Karaburun Peninsula

The peninsula of Karaburun with its lovely bays and the wild but romantic landscape is inviting its visitors to long marches as backpackers. About 50 kilometres long and about 20 kilometres wide Karaburun stretches into the Gulf of Izmir and by this forcing the peninsula of Cesme to stretch much longer. The main town of the same name can be found at the end of the peninsula to the west of Izmir.

Because it is not absolutely sure since when the peninsula had been settled, at different places traces of former inhabitants have been found, the eldest ones dating back about 5000 to 3000 years B.C. Just 4 kilometres away from Karaburun city, inside of a cave, people found lot of tools and other daily used household goods from Bronze Age, which means that Karaburun must have long lasting history.

During the period of the Ionian Confederation there was a small settlement called Stelar or Stylarius in the same place where Karaburun city centre is today. In the middle ages the name Capo Calaberno was used when talking about Karaburun. During the later period of Turkish folks it changes to Ahurlu and Ahirli. Since the Osmanian Empire the old Name Karaburun was used again.