The Fortress of Kusadasi

The Fortress of Kusadasi takes up the entire island floating off Kusadasi’s beach promenade. In fact, the name Kusadasi means ‘Pigeon Island,' the term give to the island in Ottoman times because of the migrating birds that roosted there.
The strategically located, fortified castle was built to protect the Ottoman Empire’s valuable ocean-going trade, which was vulnerable to attack from pirates, including the infamous pirate Barbarossa. The fortress also defended the town from attack from the sea.