The best things to see and do in Izmir (Türkiye) in one day

The great port city of Izmir It is an unavoidable stage in any tour of the Turkish coastline of the Aegean Sea.

Whether the trip begins here, or if we find it on a trip along the entire coast—after visit Troy y Pergamon and on the way to Ephesus and so many other places—, Izmir It is the place to stop for a night or two to soak in the atmosphere of this bustling, modern city.

Izmir is third most populated city in Türkiye.

Its situation at the bottom of the Izmir Gulf has made him play a prominent role as commercial port, but also as a meeting point for people of different origins.

Until about a century ago, Izmir (Izmir in Turkish) was a cosmopolitan city where very diverse people lived.

In addition to Ottoman population, there was a notable presence of greek y Jews, in addition to many other origins.

Curiosities history of Izmir

Its location at the western end of the Anatolian peninsula en Türkiye, and at the bottom of a deep bay that serves even now as an excellent natural harbor, made Izmir one of the places where Asia really met Europe.

Founded almost 30 centuries ago by people of Hellenic origin, it was one of the most important cities in the Ionian League, the alliance of Greek cities in Anatolia and nearby islands.

In fact, Izmir always claimed to be the place of origin of Homer.

Later it was one of the largest cities in Asia Minor under the Roman empire, like those already mentioned Ephesus y Pergamon.

It also played an important role in the early dissemination of the Christianity and here San Pablo founded one of the first churches.

From 1600 it became a free port and the center of trade in the eastern Mediterranean.

Its importance multiplied after the alliance of Ottoman Empire with France, which attracted Armenian, Jewish, Greek, Genoese, Venetian and, of course, French merchants.

Smyrna, as it was known then, became the most cosmopolitan city of the aforementioned empire, where foreign residents enjoyed economic opportunities, political privileges and religious freedom.

This Multicultural environment It disappeared in 1922 after the creation of the turkish republic and the exchange of populations between Greece and Türkiye.

That year a large fire destroyed a good part of the city.

All this rich history, full of influences from different cultures over many centuries, has allowed it to be included in the tentative list of the World Heritage for the Unesco as historic port city.

What to see on the Izmir sightseeing tour

the best way to visit the center of İzmir It is on foot, perhaps taking a taxi to get to the Asansör neighborhood If you don't want to take a walk of about three kilometers along the coastal avenue.

It is possible to spend one or two very pleasant days walking through different neighborhoods, doing some visits to museums and monumental areas but, above all, enjoying the atmosphere of a welcoming city with very good restaurants.

As a coastal city, one of its main attractions is its seafront.

Kordon in Izmir

Its coastal avenue is Atatürk Street, which is also known as Kordon, a pedestrianized area where it is very pleasant to walk, especially at the end of the afternoon.

Every 500 or 600 meters a square serves to break the homogeneity of the urban landscape and highlight some aspect of the history of the country or city.

We can start at the northernmost one within this central area, where you can see the monument to the War of Independence.

Ataturk Museum in Izmir

A few meters away we find the Ataturk Museum, where a review is made of the life of the politician who created the Republic of Turkey and spent some time in this house.

It is, on the other hand, one of the few 19th century mansions that are preserved in the Kordon and, really, throughout the city.

More houses from this period, although not as stately, can be found inland, in the Alsançak neighborhood.

This area preserves a bit of the Levantine atmosphere of past centuries and is now a very frequented place for its cafes and restaurants.

La Kibris Sehitler Street, parallel to Kordon, is the axis of the neighborhood and crosses many alleys where you can find very good fish restaurants for dinner; the 1453 street It is the most famous.

If we walk south along the Kordon, beyond the aforementioned monument to the War of independence, We continue to find the modern atmosphere of this coastal avenue.

Arkas Art Center in Izmir

In this section we will pass through the Arkas Art Center which is located in the old French consulate, and can be a good opportunity to visit the interior of a building from more than a century ago.

The next square we find is Cumhuriyet Meydani, Republic Square.

There stands out a equestrian statue dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk which is usually taken as a meeting point by the inhabitants of Izmir.

In this square there are several hotels, and a little further inland is the church of Saint Polycarp, from the 17th century, the oldest in the city

Continuing a little further we will reach the Konak pier, port facilities built by Gustaf Eiffel.

The customs building was converted a few years ago into a shopping center where there are shops, cafes and restaurants, some right on the water's edge.

very close is Konak Meydani, One most important squares in İzmir.

Clock Tower in Izmir

Here highlights the Clock Tower Built in 1901 by a French architect commissioned by the Ottoman government.

It is one of many that were built at that time throughout the empire and its objective was to incorporate the European way of measuring time into the local population as a way to modernize society.

For many this clock tower It is the symbol of the city.

In this square we also find the Goverment house and the lower case Konak octagonal mosque and, in addition, the archeological Museum It is very close.

Izmir Bazaar

Towards the interior we now find the area of Izmir Bazaar.

It is not especially monumental, but it is very attractive to the extent that we can observe the daily life of the city.

It is located in this place because it is where the European quarter (the entire area we have visited so far), the Jewish quarter (towards the south) and the Ottoman quarter (towards the interior) met.

In the bazaar there are traditional shops and cafes.

Kizlara Gasi is an old caravanserai restored where you can find shops designed for tourism.

La liveliest part of the bazaar is located in the surroundings of the Hisar mosque, a good place for lunch at any of the popular restaurants in the area.

A short distance away is the Agora, which was the center of the roman city.

It is surrounded by modern buildings and a series of reconstructed columns stand out.

Asansör neighborhood in Izmir

If you have time, it is worth walking or taking a taxi to Elevator, a neighborhood where the remaining Jews in the city live.

Curiously, the area takes its name from a technical innovation that revolutionized it at the beginning of the 20th century: the elevator that allowed the lower villa to be easily connected to the upper one, located at the top of the hill.

From the top of the elevator you can enjoy good panoramic views of Izmir and the bay.

Very close to the elevator is the only active synagogue in the city.

The alley that leads to the elevator is called Dario Moreno and in it we find two statues: one dedicated to himself Moreno and another to Enrico Macias.

These names may surprise, but they are a good example of the cosmopolitanism that has always been experienced in this city.