İZMİR meliSA

izmir İzmir is a metropolitan city in the western Anatolia and the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara İzmir has a population of 2,800,000 Area: 7.340.000 km2

Clock Tower A favourite with regular travellers to Izmir, the pretty clock tower is set in a picturesque plaza where you can sit and people watch whilst sipping a cooling drink. The area is very photogenic and especially if you cross the plaza to the small domed building opposite the clock tower where the plaza looks out over the sea. There is also a large government building on the plaza which was built to fit in with the ambience of the place. A good venue to relax and watch the world go by.

Ethnography museum This museum is located opposite the Archaeology Museum and is located in Bahribaba Park, south of Konak. The beautiful stone building that houses it was once a hospital, built in 1831. The exhibits include a comprehensive collection of folk art which is displayed on the first two floors and which showcases the lifestyle, customs and traditions of Izmir and its environs in the 19th century

agora The Agora, which was eventually a Roman market place, was the largest of its kind in the world and was established in 333 BC by Alexander the Great on the slopes of Mt. Pagos. An earthquake in AD 178 destroyed it but it was rebuilt soon after by Marcus Aurelius

The archaeology museum With so much history nearby you’d expect a central place for its display and that place is the Izmir Archaeology Museum located in Bahribaba Park, just to the south of Konak. Here you see displays from all of the many cities from different civilisations that have been excavated within the Izmir area

St. Polycarp Church This church can be found where Gaziosmanpasa Boulevard crosses Necatibey Boulevard. The building was built in 1625 in honour of St. Polycarp, who was killed in A.D. 155 in Kadifekale at the age of 86 because of his strong beliefs and faith. It is said that they tried to burn him at the stake but the flames wouldn’t touch him so he was stabbed to death. The church is part of the seven churches of the revelation and a lasting symbol of the Christian settlement in Smyrna.

beaches You may be in a city and a big industrial and commercial area but you don’t have to go far to find natural beauty on a beautiful beach. A short drive west of Izmir leads to an area renowned for picture postcard coves and gorgeous beaches. The pretty resorts of Cesme, Alacati and Altinkum are some of the best beaches on the Aegean coast with pristine white sands, warm seas and secluded, protected bays, ideal for families or those wanting to take part in water sports

Wreck dıves The Aegean has been a busy and important waterway for thousands of years and despite the tranquil looking water on a hot summer day, countless storms over the centuries have accounted for many ships. From Izmir and the surrounding resorts, dive companies will take you scuba diving out to some of the well known wrecks and let you see history on the seabed as well as the amazing variety of sea life that has made the wrecks their home. For the less adventurous, much of the watery fauna can be seen by snorkelling from the beaches or taking a glass bottom boat