Tag: izmir

Life in Old İzmir

Snapshots of Life in Old İzmir with 100 Photographs
ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF İZMİR’S LIBERATION

After the Ottomans surrendered at the end of World War I and signed the Armistice of Mudros on October 31, 1918, Greek forces occupied İzmir on May 15, 1919. The Turkish Army under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal, took İzmir back on September 9, 1922, after a two-year war, followed by a fire which destroyed half the city. The fire was the end of an era. In the years following the
declaration of the Republic of Turkey on October 29, 1923, “Cosmopolitan Smyrna” destroyed by the fire has risen from its ashes as “Turkish İzmir”. The war that finished the most cosmopolitan city in the Ottoman Empire also
created the modern state of Türkiye out of the wreckage of the Ottoman Empire. Reconstruction of İzmir after the Great Fire of September 1922 was an important part of the nation-building process after the War of Independence.

İzmir now is a completely different city than what it was a century ago. The İzmir of 1922 has vanished entirely and another has taken its place. As we tell the story of old İzmir, we seek our past in our own memory, but we do forget, indeed. As Necati Cumalı describes in his poem “İthaf “ (dedication):

“The tears, the wishes for happiness,
now secret Stories of centuries told to us are secret
Whatever known as Old İzmir by one and all
is the broken-down narrative the elders tell.”

https://www.turkishnews.com/tr/content/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/fotograflarla-izmir.pdf

fotograflarla-izmir

September 15, 2023
Izmir – A Circular Coastal Stroll & Sail Of The City
We’re very fortunate that travelling on a budget is made much easier for us by the fact that we both love to walk. In Izmir, apart from catching a local bus from the otogar into Alsancak, we walked everywhere. Sitting on the Aegean Sea, Izmir’s a breezy city, so late summer ambles (we were there at the beginning of September) are perfectly pleasurable, especially when you know you’re never more than a stone’s throw away from a refreshment stop of whatever description.
Izmir commuter ferry

And, because the city stretches around the curved inlet at the end of the Gulf of Izmir, that means regular, cheap commuter ferries carry passengers between the opposite shores; perfect for incorporating a little sail across the Aegean into a circular walk. We were staying in an apartment in Alsancak and, as Alsancak has its own pier and ferry stop, it was an ideal place to begin our journey.

View of Izmir from Alsancak Pier

The Izmir commuter ferries are made of sturdy stuff, just like the vessels that ply the Bosphorus routes of Istanbul, so the choppiness of the sea isn’t a factor. Our ferry cut through all the waves, leaving us able to enjoy the sea breeze and the views along the the shoreline of Alsancak and down towards historic Pasaport Pier. The crossing only takes 10-15 minutes before you disembark in the neighbourhood of Karşıyaka.

Arriving at Karşıyaka
Karşıyaka holds its own in modern Turkish history as the burial site of Atatürk’s mother, Zübeyde Hanım. Unfortunately, time commitments meant we couldn’t make it there (a must-visit for another time) so we wandered through the pedestrianised shopping area of Karşıyaka before making our way back to the seafront to head towards Bostanlı.

Karşıyaka historic buildings

As with the Alsancak and Konak areas of Izmir on the opposite shore, amongst the high rise apartment blocks, there are still random historic buildings that catch the eye in Karşıyaka – and there’s a few monuments and statues along the harbour, too, but we’ll save those for another post. For now, we’ll just walk along the seashore towards Bostanlı.

Apart from a brief detour along Karşıyaka’s shopping street (just opposite the ferry terminal), this circular trip is all about taking in the sea air. There’s not a lot of quaint prettiness happening here. Concrete rules. We’re not fans of concrete. But the waves crash against the sea wall, providing cooling spray mist; there’s a chilled out atmosphere as people enjoy a Sunday stroll or a spot of fishing; dads peer through binoculars as their children battle the strong currents in some type of sailing competition taking place in the middle of the bay…the concrete is forgiven.

