Izmir Tourist Places to Visit in Izmir, Turkey, Europe

Izmir Tourist Places to Visit in Izmir, Turkey, Europe

Izmir is one of the important cities of Turkey located on the western coast of the country is the third largest city of Turkey in terms of population. Izmir is situated around 560 km southwest of the largest city of the nation, Istanbul and 580 km southwest of the capital and second largest city of the country, Ankara. The city of Izmir is formed by eleven metropolitan districts including Bornova and Konak.

Izmir is geographically positioned between 38.422° N latitude and 27.129° E longitude, spanning over a total area of 7,340.00 sq. km. Izmir experiences a Mediterranean climate.

History of Izmir:

Izmir is one of the oldest settlements on the Mediterranean coast, ensured by the archeological evidences found in Yeşilova Höyük in the 2004 excavation. Including the Roman, Greek and Persian, Izmir witnessed the rule of many powerful European and Asian empires in its long and grand history.

How to reach Izmir?

Adnan Menderes Airport serves Izmir with scheduled flights from Istanbul, Ankara, and Antalya, Amsterdam, London and many other global destinations. It costs around 10 TL to cross the distance of 16 km from the airport to the city centre by taxi and 4 TL by public bus.

Izmir is connected to Istanbul and Ankara by both bus and train services.

Public buses are the primary options to get around Izmir.

Culture and Food in Izmir:

The İzmir International Fair is usually held in the month of September every year. The İzmir European Jazz Festival is another cultural icon of Izmir.

Must try dishes in Izmir are tarhana soup, zerde, sulu köfte, keşkek and mücver.

Some specialty shops in Izmir are:

Agora Alisveris Merkezi
Kizlaragasi Han Bazaar
Forum Bornova
Arkas Art Center

Things to do in Izmir:

Ephesus Deluxe Tours
Elite Turkey Tours
Visiting spas and vineyards

Places of interest in Izmir:

Konak Square:

Being a main square of the city, Konak Square is the highlight of Izmir in which the clock tower is a centre of attraction, was erected in 1901. Other unique features of the square are Kemeralti Bazaar and Konak Yali Mosque.

Beaches in Izmir:

Due to its position on the Aegean Sea’s coastline, Izmir holds many spectacular beaches of which the most recognized ones are Dikili, Urla, Çeşme, Seferihisar and Foca. Most of the beaches can be reached by public transportation form the city centre.

Smyrna:

Smyrna is an archeological site holding the ruins from the late Hellenistic and early Roman period which forms the İzmir Agora Open Air Museum. Taking guided tours would be better to explore this hidden gem.

Izmir Archeology Museum:

The Izmir Archeology Museum houses a large collection artifacts found around the Gulf of Izmir from the Greek and Roman times. The collections include statues, statuettes, cooking materials and busts. The museum was founded in 1924.

İzmir Cumhuriyet Square:

The İzmir Cumhuriyet Square is situated at the port of İzmir, well known for social gatherings, restaurants, cafes and entertainment options. The square is dominated by the monument of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, sculptured by the famous Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica in the year 1927.

List of other places of interest in Izmir includes:

Izmir Wild Life Park
Ephesus Museum
Efes Antique City
Kordonboyu
Synagogue Street
Kemeralti Market
Birgi Cakiraga Mansion
Kedi Kultur Sanat Merkezi
Escape Beach Club
Ayios Haralambos Church
Karaca Cinema
Izmir Museum of History and Art
Ahmet Pristina City Archive & Museum

Best time to visit Izmir:

The city of Izmir can be experienced best during the months between April and September.

Accommodation options in Izmir:

Izmir is a city for all types of travelers with host of all sorts of modernized hotels such as budget guest houses, mid range BB and inns and top end luxury hotels. List of the top end hotels in Izmir in Turkey include: