Izmir is a 5,000 year old city located on Turkey's Aegean coast. It has a population of 3.4 million and was formerly known as Smyrna. Izmir has a long history and was an important center of trade and civilization. It has many historical and cultural sites to visit, including the Clock Tower, Kemeraltı Market, Ephesus, House of the Virgin Mary, and terrace houses in Şirince.

1. What do you know about Izmir?
Where did it get its name?
Its old name?
Where is it?
Its history?
Climate?
Cuisine?
Folks dance?
Highlights of Izmir?
Historical places?

2. SMYRNA (İzmir)
ERCİYES UNIVERSITY
TÜRKAN-TUNCER HASÇALIK
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOTEL
MANAGEMENT
ENGLISH CLUB
11th December 2012
Asst. Prof. Dr. İlhan Özen
Erciyes University Textile Engineering
Department

3. In history, İzmir is known as being the center of culture, trade and civilization.
There are four main trade ports in this region - the ports of Aliağa, Çeşme,
Dikili and İzmir.

4. A History of 5000 Years: İzmir
Symrna (İzmir) is a five thousand year old city, situated on the west of Anatolia
Peninsula with a population of 3.4 million, surrounded by the Aegean Sea and
the cities of Balıkesir, Manisa and Aydın.

5. CLIMATE
People coming to Izmir can expect long, hot summers and mild, rainy winters.
The average maximum temperatures during the winter months vary between
12C and 14C. Although it's rare, snow has been recorded in Izmir in January
and February. The summer months -- June through September - bring average
daytime temperatures of 28 C degrees or higher.
TRANSPORTATION
It is easy to travel to İzmir by airway (Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport), highway, boat
or railway.
Traveling to Izmir is possible by direct flights and through connected domestic
flights as well. Izmir can also be easily reached by boat via the trips to the
east Mediterranean sub-region.
CUISINE
İzmir’s cuisine offers a rich variety of food due to the vegetation grown in
the region and its multicultural history. Some of the common dishes enjoyed
in the city are tarhana soup (made from dried yogurt and tomatoes), İzmir
meatballs, stuffed artichokes, mücver (squash fritters), çipura, lokma and wild
herbs.

6. Folk dances of Izmir
Folkdances, Costumes and Musical Instruments of Izmir
Zeybek Dances (a dance of western Anatolia or its music) appear to our minds
whenever Western Anatolian Folk Dances especially of Izmir, Aydın, Denizli,
Balıkesir and Muğla are told.
Zeybek dances are various about 150 types, however they can be gathered into
two main classifications.
1) Slow Zeybek
2) Yörük Zeybek (Fast Zeybek)

7. Highlights of Izmir
Clock Tower
The clock tower at Konak Square is Izmir's
landmark today. It was built by architect
Raymond Charles Pere in 1901 to
commemorate 25th year of enthronement
of Ottoman sultan Abdulhamit I. Architect
Pere was born in 1854 in Izmir from a
French Levantine family The clock
mechanism was a gift from German Kaiser
Wilhelm II and never broken since over 100
years. The clock tower is 25 meters tall and
consist of four levels on an octagonal plan.
There are fountains on four sides of the
tower.

8. Konak Square

9. İzmir International Fair
İzmir International Fair has the identity of Turkey's exterior gates, the İzmir
International Fair's. In 1933 the fair gained its identity as an international fair.

11. Kemeraltı Market
The historical Kemeraltı neighborhood in Konak district is the best known
local shopping market in Izmir. Originally it was built around 17th century
right behind the harbor and expanded in the following centuries. The
name Kemeraltı (under arches) comes from the fact that there were
streets covered with arches with all the shops underneath.
At the entrance of Kemeraltı from Konak, one can see Mayors' Building
(Hükümet Konağı) which was built between 1868-1872. This building
occupies an important role in the history of the city; when Turkish Army
entered in Izmir during the War of Liberation, the Turkish Flag was raised
on its balcony on September 9th, 1922, marking the liberation day of
Izmir.

13. Kızlarağası Hanı
This typical Ottoman building in Kemeraltı neighborhood was built by Kızlarağası
Hacı Beşir Ağa in the 18th century as a caravanserai. There is a small cafeteria in
the open-air courtyard where you can relax and have a Turkish tea or coffee.

14. Hisar Mosque
This mosque is one of the oldest monuments of the city built by Aydınoğlu Yakup
Bey towards the end of 16th century, The mosque stands in the Kemeraltı market
area.
Havra Street
Havra is an important street of historical Kemeraltı neighborhood. Local
people come here to get their fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and meat. The
street gets its name from many Jewish synagogues (Havra in Turkish) built
here. There are nine Synagogues on this street but only four are operative
today.

