Sightseeing in Izmir - what to see. Complete travel guide

Izmir is a large and famous cultural center and a beautiful resort. The city is located along the coastal line and so it is surrounded by water from one side and by high mountains with ancient forests from another one. There are many places of interest in the city as it has managed to preserve its historical look. You will also find numerous museums and theatres in Izmir, so besides tranquil rest on a beach, tourists have an opportunity to participate in various cultural events.

The Temple of Athena is considered the most valuable finding of archeologists in whole Barakly region. The temple complex includes that ruins of the protective walls that have surrounded the ancient Ionic town. The buildings were created in 9-7 centuries BC. All precious findings from the territory of excavations have been transferred to Museum of Archeology that now exhibits examples of pottery, jewelry and figuline. Tourists, who enjoy listening to stories about previous centuries, should visit Kadifekale Mountain where they will see the ruins of the old castle built during Alexander of Macedon times. There is a spacious yard in front of the castle where all visitors can enjoy mountain landscapes and azure bay.

One more facility built during the times of Alexander the Great is the market square named Agora. It was damaged severely during the earthquake, but later it was reconstructed and was kept in a perfect condition up to our days. Sirinyer aqueduct on the Meles River built during the Roman Empire times is a wonderful architectural site. If you like observing religious facilities, than Church of St. Polycarp is definitely worth visiting. The church was built in the 14th century and then reconstructed in 1620. There are mane legends and tales connected with this church that is also known as one of the oldest buildings in Izmir. Saat Kulesi Tower located on the central square of Izmir is a traditional destination for tourists. It was built in 1901 by the order of sheikh Abdulhamid and over a hundred years the tower is known as the symbol of the city. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The oldest building in Izmir is the Saint Polycarp Church. At the beginning of the 17th century, it was completely reconstructed by the order of Suleiman the Great. Thanks to this reconstruction, it has survived to this day. Presently in the church, there are many unique relics. Elements of decoration are preserved in it, which will be admired by absolutely everyone.

An obligatory part of the excursion should be a visit to the Ataturk Museum. This museum is located in Konak Square and occupies a beautiful historical building. It was in this building that Atatürk stopped several times during his visits to the city. The collection of this museum is very diverse; it presents a large collection of ancient sculptures and paintings, as well as historical artifacts. Exhibitions of contemporary artists are often held in the museum.

The city has preserved many amazing antique attractions, including the library of Celsus. According to historical data, it was built in the 2nd century for the Roman proconsul of Tiberius Julius Celsus. Archaeologists managed to restore as much of the elements of the building as possible, even the surviving parts of the facade. The length and height of the facade are 21 meters and 16 meters respectively. The magnificent library, which in its scale is inferior only to the Library of Alexandria, lasted only a hundred years and was completely destroyed during the next attack.

Fans of unusual attractions in Izmir must find the “wall of desires”, located next to the house of the Virgin Mary, on the Nightingale Mountain. This wall is completely covered with scraps of paper and cloth, on which pilgrims write their desires. Once a week, all the notes with wishes left by pilgrims are burnt. It is considered necessary for the wishes to come true. Here, there are also several springs, the water from which is considered miraculous.

In Izmir, there is a magnificent zoo, which will be interesting to visit by all, without exception, nature lovers or travelers with children. In this zoo, there are almost no habitual aviaries and cells; animals are given maximum freedom. On the territory of the zoo, there are several beautiful ponds, playgrounds for small visitors, and also recreation areas.