Walking from Karşıyaka to Bostanlı

We keep following the sea wall; sea to the left and grassed areas, main road and seafront apartments to our right. As we hit Bostanlı, we now need to scan right for its ‘tourist attraction.’ You see, Bostanlı is becoming famous for its leaning apartment blocks. And lean they do. They’re not difficult to spot. We’re no engineers and wouldn’t even try to guess what’s causing this – no doubt the residents are quite keen to find out…

So now we get to Bostanlı Iskele (the ferry point you can see in the photo above). Here, we have a choice of ferries, all going back to the opposite shore. We take the Bostanlı to Konak ferry option and, luckily for us, it’s just about to leave.

Crossing the Gulf of Izmir between Bostanlı and Konak

This time, the journey is around 15-20 minutes. We pass other commuter ferries (and the poor kids trying to complete whatever circuit they were doing), we can see the opposite shoreline with the Hilton Hotel dominating the scene, we can see Kadifekale reminding us of its presence (at this stage, it was still unconquered) and, as the ferry draws closer to Konak Pier, we can just make out Asansör, almost camouflaged amongst the sprawl of buildings.

Walking back to Alsancak From Konak

And so we disembark at Konak, the opposite end of the shoreline to Alsancak. But never fear because the walk back to Alsancak takes in some Izmir sights, as well as more than a few bars / restaurants / coffee shops. Izmir Saat Kulesi is just opposite, so, if you’ve not been there yet, off you go to see that. We’ve already got too many photos of it from too many angles so we’re taking a left and sticking to the seafront.

If it’s summer and your legs get tired, you can always hop onto a horse and cart (you can see one in the photo)…but if you do that, you’ll miss out on all those refreshment stops.

Alsancak-Karşıyaka-Bostanlı-Konak-Alsancak – Useful Info:

The distance between Karşıyaka and Bostanlı is roughly 2 km.

The distance between Konak and Alsancak is also around 2 km.

We did this journey on a Sunday, but, for more flexibility, when the ferries are more regular, we recommend other days.

Karşıyaka is worth a bit of your time so you can visit the grave of Zübeyde Hanım, (Atatürk’s mother) and other monuments dotted around the neighbourhood.

Bostanlı has a market (pazar) every Wednesday if you’d like to combine your walk with a market stroll.

You need an Izmir Kent Kart (Izmir City Card) to board public transport, including the commuter ferries, in Izmir. Keep an eye out for a future post about the Izmir Kent Kart. Easy when you know how – and don’t worry, they’re cheap!

Fancy staying in Izmir? Use our best price finder for Izmir Hotels.
Read more: http://www.turkeysforlife.com/2013/03/izmir-circular-walk-alsancak-karsiyaka-bostanli.html#ixzz2NQkPQEl6
March 13, 2013
Why Was I The Only Person Inside Izmir’s Agora?
Sat at the foot of Kadifekale, sandwiched between the hillside and the streets of Kemeraltı is Izmir’s ancient agora. When we wrote about the Lycian and Roman ruins of Xanthos, we said that around many of Turkey’s archaeological sites, modern daily life continues. Nowhere is this more evident than at the agora.
Here we are, in the centre of Turkey’s third largest city, surrounded by multi-storey car parks, high rise hotels and offices, shopping precincts, residential neighbourhoods – and here’s a sizable ancient site right in the middle of it all; a site packed with clues about 8,500 of years Izmir’s history when the area was known as Smyrna.

To spend six days in Izmir and not go to the agora would have been neglectful of us and, after going inside to look around, we would have missed out big time had we decided not to bother visiting. The agora has a lot of competition when it comes to Turkey’s Roman sites but that doesn’t make it any less interesting for today’s visitor – not that you’d notice that fact on arrival at the site.

The above photo is the view from the perimeter fence as you arrive at the entrance. There was a smattering of tourists there, poking their cameras through the wire fencing to get photos and there was an archaeological dig in progress. Aside from the archaeologists, there wasn’t a soul beyond the fence. The automatic assumption was that the site must be closed because of the dig, so we took a couple of photos and decided to head on up to Kadifekale.

As we followed the perimeter fencing we spotted a ticket booth with a lady sitting inside. A beaming smile appeared on her face as we approached. Do all tourists really just poke their camera through the fence and not bother going inside? “5 lira to go in,” she said. 5 lira and the place was empty. Just bizarre!

