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Izmir Attractions
6 Results
- Neighborhood
Asansör & Dario Morena Sokak
The Asansör quarter (alternatively known as Karatas) takes its name from the passenger elevator installed to provide access between the cliff-top neighborhoods and the sea-level streets below. Before the completion of the tower-enclosed elevator (asansör is the Turkish equivalent of… - Landmark
Clock Tower
Commanding Konak Square, this elaborately decorated clock tower has become the symbol of Izmir. Designed in a late Ottoman Moorish style, the Clock Tower was presented to the city by Sultan Abdülhamid in 1901 and stands over 24m (79 ft.) high. - Landmark
Kadifekale
Lysimachos, Alexander the Great's general, built this citadel at the summit of Mount Pagos -- though given its strategic location, it was probably constructed on the foundations of an earlier civilization. It's now a seedy playground used by the underprivileged, making a stop up here… - Landmark
Kizlaragasi Han Bazaar
This Ottoman bedesten has been a successful draw since its restoration, not just because few can resist a town bazaar, but also because the prices are amazingly competitive for the stocks of sumac carpets, water pipes, camel bone, and jewelry. Better yet, some of the best coffee in… - Landmark
Konak Pier
The neighborhood of Konak was another lucky beneficiary of the redevelopment of Izmir's waterfront. Along with the neighborhood's wide-open plazas, there's this restored Customs House built by Gustave Eiffel. They've turned it into a shopping mall, replete with cinema, high-end… - Historic Site
The Agora
Constructed during the rule of Alexander the Great, the Agora is today mostly in ruins, and you'll have to walk up through a neighborhood also in ruins to get there. (Call ahead to make sure it's open, and take a taxi.) After an earthquake devastated the original in A.D. 178,…
Izmir Nightlife
The redevelopment of Izmir's waterfront truly infuses new life into this city on the sea. The grassy Kordon waterfront park, which runs from Cumhuriyet Meydani to the ferryboat docks of Alsancak and beyond, is rimmed by, at last count, 14 establishments, including restaurants, pubs, and Italian cafes, all with terrace seating, and facing the open park and promenade. According to the locals, they're "all good, all the same, all expensive." Check out the Sakiz Adasi (Atatürk Cad. 332/A; tel. 0232/465-1707), a stylish cafe celebrating the common Greek and Turkish love of mastic gum. Here you'll find drinks, liqueurs, and desserts made from the aromatic resin, infused with flavors like bergamot, quince, pistachio mandarin, and even eggplant. I hate the stuff, but you can't leave Izmir (or Çesme) without trying it. Sera Café (tel. 0232/422-1939), across from Deniz Restaurant (and below Izmir Ticaret Odasi), provides live music nightly.
Alsancak, a neighborhood of cobbled streets and typical wooden houses with cumbas, or balconies, supported by ornate brackets, is also renowned for its nightlife. Head into 1448 Sokak, where cafe tables spill out onto the street and where a beer costs 3.50TL.
The highly regarded Izmir State Opera and Ballet (tel. 0232/484-6445) and the Izmir State Symphony Orchestra (tel. 0232/425-4115) perform from September to May; check with your travel agent or the official website for calendar and ticket information (www.izdob.gov.tr; www.dobgm.gov.tr). Tickets for performances cost from 11TL to 22TL.
