it's Milky Way Martini (Grey goose Vodka, Kahlua and Bailey's Irish Cream)