And to be honest, we thought we’d seen all there was to see just by scaling the perimeter (maybe that’s what everyone else thinks, too) and so Barry waited outside while I wandered inside. At this point, I was paying 5 lira just to get a couple of photos from different angles and then I was coming straight back out again. But there’s more to Izmir’s agora than meets the eye.

It was a strange feeling entering this ancient site all alone (the archaeologists were on their lunch break). Corrugated roofing, where the digs are taking place, covered some sections, and hornets were dancing around my feet as I photographed the columns. Where had the hornets come from – can’t say they’re my favourite insect in the world – and why were they there?
Information boards and arrows guided me along a wooden walkway and then down a flight of steps. All of a sudden, the photo taking tourists and the ticket booth were out of sight and I was completely alone in a world of fantastically intact stone arches. It’s not what you can see from the ground that makes Izmir’s agora so interesting – and everyone, except me, was missing out.

Having a place completely to yourself, and being underground – a mixture of being slightly spooked but also complete freedom of imagination, wondering what life was like around the agora thousands of years ago. And then the answer to why this site is a hornet haven – fresh running water spilling from water taps in the walls…

…and running along narrow channels carved into the ground. This is a fresh water supply that has constantly run through the agora since the Roman period (4th century BC) and still does to this day. What’s fascinating is that archaeologists are still unsure as to where the source of this water supply is. Just amazing! It’s thought the water was stored in cisterns and used in the workshops around the agora.

At the far end of the site, the walls become fantastically thick – maybe a metre – and the archways are closed. There were still information boards and arrows so I decided to continue, despite the increasing lack of natural light. It was with a bit of trepidation that I passed through a small doorway which was pitch black (you can get an idea of this just on the left of this photo) but fortunately, there really was a light at the end of the tunnel; a light that I walked very quickly towards!

And this is what was there to greet me. This area was completely fenced off and I had to zoom in to get these photos. There are still digs going on in this section but it also looks like there’s going to be a more organised museum-type layout in the future, detailing what’s been unearthed.

From here, I was led outside via the northwest gate of the basilica. Scan your eyes to the left of this shot and the hill in the background. The Turkish flag you can just make out in the distance marks the top of Kadifekale, our next port of call. Can’t say I was relishing the climb, but it was our last day in Izmir and the only outstanding item on our Izmir-must-do list. Time to leave the agora, find Barry and climb ourselves a hill. Click this link to read our post about Kadifekale.

While the agora in Izmir might not be top of your agenda for archaeological sites in Turkey, digs are current and it’s a site that’s changing all the time. Smyrna was an important centre along with nearby Ephesus (Efes) and Pergamom (Bergama) and was home to the likes of Homer and Alexander the Great – so expect lots more exciting finds in the area. As it stands now, it’s easily worth your time and 5 TL of your cash!

Izmir Agora – Useful Information:

Entrance to the site (Sept 2012) was 5 TL (about £2)

The site is signposted around Kemeraltı. Walk along the main road, Eşrefpaşa Caddesi and follow the site fencing around the corner to 920 Sokak.

If you want to walk up to Kadifekale afterwards, continue past the site, take a right onto 806 Sokak and just head uphill until you’re at the top!

Archaeologists from Dokuz Eylül University are currently working on the site and are uncovering new parts of ancient Smyrna all the time. Artefacts and structure date from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Sections of the site were closed off to visitors and, while digs are active, it looks as though different sections will reopen and close at regular intervals.

According to this Hürriyet article, a protective perimeter wall is set to be built and the agora will become a centrepiece for Izmir. It deserves to be.
Read more: http://www.turkeysforlife.com/2013/03/izmir-ancient-agora.html#ixzz2N1nBEIkX
March 9, 2013
Izmir: Losing Oneself In The Maze Of Kemeraltı

Izmir: Losing Oneself In The Maze Of Kemeraltı

We’ve made this comparison before, but for us, when it comes to size and personality, Izmir is to Istanbul what Manchester is to London in the UK. Izmir is completely different to Istanbul but it’s impossible not to make such a comparison.

