Standing on a bay in the Aegean with the peninsula of Guvercin Ada sticking out into the sea at one end, and the mountain of Kaz dagi behind, Kusadasi is extremely popular as a tourist destination, both for its many beaches, and as the port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus. The area has been a centre of art and culture since the earliest times and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000BC.