Turkey's third city and its second port after Istanbul, IZMIR - ancient Smyrna - is home to nearly three million people. It was the Ottoman Empire's window to the West and the primary port for the shipping of goods brought from Asia, granted to Greece under an indefinite mandate after World War I. But by September 1922 Greek attempts to extend their area of control had failed, the army beaten back by Atatürk's "free" Turkish forces; the ensuing struggle was bitter and resulted in seventy percent of the city burning to the ground. Today's Izmir has been built pretty much from scratch, its central boulevards wide and tree-lined and is nowadays booming and cosmopolitan - partly due to its role as headquarters of NATO Southeast. Its mild climate is offset by its location, straddling a heavily polluted 50km-long gulf fed by several streams and flanked by mountains on all sides. Despite an illustrious history, much of the city is relentlessly modern. Orientation can be confusing - many streets are unmarked - but most points of interest lie near each other and walking is the most enjoyable way of exploring. For city buses, buy tickets in advance ($0.40) from white kiosks near most stops and deposit them in the container when boarding. A cross-town taxi ride shouldn't cost more than about $2.
The City
Izmir cannot be said to have a single centre, although Konak, the busy park, bus terminal and shopping centre on the waterfront is where visitors spend most time. It's marked by the ornate Saat Kulesi (clock tower), the city's official symbol and the Konak Camii, distinguished by its facade of enameled tiles. Southwest of here, the Archeological Museum features an excellent collection of finds from all over Izmir province, including the showcased bronze statuette of a runner and a large Roman mosaic, a graceful Hellenistic statuette of Eros clenching a veil in his teeth and a stunning collection of terracotta sarcophagi. Opposite it is the Ethnographic Museum, a more enjoyable and certainly more interesting collection, with reconstructions of local mansions and the first Ottoman pharmacy in the area, a nuptial chamber, a sitting room and circumcision recovery suite, along with vast quantities of household utensils and Ottoman weaponry.
Immediately east of Konak, Izmir's bazaar warrants a stroll, although you're highly likely to get lost. The main drag, Anafartalar Caddesi, is lined with clothing, jewellery and shoe shops; Fevzipasa Bulvara and the alleys just south are strong on leather garments. Worth seeking out is the handsome vaulted Kizilara Gazi Kervanseray on 871 Sok, which houses antique and carpet shops. East, across Gaziosmanpasa Bulvari, the Agora, commercial centre of the classical city, dates back to the early second century BC, although what you see now is a later construction, financed during the reign of the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Above this is the omissible Kadifekale (Velvet Castle), an irregularly shaped fortress dating from Byzantine and Ottoman times that gives great views over the city from its pine-shaded tea garden. The less energetic can take a red-and-white city bus #33 from Konak, but it's worth trying the walk up from the Agora, threading through once-elegant narrow streets past dilapidated pre-1922 houses. |
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