Gideros Bay, Bay on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, Kastamonu province
Gideros Bay (Koyu) is a bay on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, located in the Cide district of Kastamonu province. It has a narrow entrance and is bordered by dense forests of boxwood, chestnut, and oak trees.
The bay was known in antiquity as Kytoros and has been inhabited for roughly 3,500 years, with chalcolithic pottery found in nearby caves. It later became a port during the Genoese period and then gained military importance under the Byzantines, who built a fortress called Gideros Kalesi to guard the coast.
The name Gideros traces back to the ancient name Kytoros, which appears in Homer's Iliad. Fishing is still a living part of daily life here, and small boats anchored near the shore are a common sight.
The bay is about 7 miles (11 km) from the center of Cide and can be reached by road or by sea. Bird watchers tend to visit in spring or fall, when migratory birds stop here on their journey.
An old bathhouse believed to date from the Ottoman period is thought to lie submerged in the waters of the bay. Bronze Age artifacts have also been found nearby, adding another layer to the many centuries of occupation at this site.
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