Çesme (pronounced Chesh-May) is a small Turkish resort town looking onto the Aegean.
In the center of town is Çesme Castle, a fortress built in the 15th century by the Genoese to protect wine shipments out of the harbor.
The Battle of Chesma took place near here as part of the prelude to the Greek War of Independence. It ended in an Ottoman defeat on July 7th, 1770.
Tombstones line a walkway inside the castle. The arabic script on them lets us know that they were made before the rule of Atatürk, who brought the country into the 20th century and instituted the western alphabet. He is considered a national hero, and it is illegal to speak ill of him.
Despite the history, Çesme is primarily a beach town.
The water is extremely clear and the shallows stretch far into the bay.