Both cities link their opposite shores by ferries (and Izmir uses the iconic Istanbul ferries to cross it’s choppy waters). Both cities have a pedestrianised shopping street – Istiklal Caddesi in Istanbul and Kıbrıs Şehitleri Caddesi in Izmir – with lively bars and eateries fanning off to each side. Both cities have a covered bazaar (but that’s for another post) and, around these covered bazaars, both cities have a maze of crowded streets selling all manner of goods…

Welcome to Kemeraltı

Everything in Izmir is on a smaller, more accessible, less overwhelming scale than Istanbul, and Kemeraltı isn’t huge…but we still managed to get completely lost in the area.

Kemeraltı, Izmir

Most of the streets are covered so navigation is difficult

The streets around Kızlarağası Hanı, Izmir’s answer to Istanbul’s covered bazaar, are not much different to those around the grand bazaar. They’re not picturesque but they’re packed with bargains, a whole array of haberdashery, clothes, footwear, jewellery and foods.

Shopping In Kemeraltı, Izmir

Kemeraltı is packed with nuts, grains and pulses for sale

Kemeraltı does a great job of holding your interest and it’s well worth a morning of your time. We went there twice while we were staying in Izmir, and here’s a tip for you: If you want to wander around without jostling for space with a hefty-sized portion of Izmir’s population, go to Kemeraltı in the morning and don’t go on a Saturday.

That’s why we went twice! Our first attempt was on a breezy, sunny Saturday afternoon and we were there to look for Kızlarağası Hanı. Crowds in ancient, narrow streets packed with noisy street traders are not a good recipe for trying to get elsewhere with purpose, especially when you don’t know where you’re going! We decided to call it a day and return another time.

Simitçi, Kemeraltı, Izmir

Just wander

No, as a new visitor to Izmir, you should just surrender to Kemeraltı; wander aimlessly, get hopelessly lost, browse the stalls and breathe in the atmosphere – Kemeraltı is a different world compared to the streets of Alsancak. While Alsancak makes sure it is the epitome of modern, secular Turkey, Kemeraltı is where you come to view the evidence of Anatolia’s centuries old trading traditions and it’s where you come to try Izmir’s famous fincanda pişen Türk kahvesi (turkish coffee boiled in the cup) – you’ll stumble across one of these places all in good time. Remember, don’t come to Kemeraltı with a mission.

Seafood, Kemeraltı, Izmir

Seafood for sale, to take home or eat in Kemeraltı

Kemeraltı also has its own little fish market area. The family running this particular stall also had a small seafood lokanta just opposite selling cheap seafood meals. This was one of the places we promised ourselves we’d come back to try – but amongst the söğüş and Çeşme kumrusu, we really did run out of days. We never went hungry in Izmir…and we now have an excuse to go back to try out the places we missed first time round.

Fruit For Juicing, Kemeraltı, Izmir

A fruit pit stop for the thirsty explorer

And aimless wandering can be thirsty work – even after you’ve stopped for the famous Turkish coffee – but Kemeraltı is perfectly adept at keeping you fed and watered. How’s this for a pit stop? There’s a row of three or four of these little stands and they’re rammed with vibrant fruit displays. The fruits are just waiting to be juiced to quench your thirst.

No seating here. Elma suyu (apple juice), nar suyu (pomegranate juice), portakal suyu (orange juice), kavun, ananas, şeftali, havuç (watermelon, pineapple, peach, carrot) are all freshly squeezed for the passer-by. And yes, you can mix the fruits, too.

Join the fast-moving queue, shout to the juice guy which you want and he makes it there and then. A small glass of orange juice is passed over, 50 kuruş (yes, budget traveller, you read that right, 50 kuruş) is paid, you knock back the juice, pass your glass back and move on, your thirst quenched. Now you’re ready to go and find Kızlarağası Hanı…but we’ll tell you about a much easier way to find it, taking in another side of Kemeraltı in the process, in another post…

via Izmir: Losing Oneself In The Maze Of Kemeraltı | Turkey’s For Life….

