Izmir Things to Do

It is the most important elements of Izmir Harbor. It is a beautiful marble tower that rests in the middle of the Konak district, standing 25 meters in height. It was designed by the Levantine French architect Raymond Charles Père in 1901 for the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the ascension of Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II. The clock workings themselves were given as a gift to the then Ottoman Empire by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

The tower district is densily populated by some hundreds of pigeons that prefer walking rather than flying, desperately hoping to be fed!

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This is me and my grandma's favourite monthly activity: Going to Kemeralti (to buy sth - you can find anything you need), bargaining for whatever you like and shopping...

Kemeralti is Izmir's historic bazaar district. It was originally formed around the street surrounding the inner bay of the city, which was filled in during the 17th century, enabling the bazaar to be extended to a wider area.

It is the old fashioned shopping district of Izmir, consisting of narrow streets winding their way from Konak towards central Izmir around Anafartalar Caddesi. Here you can find jewellers, drapers, shoemaker, and shops specialising in all kinds of goods from leather to fish and olives and cheese. The atmosphere of an earlier century is still aorund the bulidings here, with their distinctive 19th century doorways and roof tiles.

The district covers a vast area extending from the level of the Agora of Smyrna (the quarters of Namazgah, Mezarlikbasi and Ikicesmelik), to the seashore along the Konak Square. It remains one of the liveliest parts of Izmir.

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St. John the Evangelist, Alsancak
The first Anglican Church was built in Izmir about 1625. The present building was built with money raised by local people and was completed in 1899.

There has been an unbroken line of Chaplains resident in Izmir since 1630. The first Anglican church building was built by the Levant Company for the employees and families of the Smyrna factory in about 1625. A second church building, built for the use of British inhabitants and forming part of the premises of the British Consulate General was consecrated in 1843, and named in honour of St. John the Evangelist. The present site was bought specifically for the purpose of building a church, after the British Consulate was rebuilt without provision for a place of worship. The building was built with money raised by local people. The foundation stone was laid in November 1898 and the church was completed in 1899. The church building seats about 150+ people.

Bishop Collins Memorial Hall was erected in 1913 and is used as a multi-purpose facility. The Sunday School meets in the hall and the hall and kitchen are used for every Sunday for after service fellowship and tea time, as well as for various meetings and events. The church office is next to the fellowship hall. A Vicarage was built next to the church in 1911 and is now leased to the British Government for use as the British Consulate.

THE ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF AGORA

Etymologically, agora means Public Square and shopping district. Agora, which has commercial, judicial and political functions, is a place where the art activities increases, the background of philosophy is laid out and where the stoas, monuments, altars and statues exist.

Agora located in Namazgah district of Izmir remained from Rome Period (AD 2nd century) and it was built according to Hippodamos city plan, in three floors, close to the centrum.
Izmir agora is the one which is the biggest and best protected of the Ion agoras.
it was figured out that it is a three - floor compound structure in rectangular form with stairs in the front, built on columns and arches around a large courtyard (120x180m) in the middle of the building.

At the above-mentioned studies, the most important work has been carried out by finding the northern gate of agora. It was figured out that the Goddess Vesta embossments found in these digs were the continuation of embossments of Zeus altar extracted during the first digs. Beside God Hermes, Dionysos, Eros, Herakles statues; many man-woman-animal statues, heads, embossments, figurines and monuments made of marble, stone, bone, glass, metal and cooked soil were found. The inscriptions found here give us information about the people who aided to Izmir during Izmir earthquake in AD 178.

Darío Moreno (April 3, 1921 – December 1, 1968) was a Turkish polyglot singer of Jewish origin, as well as an accomplished composer, lyricist and guitarist, who was born in Izmir, Turkey, in 1921, and who attained fame and made a remarkable career centered in France which also included films, during the fifties and the sixties.

He started singing in the Bar Mitzva feasts as a secondary occupation. In his early twenties, he had already become a well-known singer in Izmir, and particularly among the Jewish community. During his military service in the Turkish Army, he was employed as a singer in officers' quarters in various garrisons and became more focused on music. His first truly professional musical performance started in his hometown right after his discharge, through connections established while under the arms. Since he had started making money thanks to music, he moved to the more well-off Jewish quarter of Karatash to a house in a street leading to the historical building of Asansör, one of the city's landmarks (and which means, literally, the "Elevator", people taking an actual elevator to go to the higher part of the quarter, this part being separated by the coastal strait with a steep slope). This street is named Dario Moreno Sokagi (Dario Moreno Street) today in his memory.

A hyper-active personality, Darío Moreno died of a heart attack in a taxi while going to the airport in Istanbul on 1 December 1968. He was only 47. He was buried in Holon, Israel, by his mother Madam Roza.

Today you can see old Izmir houses in this street and it leads to the historical elevator.

This ancient city famous for its statues and known as an important oracle center of the ancient world.

Situated in the Kolophon territory in between the cities Kolophon and Notion was the city of Klaros. It was the centre of the Apollon Klarios cult. There was also a huge temple in the city which was an oracle centre especially during the Hellenistic period. Visitors from all corners of the world, kings, city representatives and ordinary citizens came to consult the God Apollon's Oracle. The temple was plundered at times by pirates but had vast financial revenues during the Roman Times.

Photo taken from http://www.edebiyat.ege.edu.tr

This city which minted the first coins in history in 7th century B.C

Sardis (Salihli/Sart) which was known as the capital of Lydia Kingdom was founded in 8th century B.C. and was ruled by the kings: Gyges, Ardys, Sadyattes, Alyattes and Kroisos. The city was conquered by the Persian King Kyros in 546 B.C. and from then continued to function as a Persian garrison. Alexander the Great conquered the city in 334 B.C. and at that time the city became Hellenized. The city was then ruled by Syria, Pergamon and by the Romans in turn.

Sardis was known by its wealth and as a famous trade centre when it was the capital of Lydia Kingdom. Owing to the Paktolos which passed nearby the city and which had rich gold mines the wealth of the city was very famous. This city which minted the first coins in history in 7th century B.C., was the last stop on the famous King Road which started in Susa. Moreover, the city earned a considerable income from the famous Artemis temple which people from all over the ancient world visited.

Klazomenai, which is known as the motherland of the famous thinker Anaksagoras and is one of the 12 cities of the fonia Confederation, cannot be dated. However it is true that, the city which is said to have been established by the Kolophons in the spot of today's Iskele, had moved to the island nearby (Karantina Island) at the time of the lonian Revolt to escape from the Persian threat. According to the historians Plinius and Pausanias, afterwards Alexander the Great built a road connecting this island to the land. An independent city during the Roman period Klazomenai was known as an important trade centre.

Take a bus to Urla from main coach station of Izmir.
If ypu like to see artifacts from Klazomenai, visit Izmir Archaeological Museums ,n Izmir citycenter.