Kusadasi is fiercely proud to show off its history, which can be traced back 5,000 years. Visitors today flock here to take it all in — the city’s population shoots up every summer as folks from around the world come to hit the beaches, stroll the downtown shopping area and wonder at views of the iconic Kusadasi Castle, which stoically watches over the harbor from atop a small island nearby. Not far beyond Kusadasi is the ancient city of Ephesus. Nobody lives there today, but ancient residents left behind impressive signs of their civilization for posterity, including the Celsus Library, and an Amphitheater whose size rivals modern stadiums.