February 14, 2013
Turkey’s Most Overlooked City: Izmir

Café on Izmir’s Kordon

Most visitors to the spectacular ruins of Ephesus fly into Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city—and hightail it out of town as fast as possible. Shame on them. And on me. Two years ago, when I wrote the Iconic Itinerary: Turkey, I suggested that daytrippers to the ancient Roman metropolis overnight nearby in the postage-stamp size village of Sirence, with its sweet old farmhouses and vine-covered fields. But the secret’s clearly out. When I went back to western Turkey in September, Sirence’s small streets were stuffed with tourists, tour buses, and tchotchke vendors. All that’s bad enough, but I realized then that even if Sirence were still a sleepy hamlet, it’d be a poor match for the serious Ephesus pilgrim. To really appreciate Ephesus as it once was—a vibrant, cultured, and cosmopolitan city, the place where Antony shacked up with Cleopatra—it makes much more sense to pair it with its modern-day equivalent, Izmir. An hour’s drive north of the ruins, Izmir has a celebrated history too (the ancient name Smyrna may ring a few bells) but it’s the glimpse it offers of modern Turkey that’s even more appealing. A prosperous and progressive port city, Izmir has a sweeping seaside promenade (Kordon) that draws a fascinating mishmash of strollers and café patrons—packs of head-scarved women side by side with packs of college girls in short shorts, mustached fishermen, slick-suited businessmen, and serial shoppers clutching Zara bags (with the palm trees and slew of name-brand boutiques, Izmir might easily pass for Santa Monica). And now, judging by this last trip of mine, there are more reasons than ever to linger in Izmir. Here, a guide to the perfect pit stop before or after a trip to Ephesus:

Where to Sleep

Earl Starkey, one of the Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists, turned me on to the year-and-a-half old Key Hotel, a 1950s bank turned sleek crash pad right on the Kordon. The high-tech rooms, most with sea views, are especially suited for business travelers (except, perhaps, for the mirrored ceiling above the bed). But the warm staff, swell breakfast spread, and great location, make it a good pick for pleasure travelers too.

What to Do/See

Izmir isn’t exactly known for its museums—that’s more Istanbul’s cup of çay—but Lucien Arkas, an Izmir-born shipping tycoon and serious art collector is trying to change that. Earlier this year he opened the small and elegant Arkas Art Center inside the French consulate, a stone’s throw from the Key Hotel and the Kordon. The exhibits change every few months and take in everything from contemporary photography to French post-impressionists. Through the end of the month (December) is a dazzling show by Turkish photographer Ahmet Ertug of grand opera houses and libraries around the world.

Where to Eat

As luck would have it, there are two good restaurants a stone’s throw from the museum, both recommended to me by the charming young curator of the Arkas Museum, Károly Aliotti. La Cigale offers a little bit of everything—French, Italian, Turkish—in a cheerful dining room tucked away in the garden of the French Cultural Center, across the street from the museum. And just up the street from Arkas, facing the Kordon, is the elegant Deniz Restaurant, which Károly swears serves the best fish in town.

via Turkey’s Most Overlooked City: Izmir : Condé Nast Traveler.

December 17, 2012
The Story of Hasan Tahsin, a National Hero…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasan_Tahsin

Hasan Tahsin (born Osman Nevres) (1888 Selanik – May 15, 1919 İzmir) was a Turkish journalist and is a national hero in Turkey. A member of the Ottoman Secret Service (Teşkilat-ı Mahsusa), he unsuccessfully tried to assassinate the Buxton Brothers: Noel Noel-Buxton, 1st Baron Noel-Buxton and Charles Roden Buxton in Romania during World War I.

He was the first to open fire on the Greek soldiers that landed in İzmir on May 15, 1919, in the opening act of the Greek occupation of more than three years that extended over a large part of western Anatolia, as well as of the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922). As such, his name came to symbolize the date of 15 May 1919 in Turkey, and is associated with the events that occurred in İzmir on that day. His opening fire on Greek troops led to intercommunal rioting which killed over 300 people

The Story of Hasan Tahsin who started National Struggle

Izmirin kavakları

via The Story of Hasan Tahsin, a National Hero… – YouTube.

September 9, 2012