İzmir

Sweeping around the shores of a magnificent Aegean gulf, İzmir is one of Türkiye's great cities — vibrant, cosmopolitan, and blessed with a warmth of climate and spirit that is entirely its own. As the ancient city of Smyrna, it has been a crossroads of civilisations for more than five thousand years, and the richness of that heritage lives on in its Roman agora, its hilltop castle, and the world-famous ruins of Ephesus just an hour to the south. Yet İzmir is equally a city of the present: of lively seafront promenades, bohemian bazaar quarters, windswept Alaçatı, and the turquoise coves of the Çeşme Peninsula. For travellers who want ancient history, Aegean beauty, and the energy of a great modern city all in one destination, İzmir is simply unmissable.

brown and white wooden post

İzmir's Historical Landmarks

  • Ephesus (Efes) Ancient City – One of the greatest and best-preserved ancient cities in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose marble streets, Celsus Library, Great Theatre, and Temple of Artemis drew pilgrims, merchants, and emperors from across the ancient world.

  • Bergama (Pergamon) – The spectacular ruins of one of antiquity's most powerful kingdoms, perched dramatically on a hilltop above the modern town, with a legendary library, a vertiginous theatre, and a world-class museum of Hellenistic art.

  • İzmir Agora – A beautifully preserved Roman marketplace in the heart of the modern city, where colonnaded porticoes and vaulted substructures survive from the 2nd century AD as a remarkable open-air archaeological site.

  • Kadifekale (Velvet Castle) – A hilltop fortress with roots in the Hellenistic period, commanding sweeping panoramic views over the city, the gulf, and the surrounding Aegean landscape.

  • Kemeraltı Bazaar – İzmir's ancient covered market, a labyrinthine world of spice sellers, goldsmiths, textile merchants, and traditional coffeehouses that has been the commercial heart of the city for centuries.

  • Şirince Village – A beautifully preserved hilltop village of whitewashed Ottoman stone houses near Selçuk, famous for its fruit wines, olive oils, traditional crafts, and unhurried Aegean atmosphere.

  • Foça – An enchanting ancient port town on the northern Aegean coast, with a historic old quarter of traditional stone houses, sheltered rocky coves, and the only monk seal colony in the eastern Mediterranean.

  • Birgi – A remarkably intact historic Anatolian town in the Ödemiş district, with a wealth of beautifully preserved Ottoman timber mansions and one of the finest early Ottoman mosques in western Türkiye.

a sandy beach with waves coming in to shore

Must-Sees!

Ephesus (Efes) Ancient City

Kemeraltı Bazaar

Alaçatı and the Çeşme Peninsula

a large body of water sitting under a blue sky

Explore İzmir

  • Walk the Ruins of Ephesus – Follow the marble-paved Curetes Street through one of antiquity's greatest cities, pausing at the Celsus Library, the Great Theatre, and the Temple of Hadrian in one of the most extraordinary archaeological experiences in the world.

  • Explore Alaçatı's Stone Streets – Wander the bougainvillea-draped lanes of this exquisitely preserved Greek stone village, browse its boutique shops, and settle in for a long Aegean lunch at one of its celebrated restaurants.

  • Lose Yourself in Kemeraltı – Plunge into the ancient bazaar quarter and follow the scent of spices and roasting coffee through centuries-old hans, herb markets, and goldsmiths' streets to the waterfront of the Aegean.

  • Discover Bergama's Hilltop Citadel – Climb to the dramatic Hellenistic acropolis above Pergamon, marvel at the near-vertical ancient theatre, and visit the Asclepion healing sanctuary below the hill.

  • Swim the Coves of the Çeşme Peninsula – Discover the crystal-clear turquoise waters and hidden rocky bays of one of the Aegean's most beautiful coastlines, from the beaches of Çeşme to the wild shores beyond.

  • Stroll the Kordon Waterfront – Join the İzmirliler for an evening walk along the city's beloved seafront promenade, with the lights of the gulf reflecting across the water and the smell of the Aegean in the air.

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a clock tower in a plaza with palm trees
a clock tower in a plaza with palm trees
a row of tables with blue and white checkered tablecloths
a row of tables with blue and white checkered tablecloths
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