Kusadasi, Turkey Cruise Port Guide

center serving the tourists who visit the archaeological site of ancient Ephesus, considered to be the most important one in all of Turkey. The history of this ancient city dates as far back as the 10th century B.C. As you walk along the white marble road, grooved by ancient chariot wheels, the two-story Library of Celsus (pictured above) presents a striking sight.

Nestled into the mountainside is the 25,000-seat amphitheater, still used today for performances during the Festival of Culture and Art.

Ephesus was also a significant center of the early Christian world; this is evident from the remains of the Basilica of St. John and the house of the Virgin Mary, located in the nearby The ship will dock at Kusadasi Pier. Great shopping is just steps away.

Taxis are generally available at the pier entrance. Ephesus is a 30-minute drive from Kusadasi.

Shopping is definitely one of the highlights in Kusadasi. An endless number of stores offer an array of carpets, jewelry, leather goods, knitwear, silver, brass and copper, along with local handicrafts.

While ashore you will find plenty of restaurants, a number of them right along the waterfront. The best choice is fresh seafood, a garden salad and possibly raki, a liquor made from grapes and aniseed.

Of all the ruins in Turkey, the grandest and best-restored are at Ephesus. Bible buffs may know the town as the inspiration for St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians and the site of one of the seven earliest churches of Asia Minor.