Must-see attractions in İzmir

  • The entrance to the Izmir History and Art Museum in Kulturpark. Izmir, Turkey - July 1, 2023.
1511243808
hall, turkey, turkish, interior, greek, heritage, arts museum, landmark, culture, building, display, gallery, hallway, turkiye, tour tourism, holiday maker, park, outdoor, greek sculptures, izmir history art museum, kulturpark, konak

    İzmir Museum of History & Art

    İzmir

    This museum is overlooked by many visitors to the city, who do themselves a great disservice in the process. Spread over three pavilions, it is one of the…

  • Ä°zmir Kemeraltı Bazaar Market, Turkey Middle East, Vintage Colors, Shopping Crowded People, Tight street, Day Light, Traditional Coffee Houses
İzmir Kemeraltı Bazaar Market, Turkey Middle East, Vintage Colors, Shopping Crowded People, Tight street, Day Light, Traditional Coffee Houses
1336823247

    Kemeraltı Market

    İzmir

    A labyrinthine bazaar stretching from Konak Sq through to the ancient Agora, Kemeraltı dates back to the 17th century and is home to shops, eateries,…

  • Izmir, Turkey - January 29, 2023 Kordon Street view in Pasaport District and historic tram
1464998170

    Kordon

    İzmir

    It’s difficult to imagine life in İzmir without its iconic seafront kordon (promenade), which stretches north from Cumhuriyet Meydanı to Alsancak and…

  • Empty corridor with arcs and blue sky. Ruins of Smyrna

    Agora

    İzmir

    Dating from the end of the 4th century BC, Smyrna's ancient agora was ruined in an earthquake in AD 178 but soon rebuilt by order of the Roman emperor…

  • Izmir - Turkey, January 26, 2023, Awesome view of Kizlaragasi Han Caravanserai and Hisar Mosque in Izmir, Turkey. Izmir is a popular tourist destination in Turkey.
1473548912

    Hisar Mosque

    İzmir

    Surrounded by popular coffeehouses, this mosque in the Kemeraltı Market is the largest in the city and dates from 1597. The interior is quintessentially…

  • Church of St Polycarp

    İzmir

    Built in the early 17th century, this Catholic church is the oldest still-functioning Christian house of worship in the city. Its survival during the 1922…

  • Kızlarağası Hanı

    İzmir

    This restored Ottoman-built bedesten (warehouse) dates from 1744 and is similar to the İç (Inner) Bedesten in İstanbul's famous Grand Bazaar. It's…

  • Havra Sokağı

    İzmir

    One of Kemeraltı's most interesting pockets, this stretch of produce stalls links the centre of the bazaar with the Agora and the eastern stretch of…

  • Archaeology Museum

    İzmir

    The city's Archaeology Museum has some gems in its collection, including a late-Hellenistic-period bronze statue of a runner found in the Aegean Sea near…

  • Walls of Kadifekale hill fortress on the top of Mount Pagos near Izmirt city in Turkey
1277088609
aegean region, gulf of izmir, kadifekale, turkish

    Kadifekale

    İzmir

    Legend has it that in the 4th century Alexander the Great chose this site on Mt Pagos as the location for Smyrna’s acropolis. Nothing remains of the Greek…

  • Konak Meydanı

    İzmir

    On a pedestrianised stretch of Cumhuriyet Bulvarı, this wide plaza, named after the prominent Ottoman-era Government House, built in 1872, to the east,…

  • Atatürk Museum

    İzmir

    Built as a carpet merchant's residence between 1875 and 1880, this stately white building ended up in state hands after the shocking events of September…

  • Kültürpark

    İzmir

    The 1922 fire destroyed much of the town centre between Alsancak and Basmane, which had been a Greek neighbourhood for centuries. Today the area contains…

  • Ethnography Museum

    İzmir

    Housed in a splendid stone building that once functioned as a hospital, this museum showcases the arts, crafts and customs of İzmir. Dioramas, displays,…

  • Zübeyde Hanım Museum Ship

    İzmir

    Named after Atatürk’s beloved mother, who died in İzmir in 1923, this 50m-long, 307-tonne ferry was built in 1987 and sailed in İstanbul until early 2014,…

  • Arkas Art Centre

    İzmir

    Occupying a handsome 1906 building that functioned as the French consulate until 2010, this arts centre hosts temporary exhibitions with an Aegean accent…

  • City Museum & Archive

    İzmir

    Housed in a fire station built by the British in 1923, this small museum mounts changing displays on İzmir’s history. It is named after Ahmet Piriştina, a…

  • Asansör

    İzmir

    This elevator in the Karataş neighbouhood south of Konak was built in 1907 as a work of public service by wealthy Jewish banker and trader, Nesim Levi…

  • Konak Clock Tower

    İzmir

    One of the city's major landmarks, this Moorish-style clock tower with four fountains was designed by the Levantine French architect Raymond Charles Père…

  • İzmir Mask Museum

    İzmir

    Tucked away in an old house on a street filled with bars, this little museum spread over three floors has an esoteric collection of ceremonial and…

  • Konak Pier

    İzmir

    Designed by Gustav Eiffel and built between 1875 and 1890, this pier served as a customs point until the mid-20th century. Recently converted into a…

  • St John's Cathedral

    İzmir

    İzmir retains a number of churches that are still used by the Christian faithful, including this 1874 building on Montro Meydanı that was partly financed…

  • Kestanepazarı Mosque

    İzmir

    The multi-domed 'Chestnut Market Mosque' dates from 1667 and has a particularly beautiful mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca). Its profusion…

  • Şadırvan Mosque

    İzmir

    Named after the fountains next to it, which are used by the congregation for ritual ablutions, this 1636 mosque has a large central dome and a minaret…

  • Yalı Mosque

    İzmir

    On the northern edge of Konak Meydanı, this petite octagonal mosque with its slender minaret was built in the 18th century and features pretty coloured…

  • Atatürk Monument

    İzmir

    Dedicated to the Turkish War of Independence, this 1932 monument in Cumhuriyet Meydanı features a sculpture of Atatürk on horseback by Italian sculptor…

  • Bet Israel

    İzmir

    The city’s largest synagogue was built in 1907 and is the largest still-operating Jewish house of worship in the city.

  • Government House

    İzmir

    Built between 1868 and 1872, the governor's office on Konak Sq is one of the city's major landmarks.

  • Parachute Tower

    İzmir

    This huge, ugly and largely disused fairground attraction is a handy navigational aid when exploring the Kültürpark.

More destinations you need to see