Izmir

About Izmir

Izmir is Turkey's third-largest and most secular, free-spirited city, built on ancient Smyrna; known for Kemeraltı Bazaar, the Konak Clock Tower and the Kordon waterfront, it sits about 16 km from Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB) and ~95 km from Çeşme.

Izmir, historically known as Smyrna, is one of the oldest port cities on the Mediterranean, with 8,500 years of settlement history. Re-founded on the slopes of Mount Pagos under Alexander the Great in the late 4th century BCE, it flourished as a major trade and cultural hub. Today, as Turkey's third-largest city, Izmir has carved out a unique identity as the country's most secular, liberal and progressive metropolis — a relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle blended with a rich multicultural heritage and an open civic spirit.

The city's heart beats at the Agora of Smyrna, home to well-preserved Roman ruins and 2,000-year-old underground water channels. Right beside it sits the 500-year-old Kemeraltı Bazaar, home to the historic Kızlarağası Han caravanserai. From there, the road to Konak Square leads to the city's 1901-built, 25-meter symbol: the Konak Clock Tower. Further north, the Kordon waterfront promenade is a lively social stage where locals relax on seaside lawns. Just behind Kordon lies Alsancak, the former 'Frank Quarter' — restored 19th-century Levantine mansions, the bustling Kıbrıs Şehitleri pedestrian street, and celebrated nightlife define the pulse of modern Izmir.

Izmir is also the main gateway to the wind-swept Çeşme Peninsula — about an hour from Adnan Menderes Airport — leading directly to the world-renowned resort town of Çeşme and its bohemian neighbor Alaçatı.

Region

Aegean

Main airport

Adnan Menderes Airport (ADB)

Historic identity

Ancient Smyrna (8,500 years of settlement)

Main landmarks

Kemeraltı Bazaar, Konak Clock Tower, Kordon, Agora

Nearby getaway

Çeşme/Alaçatı (~1 hour)