Küçükmenderes River

South of Ödemiş

The little meander ( Turkish: Küçük Menderes, ancient Greek name Kaystros ) runs parallel to the lower reaches of the Great Meander ( Büyük Menderes türk ) in a 30 km north extending valley. The river is 200 km long and flows in the ancient Ephesus and the present town of Selçuk in the Aegean Sea.

The river rises east of Boz Dagi ( 2159 meters), about halfway between İzmir and the county town of Denizli. Located at the mouth of the port city of Ephesus was significant in antiquity and made Ephesus the largest and most influential city of the Roman province of Asia and one of the largest cities to Rome.

The Little Meander contains immemorial a large proportion of suspended solids. Their sedimentation caused the ancient harbor is silted up several times today and a few kilometers from the coast.