Karaburun
The Karaburun Peninsula lies in West Anatolia, on the Aegean Coast about 100 km north of Izmir and about 46 km north of Cesme. Karaburun region is comparatively much less visited than Cesme. But it is a fact that Karaburun provides an anticlimax to Cesme and the associated attractions especially for those who want to escape the trails of mass tourism. The coasts of the Karaburun peninsula have beautiful bays and pebble or sand beaches as yet often undiscovered by outsiders. Its flora and fauna also varies from the Anatolian mainland.
The history of the Karaburun Peninsula starts with the prehistorical times. Searches in a number of natural caves in the region have resulted in the finding of stone axes, primitive tools and potsherds. The found artifacts have been dated at about 4000 BC. Historians believe that in that period settlements existed in the Manastir, Cakmak Tepe, Mordogan and Ildiri regions.
Important settlements in the Karaburun peninsula appeared between the 12th and 11th century BC after the fall of the Hittites and following invasions of the Akkads and the arrival of the Aeoli and Ionians who erected cities on the Aegean coast and on the Islands of Lesbos, Samos and Chios. In that period 12 major settlements formed the Ionian Confederation: Miletus, Myus and Priene in the south, Ephesus, Colophon, Teos and Lebedos in the center, Erythrai, Clazomenai and Phokaia in the north and the Islands of Samos and Chios. Erythrai antic city was located on the Karaburun Peninsula. Erythrai antic city was one of the most important and rich member states of the Ionian Confederation. In the 5th century BC, Erythrai came under the Persian rule. In 334 BC, Erythrai gained its independence following the victory of Alexander the Great against Cyrus. In 133 BC, Erythrai was annexed to the Kingdom of Pergamum and thus became part of the East Roman Empire.
After the East Roman Empire, Erythrai became part of the Byzantine Empire with a short interval where after it fell in the hands of Caka Bey. Later on, as from 1426 the Karaburun Peninsula belonged to Aydinoglu Mehmet Bey and thus to the Ottoman Empire.
The oldest name known for the Karaburun region was Mimas, with reference to the son of Gaia who was one of the Giants slain by Hephaistos during the war between Gods and Giants in the Greek mythology. Homer mentions the Mimas mountain (today's Bozdag) in his famous Odyssey. The Mimas mountain is also associated with Iris, Leto and Narcissus. In Ionian through Byzantine period, the Karaburun region also carried the names Stelar or Stylarius, Caleberno by the Genoese and Ahirli during the Ottoman Empire era.
The Mediterranean Monk seal (Monachus monachus) is for sure the most important species living along the shores of Karaburun. There are only about 500 monk seals left in the world and around 100 of them are living in the Karaburun region. The same goes for the rather rare Audouin’s gull. Along the coast of the Karaburun Peninsula, there are many natural caves which the Monk seal is using to give birth. Important efforts are made to preserve and protect these animals and to save them from total extinction.