Cesme

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The Gate to Turkey is Cesme, a fishermen's village, located at one peninsula, part of the Gulf of Izmir. The name Cesme means „fountain" because the abundant healing springs and thermal waters of this area. In antiquity, Cesme was called Cyssus and was the port of Erythrai, one of the twelve Ionian cities of Asia Minor. Today it's a holliday resort with white sandy beaches. Close to the sea, along the promenade, there are lots of restaurants, bars, cafes. Yachts can be hired to explore the peninsula's splendid coastline.

You can stroll the cobble streets full with shops: jewellery, leather, good quality carpets, clothes and other souvenirs.

Cesme is dominated by a fortress built, in 1508, from Sultan Bayezit II, to protect the harbour - used like a base for the Ottoman's navy, both from a military and a trade point of view. The original tower, built before by Genoese, became part of the new fortress. In 1658 the Venetians fleet almost destroyed the fortress, so the current building is the result of a XVII^th century reconstruction.

In front of the fortress there is a monument, dedicated to Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha, an Ottoman admiral.

In the courtyard you can see oil jars, Byzantine capital, fragments of Ottoman tombstones.

Inside the fortress you can visit the museum.

View from up.