İzmir

View of İzmir.

İzmir is a city in the west of Turkey. It has one of the biggest seaports in the Aegean Sea region and all of Turkey. İzmir is a popular destination for tourists, who come for beaches and cultural tours in the region. It has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa in the Köppen climate classification). İzmir is the third largest city in Turkey.

This is an ancient city; many scholars think Homer was born in Smyrna. Earthquakes destroyed the city in 187 AD, 1653, 1688, 1739, and 1778, and it was rebuilt many times. The last big earthquake was in 2020, which caused more than 117 deaths and the collapse of 8 buildings. The Greek name for this formerly Greek city is Smyrna, from which the Turkish name İzmir comes. The Greek name was also used in English until the early 20th century. About 30 km (20 miles) south of İzmir, there is an ancient Greek city named Ephesus.

İzmir was a candidate for Expo 2015. However, Milan had more support, so İzmir lost.

İzmir Media

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  The ancient city of Ephesus is in the Province of İzmir.

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  Karabel relief of the Luwian local leader "Tarkasnawa, King of Myra" is near Kemalpaşa, a few kilometres to the east of İzmir.

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  Coinage of Klazomenai, circa 386–301 BC in Urla, slightly outside İzmir urban zone, is associated with some of the oldest known records of trade in olive oil.

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  İzmir Archaeology Museum has exhibits from ancient sites like Bayraklı (ancient Smyrna), Ephesus, Pergamon, Miletus, Aphrodisias, Clazomenae, Teos, and Iasos.

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  Agora of Smyrna, built during the Hellenistic era at the base of Pagos Hill and totally rebuilt under Marcus Aurelius after the destructive 178 AD earthquake in Smyrna

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  Head of the poet Sappho found in ancient Smyrna. Roman marble copy of an original statue from the Hellenistic period, at the Istanbul Archaeology Museums.

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  Beylik of Aydın in the 14th century

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  Hisar Mosque (1592–1598) in the Kemeraltı neighbourhood of İzmir

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  Old Ottoman houses in Urla, İzmir