15. Asansör (Elevator)
The historical Asansör built in 1907 on Mithatpaşa Street, and Dario Moreno street
running to the Asansör, are interesting places to visit in Izmir. Before its construction, a
stairway with 155 steps was used to climb to the Halil Rıfat Paşa district 50 meters
above. This elevator tower has joined the two districts with the aid of two elevators.
Besides its breathtaking panorama of the city on the Aegean Sea especially at sunset or
at night, a restaurant today is serving to its customers.
Near the Asansor, there are Uşakizade Latife Hanım House and Beth Israel Synagogue
worth a visit. The House witnessed the wedding of Atatürk and Latife Hanim in 1923,
and today is used as a school and museum.

16. Agora
Agora, ancient market place, was first built in the 4th century BC to the north
of Pagos (Kadifekale) where Smyrna was moved after Bayraklı. Like all other
Agoras of the ancient world, it was a meeting place for all commercial,
political, and religious activities for the local people.

17. Tepekule (Smyrna)
First settlement of ancient Smyrna dates back to 3000 BC. During the
excavations in Bayraklı district, these settlements were discovered at Tepekule
area in the north-eastern part of Izmir. According to the Greek geographer
Strabo, the name was coming from an Amazonian queen. The famous writer
and poet Homer was born in Smyrna at around 8th century BC.

18. Kadifekale (Pagos)
The city on the Pagos hills overlooking the gulf which was founded in the 4th
century BC by one of the generals of Alexander The Great, today stands at
the location between Kadifekale and inner harbor of Izmir.
The castle at 186 meters above sea level is one of the highest points of the
city which offers a bird-eye view of Izmir.

19. Aquaducts
These Roman aquaducts were built on the Meles (Kemer) river to bring fresh water to
the city. They're from late Roman period. Today only few sections left from a long
aquaduct which can be seen at Şirinyer (old Kızılçullu) district driving from the airport to
the city center.

20. Beth Israel Synagogue
This synagogue was built in 1905 by Nisim Levi in the Karatas quarter where an
important Jewish community lived at the beginning of the 20th Century.

21. Anglican Church
The first Anglican church in Izmir was built around 1625 by British Levantines of Smyrna.

22. Saint Polycarp Church
This is the oldest Christian church in Izmir which was built in 1625 with the
permission of Sultan Suleyman of the Ottoman Empire and by the wish of King of
France Louis 13th.

23. Alsancak District
Alsancak district, called Punto in old times, is one of the centers of Izmir and an
elegant residential area. The neighborhood is stretching from the waterfront,
called Kordon which is lined up with nice bars and fine restaurants, to the inland.
In the old times, Alsancak was a favorite place of Levantines, Greeks and
Armenians.
Near Alsancak, there is Kulturpark, a place most frequented by local people with
its artistic and cultural activities, International fair, tea gardens, restaurants, zoo
and parks.
Alsancak train station was built in 1858 in a colonial architecture style. Trains to
Aydın, Denizli and Buca departs from here.

25. Karşıyaka District
Karşıyaka district stands to the north shore of the Izmir Gulf and is one of
the residential centers of the city. The name literally means "Opposite
Shore" in Turkish, as location-wise it is.
Birds Paradise Natural Reserve (Kuş Cenneti) is next to Karşıyaka.

26. Izmir Wildlife Park
Izmir Wildlife Park is opened in 2008 by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality
at Sasalı area, near Karşıyaka district.

27. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city. Today's
archaeological site lies 3 kilometers southwest of the town of Selçuk, in the
Selçuk district of İzmir Province, Turkey .
The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC),
one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

28. House of the Virgin Mary

29. ŞİRİNCE TERRACE HOUSES

30. Restaurants in Izmir
There are many good restaurants in Izmir where you can taste Turkish
cuisine and local drinks, as well as fresh fish.
Hotels in Izmir
Besides city hotels in Izmir, there are several beach hotels nearby; Çeşme,
Foça, Gümüldür and Seferihisar are some of them. These resort towns are
well connected with Izmir and they're only a short drive away from the main
international airport.

32. Symrna (İzmir) is a… Havra Street gets its name …
a) fifty-five thousand year old city a) from many synagogues
b) five thousand year old city b) from many churches
c) four thousand year old city c) from many mosques
Izmir's landmark is… Agora means…
a) ancient political place
a) Kemeraltı market
b) ancient market place
b) Ephesus
c) ancient houses
c) Clock tower
d) International fair
Liberation day of Izmir was announced… The first settlement in İzmir was in…
a) on the balcony of Mayors' Building a) Kadifekale
b) on the balcony of the Elevator b) Tepekule
c) on the balcony of Izmir’s House c) Agora

33. The name “Smyrna” was coming from…
a) a British queen
b) ancient Greeks
c) an Amazonian queen
Virgin Mary may have spent the last years of her life in…
a) Pagos
b) Agora
c) Ephesus
d) Clock tower
Şirince is famous with its…
a) grapes
b) wines
c) donkeys