izmir, Where to Visit

Kemeraltı Bazaar : The big bazaar in the city centre stretches from the coast road to the Konak area, and is a major shopping centre with a vast array of goods inside. It combines modern businesses, shops and cafes, with antiques, dried fruit, household and leather goods in old alleyways with vaults and domes.

Inside the bazaar, there is one of the most interesting structures of Izmir: Kizlaragasi Hani is an Ottoman caravanserai inside the Halim Aga Bazaar and was completed in 1745. This covered market sells hand-made products, carpets, leather and souvenirs. There are many entrances to the markets, from Basmane, Konak and Anafartalar. Konak is one of the oldest areas of the city, with most of the buildings that survived the great fire, although the traditional areas are gradually being modernised. This is the location of the city’s landmark, the Saat Kulesi (Ottoman clock tower) decorated with tiles.

Asansör (Elevator) : The elevator was constructed by Jewish businessman Nesim Levi in 1907, in order to make life easier for the local residents to go to their mansions on the top of the hill. These days tourists use it to admire the views of the old streets and houses of Mithatpasa. Located in the heart of Izmir’s old Jewish quarter, it is housed in a 50m-high brick tower and after refurbishment in 1992 it now contains a café on the top floor, and the original hydraulics are exhibited on the ground floor. In its heyday in the 1930s, it also contained a theatre, cinema, refreshment stall and photographer’s shop.

Kültürpark : The big Kulturpark in the city centre is one of the densest green areas in Izmir, covering 30 hectares. There is a zoo, artificial lake, parachute tower, open-air theatre and a collection of bars and cafes. This has been the venue of the International Izmir Fair every August since 1936.

Botanic Garden : One of the best Botanical Gardens of Turkey, is in the Ege University field. There are around 3000 species of plants from the tropical regions to the Alps, many of which are kept under artificial conditions. The arboretum has hundreds of species of trees and bushes, and the herbarium centre contains dried plant samples that are preserved for the use of scientific research.