From ACI
İzmir Museum of History & Art
This museum is overlooked by many visitors to the city, who do themselves a great disservice in the process. Spread over three pavilions, it is one of the richest repositories of ancient artefacts in the country and its Sculpture pavilion – crammed with masterpieces from ancient Smyrna, Teos, Miletos and Pergamon – is simply sensational. The Precious Objects and Ceramics pavilions contain jewellery, coins and pots, all displayed in a somewhat dated fashion but with informative labelling in English.
Highlights include the coin collection in the Precious Objects pavilion, which includes some of the coins minted at Sardis during the reign of King Croesus. These date from the very early 7th century BC and were made of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver with traces of other elements. The jewellery in this pavilion is also impressive.
The Sculpture pavilion is so full of treasures that it is hard to single out only a few. Don't miss the friezes from the Temple of Dionysos at Teos and from the theatres and other buildings at Miletos – the frieze from the theatre at Miletos is particularly stunning. Also upstairs and of particular note are the sculptural fragments from the Belevi Mausoleum near Ephesus, which date from the 3rd century BC.
Downstairs, look out for the Roman-era statue of the river god Kaistros (2nd century AD), the amazingly lifelike Hellenistic three-figure stele from Tralleis (Aydın) and the high reliefs of Demeter and Poseidon from İzmir's Agora.
Kemeraltı
A labyrinthine bazaar stretching from Konak Sq through to the ancient Agora, Kemeraltı dates back to the 17th century and is home to shops, eateries, artisans' workshops, mosques, coffeehouses, tea gardens and synagogues. Those who spend a day exploring its crowded and colourful streets, historic places of worship, hidden courtyards and grand caravanseries will see the real İzmir – this is a local institution that is accurately described as the city's true heart and soul.
The bazaar's main drag is Anafartalar Caddesi – use this and the historic Hisar, Şadırvan and Kestanepazarı Mosques as navigational aids. You're bound to get lost – even locals do – but losing your way and coming across unexpected treasures is part of the bazaar's attraction. Look out for the Kızlarağası Hanı, built in 1744, an Ottoman bedesten (warehouse) and kervansaray(caravanserai) similar to the İç (Inner) Bedesten in İstanbul's famous Grand Bazaar. Other highlights include the cafes in Kahveciler Sokak between the Hisar Mosque and the Kızlarağası Han, which serve the city's famous fincanda pişen Türk kahvesi(Turkish coffee boiled in the cup); and the produce market in Havra (Synagogue) Sokak within the city's historic Jewish enclave. To spend a food-focused day within and around the bazaar, consider signing up for the Only in İzmir guided culinary walk operated by the well-regarded Culinary Backstreets outfit.
Kordon
It’s difficult to imagine life in İzmir without its iconic seafront kordon (promenade), which stretches north from Cumhuriyet Meydanı to Alsancak and south from Konak Pier to Konak Meydanı. A triumph of urban renewal, these two stretches are grassed, have bicycle and walking paths, and are lined on their eastern edge with bars, cafes and restaurants. Locals flock here at the end of the day to meet with friends, relax on the grass and watch the picture-perfect sunsets.
A number of museums and attractions are located on the kordon,including the Arkas Art Centre and the Atatürk Museum. There are also bicycles for hire and horse-drawn carriages offering short tours.
Konak Clock Tower
One of the city's major landmarks, this Moorish-style clock tower with four fountains was designed by the Levantine French architect Raymond Charles Père and built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Abdülhamid II's accession to the throne. The clock itself was a gift from German Emperor Wilhelm II .
Agora
Dating from the end of the 4th century BC, Smyrna's ancient agora was ruined in an earthquake in AD 178 but soon rebuilt by order of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. The reconstructed Corinthian colonnade and Faustina Gate are eye-catching, but the vaulted chambers and cisterns in the basements of the two stoas (basilicas) are even more interesting, giving visitors a good idea of how this rectangular-shaped, multilevel marketplace would have looked in its heyday. Archaeological investigations are still underway.
