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IZMIR |
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Turkey's third city and its second port after Istanbul, IZMIR -
ancient Smyrna - is home to nearly three million people. It was the
Ottoman Empire's window to the West and the primary port for the
shipping of goods brought from Asia, granted to Greece under an
indefinite mandate after World War I. But by September 1922 Greek
attempts to extend their area of control had failed, the army beaten
back by Atatürk's "free" Turkish forces; the ensuing struggle was bitter
and resulted in seventy percent of the city burning to the ground.
Today's Izmir has been built pretty much from scratch, its central
boulevards wide and tree-lined, and is nowadays booming and cosmopolitan
- partly due to its role as headquarters of NATO Southeast. Its mild
climate is offset by its location, straddling a heavily polluted
50km-long gulf fed by several streams and flanked by mountains on all
sides. Despite an illustrious history, much of the city is relentlessly
modern. Orientation can be confusing - many streets are unmarked - but
most points of interest lie near each other and walking is the most
enjoyable way of exploring. For city buses , buy tickets in advance
($0.40) from white kiosks near most stops, and deposit them in the
container when boarding. A cross-town taxi ride shouldn't cost more than
about $2.
The City
Izmir cannot be said to have a single centre, although Konak , the busy
park, bus terminal and shopping centre on the waterfront, is where
visitors spend most time. It's marked by the ornate Saat Kulesi (clock
tower), the city's official symbol, and the Konak Camii , distinguished
by its facade of enamelled tiles. Southwest of here, the Archeological
Museum (Tues-Sun 9am-5pm; $3) features an excellent collection of finds
from all over Izmir province, including the showcased bronze statuette
of a runner and a large Roman mosaic, a graceful Hellenistic statuette
of Eros clenching a veil in his teeth and a stunning collection of
terracotta sarcophagi. Opposite it is the Ethnographic Museum (Tues-Sun
9am-5pm; $1.50), a more enjoyable and certainly more interesting
collection, with reconstructions of local mansions and the first Ottoman
pharmacy in the area, a nuptial chamber, a sitting room and circumcision
recovery suite, along with vast quantities of household utensils and
Ottoman weaponry.
Immediately east of Konak, Izmir's bazaar warrants a stroll, although
you're highly likely to get lost. The main drag, Anafartalar Caddesi, is
lined with clothing, jewellery and shoe shops; Fevzipasa Bulvara and the
alleys just south are strong on leather garments. Worth seeking out is
the handsome vaulted Kizilara Gazi Kervanseray on 871 Sok, which houses
antique and carpet shops. East, across Gaziosmanpasa Bulvari, the Agora
(daily 9am-5pm; $1), commercial centre of the classical city, dates back
to the early second century BC, although what you see now is a later
construction, financed during the reign of the Roman emperor, Marcus
Aurelius. Above this is the unmissable Kadifekale (Velvet Castle), an
irregularly shaped fortress dating from Byzantine and Ottoman times that
gives great views over the city from its pine-shaded tea garden. The
less energetic can take a red-and-white city bus #33 from Konak, but
it's worth trying the walk up from the Agora, threading through once-elegant
narrow streets past dilapidated pre-1922 houses.
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