Izmir Things to Do

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Kemeralti is the famous market area behind Konak Square. You can find many shops specialized in different trades. It's especially crowded during the weekends. Tourists also prefer this area. You can bargain with the prices of most items. There are shops to get some souvenirs and some cafés to rest after shopping.

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I must confess that my experience in Izmir was confined to a day spent in a good hotel, about 6 Km from town, and by the beach.

I got the idea that the beach was better (less windy) than the one in Cesme, where we spent a week, that's why it was hard to understand why do they need so many and big pools, and the contrast between people in the beach and the crowds in the pool.

Konak Meydani (Konak square) is the centre of Izmir city. Due to the presence of such official institutions as the municipal and governorship buildings coupled with a concentration of shopping facilities in this square, it setrves as a meeting and intersecting point for transportation within the city.We invite you to follow us on a step-by-step tour of Izmir, starring with Konak Meydani. On this short tour, which we will be taking on foot, let’s get acquainted with the historical and cultural sites of Izmir.

Clock Tower : This monument was built in 1901 by the Ottoman Grand Vizier Kücük Said Pasha to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamit II. The architectural design of the tower bears a resemblance to those of the German Consulate building located on the 1st Kordon and St Polycarp Church in Alsancak.Raymond Pere desinged them all. The tower is 25 meters in height and has fountains on each of its four corners. The clock in the tower was a gift from German kaiser Wilhelm II.

Government House : This building, which is used today as the state building, was built between the years 1868-1872. It was later destroyed by fire in 1970 and restored to its orginal state in 1971.

St. Polycarp Church

This church is located at the intersection of Gaziosmanpaþa Blvd. And Necatibey Blvd. On the way from Cumhuriyet Square to Basmane. The building was built in 1625 in honour of St. Polycarp, who was killed in A.D. 155 in Kadifekale at the age of 86 because of his strong beliefs and faith. It is Ýzmir’s oldest church and is open to the public every day throughout the year.

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The Agora was the largest of its kind in the world and was established in 333 BC by Alexander the Great on the slopes of Mt. Pagos but was ruined in an earthquake in AD 178 and rebuilt soon after by Marcus Aurelius. The Agora was originally partially excavated in 1932-41, revealing an open square (140x140m) flanked by porticoes and a huge civic basilica on the north side. Work started again in 2002 and is still in progress; hundreds of roman graffiti’s have been found in the basement of the Basilica. Inscriptions also indicate the existence of a church. Colonnades of reconstructed Corinthian columns, vaulted chambers and arches give some idea to what a Roman Bazaar would have once looked like, a stone’s throw away from the Ottoman Kemeralti Bazaar.

Open: 8am-5pm. Admission: TL2.

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This impressive building in the Kemeralti Bazaar was built as a caravanserai in 1744. It's the only covered part of the bazaar and, because of this, is touristy with a tea garden in the courtyard and antique shops on the second floor. Nice all the same for a wander around.

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This is the main bazaar in Izmir and is a must visit just to wander around it's maze of mini streets. It doesn't have the same feel or is as exotic as the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul as it's not covered and the shops and stalls aren't as touristy. However, there is a building called the Kizlaragasi Han which is covered but, because of this, is touristy (see next tip). The market itself came into existence with the filling between 1650-1670 of the shallowest parts of the inner bay. The bazaar as features 6 mosques and 7 synagogues.

This building stands facing the clock tower and the sea in Konak Square on the site of the first government building of Izmir known as the Katipoglu Residence. However, this building deteriorated and became insufficient for the local government and so this building was built in 1872. However, it burnt down in 1970 but was rebuilt to the original plans.