This museum is overlooked by many visitors to the city, who do themselves a great disservice in the process. Spread over three pavilions, it is one of the richest repositories of ancient artefacts in the country and its Sculpture pavilion – crammed with masterpieces from ancient Smyrna, Teos, Miletos and Pergamon – is simply sensational. The Precious Objects and Ceramics pavilions contain jewellery, coins and pots, all displayed in a somewhat dated fashion but with informative labelling in English.
Highlights include the coin collection in the Precious Objects pavilion, which includes some of the coins minted at Sardis during the reign of King Croesus. These date from the very early 7th century BC and were made of electrum, an alloy of gold and silver with traces of other elements. The jewellery in this pavilion is also impressive.
The Sculpture pavilion is so full of treasures that it is hard to single out only a few. Don't miss the friezes from the Temple of Dionysos at Teos and from the theatres and other buildings at Miletos – the frieze from the theatre at Miletos is particularly stunning. Also upstairs and of particular note are the sculptural fragments from the Belevi Mausoleum near Ephesus, which date from the 3rd century BC.
Downstairs, look out for the Roman-era statue of the river god Kaistros (2nd century AD), the amazingly lifelike Hellenistic three-figure stele from Tralleis (Aydın) and the high reliefs of Demeter and Poseidon from İzmir's Agora.
Kemeraltı
A labyrinthine bazaar stretching from Konak Sq through to the ancient Agora, Kemeraltı dates back to the 17th century and is home to shops, eateries, artisans' workshops, mosques, coffeehouses, tea gardens and synagogues. Those who spend a day exploring its crowded and colourful streets, historic places of worship, hidden courtyards and grand caravanseries will see the real İzmir – this is a local institution that is accurately described as the city's true heart and soul.
The bazaar's main drag is Anafartalar Caddesi – use this and the historic Hisar, Şadırvan and Kestanepazarı Mosques as navigational aids. You're bound to get lost – even locals do – but losing your way and coming across unexpected treasures is part of the bazaar's attraction. Look out for the Kızlarağası Hanı, built in 1744, an Ottoman bedesten (warehouse) and kervansaray(caravanserai) similar to the İç (Inner) Bedesten in İstanbul's famous Grand Bazaar. Other highlights include the cafes in Kahveciler Sokak between the Hisar Mosque and the Kızlarağası Han, which serve the city's famous fincanda pişen Türk kahvesi(Turkish coffee boiled in the cup); and the produce market in Havra (Synagogue) Sokak within the city's historic Jewish enclave. To spend a food-focused day within and around the bazaar, consider signing up for the Only in İzmir guided culinary walk operated by the well-regarded Culinary Backstreets outfit.
Kordon
It’s difficult to imagine life in İzmir without its iconic seafront kordon (promenade), which stretches north from Cumhuriyet Meydanı to Alsancak and south from Konak Pier to Konak Meydanı. A triumph of urban renewal, these two stretches are grassed, have bicycle and walking paths, and are lined on their eastern edge with bars, cafes and restaurants. Locals flock here at the end of the day to meet with friends, relax on the grass and watch the picture-perfect sunsets.
A number of museums and attractions are located on the kordon,including the Arkas Art Centre and the Atatürk Museum. There are also bicycles for hire and horse-drawn carriages offering short tours.
Konak Clock Tower
One of the city's major landmarks, this Moorish-style clock tower with four fountains was designed by the Levantine French architect Raymond Charles Père and built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Abdülhamid II's accession to the throne. The clock itself was a gift from German Emperor Wilhelm II .
Agora
Dating from the end of the 4th century BC, Smyrna's ancient agora was ruined in an earthquake in AD 178 but soon rebuilt by order of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. The reconstructed Corinthian colonnade and Faustina Gate are eye-catching, but the vaulted chambers and cisterns in the basements of the two stoas (basilicas) are even more interesting, giving visitors a good idea of how this rectangular-shaped, multilevel marketplace would have looked in its heyday. Archaeological investigations are still underway.