Kemeraltı Bazaar

Located in İzmir city center and starting from Anafartalar Street and Mezarlıkbaşı neighborhood and containing the seashore and reaching to Konak Square, Kemeraltı Bazaar was set up between 1650 and 1670. The seashore was filled, and new residential areas and trade houses were opened. The principal trade house was Kızlarağası Inn, built in 1744, followed by other inns in the area.

During its early years of construction Kemeraltı Bazaar was like a grand bazaar extending to streets, covered with vaults and roof tiles. The Bazaar maintained this feature until late 20^th century. Today, some of the non-covered aisles were covered with a cradle vault.

Being at the heart of İzmir’s commercial life during the 19^th century, this Bazaar covered old inns and covered bazaars. The shops here mostly met the needs of locals and low-income families. The Bazaar contained trade houses like blacksmiths, coal sellers, nail sellers, spice sellers etc. and hay market. Every trade branch had a specific area in the bazaar.

Today, Kemeraltı Bazaar is far from those old days and has become an important shopping center in İzmir. Although some stores with vaults and domes have preserved their properties, there are mostly modern business centers, stores, cafeterias and cinemas. You can also encounter ceramics reflecting the examples of the Turkish handicrafts, tile panels, woods works of art, metal works, and stores selling flat weaving spreads and carpets and rugs.

Historical Elevator

Located in Güzelyalı, İzmir, the Historical Elevator and the Dario Moreno Street going to the Elevator is one of the must-see places in the city. It was built in 1907 by Jewish businessman Nesim Levi Bayrakoğlu. Jews were domiciled in the mastic houses two blocks to Asansör Çıkmazı Street in old İzmir. It has been built for convenience to the people who had difficulties getting to Halilrıfat Paşa Street from Mithatpaşa using the 155-step stairs. Operated initially by water, the elevator has been electrified in 1985 by the Municipality.  
 
Restored in 1992, the historical elevator is currently being operated by Metropolitan Municipality of İzmir as a place of entertainment, culture and recreation. The mastic houses two blocks to Dario Moreno Street at the entrance to the elevator also give the region a distinctive ambiance.

Kadifekale: Settled over a hill at the outskirts of 186 meter high Pagos Mountain overlooking Gulf of İzmir and located south of the city, the castle was first made in 334 BC upon request of the Macedonian King Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) who has freed Anatolia from Persian rule. Throughout the history, İzmir has had various attacks, so the city needed city walls. Therefore, the two city walls, traces of which are encountered at Kadifekale, extending from the Acropolis to Sart road in today’s Basmane neighborhood and from the Ephesus road in Eşrefpaşa to the sea were built.

The castle was ruined after the Roman period during the Middle Ages by the armies of Timur in 1402, followed by an earthquake in 1668 in İzmir. Few remains survived from the castle. The remains surviving mostly belong to the Middle Ages. Researches made under the Middle Age castle wall revealed some wall remains belonging to the Hellenistic Period (330 BC-20 AD).

Clockk Tower

İzmir Clock Tower has been one of the meeting place of the people of İzmir from its construction until today, and is located in the Konak Square. The tower has been ordered to the architect who built the German Consulate by the Vizier Pasha in 1901 for the 25^th anniversary of Abdülhamit II’s inauguration (reigned: 1876 and 1909), and is 25 meters high, with four fountains around and the columns inspire North African themes. The tower’s clock is a gift from the German Empire Wilhelm II (reigned: 1888-1918).

İzmir is 86 km to the historical city of Ephesus and 102 km to Bergama.

Selçuk - Ephesus

Selçuk us located west of the Aegean Region, on the 73^rd kilometer of İzmir-Aydın Highway. It is 9 km to Pamucak seashore that has a perfect sea and beach.

Brief History

According to Antiquity authors, Ephesus was set up in about 3000 BC like Smyrna. However, when Smyrna was set up, Ephesus is among the most important port cities of the era. Ionians settling in the shores of the Aegean upon invasion of Dorites then developed their cities during the Lydian rule. Traces of Ionian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman civilizations are still visible. During the reign of Tiberius, people of Ephesus rebuilt their city that has demolished in the earthquake during the Roman period. However, this time, Ephesus was filled with Roman structures instead of Hellenistic-style structures.

Having an increasing political and commercial significance, the arrival of Virgin Mary to Ephesus and St. Jean’s settling here has also made Ephesus an important religious center. Later, upon damaging of busy port over the roads interconnecting Sart and Susa, the city became inhabitable and they left the city, settling around St. Jean basilica, built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian (527-565) over Ayasuluk Hill. The city was conquered in 1090 by the Turks. So, the city has been reestablished five times due to different invasions or earthquakes throughout the course of history.