The Pearl of Aegea, the land of Efe Beatuful İzmir

Turkey's third largest city, İzmir, has many districts such as Konak, Bornova, Karsiyaka, Cigli, Balçova, Buca, Menemen, Aliaga, Dikili, Foca, Bergama, Urla, Karaburun, Mordoğan, Seferihisar, Alacati, Cesme, Özdere, Gümüldür, Ödemiş, Kiraz, Beydağ, Selcuk, Kemalpaşa, Torbalı, Tire.

We start viewing the city, the apple of the Aegea District, from clock tower in the Konak main square, which has become the symbol of İzmir. The clock tower of the square the environmental regulations of which have been completed many times is considered as the one having the most aesthetic appearance and elegance within the Ottoman clock towers. The tower, the meeting point of İzmir citizens, around which the people are wandering and resting and taking photos of memories has been standing there with its majesty without losing anything from its beauty even if the surrounding of it becomes concrete and narrower.   

İzmir Clock Tower
It was constructed for the 25th anniversary of Sultan 2nd Abdülhamit’s coming to throne and some parts of it were brought from abroad and built with the Project of a Belgian company. The clock of the tower was a gift from the German Emperor 2.Wilhelm. The jewelry-looking  İzmir Clock Tower has 68 columns on 4 entrances and marble domed fountains. The circle of the two floors is surrounded by an octagonal balcony and rising with an octagonal planned tower. The roof of the tower with Ottoman Arma and signature of Abdulhamid consists of 12 columns and finishing with a flag. The maintenance of the tower was carried out by İzmir Municipality in 1985 and it was lighted and then the clock of the tower was converted into electronic system.   
It has an intense vehicle and pedestrian traffic with the square with Clock Tower surrounded by Municipal building and the Konak Mosque, the condition connecting Alsancak to Karsiyaka. While the main shopping center of İzmir Kemeraltı Bazaar attracts its visitors to the depth of the history with its streets, passages and galleries, we reach to Asansör district, which is another symbol of İzmir by following the coast in direction Güzelyalı from The square.  

Asansör
Even if the road parallel to the coast having a new and green area after filling the sea and arranging it,  remains behind the tall, multi-storey apartments, you may encounter the two-storey oriel-fringed, former İzmir houses as well. When you come closer to Asansör street, the number of these kinds of houses is increasing and in 302 street, you see the museum house of Dario Moreno, the singer of the unforgettable song once “Sea and Seagulls asked where you are, How I tell that you leave me?”  
After these nostalgic moments, the historical Asansör/lift is coming in front of you suddenly like a giant monument. Even if you have nothing to do in the place to which you may go with lift, you would like to get it and soon go up. Elevator's entry, inscription and the door take you years before. While you go up in the cabins you use with a ticket, you start overlooking at the gulf from the glazed section. The platform at the point with a short travel, where you go vertical has a wonderful panorama.  

The lift which started to be used in 1907 was 40 meters in height. It was purchased by a merchant from İzmir, Şerif Remzi Reyent. It was inherited by Ayla Ökmen, when he was died in 1973, and donated to İzmir Municipality in 1983 provided that it will not be sold. You have the chance of having a nice time in Genoese tavern, restaurant, tea terrace with İzmir view in Asansör where a pedestrian connection between Halil Rifat Pasa Street and Mithatpaşa Street for years. 
We are going down leaving these wonderful places. When we continue the road towards the coast Göztepe, Göztepe Atatürk House is remarkable. Date is September the 9th 1922. Mustafa Kemal won the victory of August the 30th. That day he goes to Izmir. On that way exhaustion, excitement, happiness, confusion, we all have all of them. Delegates of the Allies are waiting before the door of the commander winning the victory. 
Meanwhile, a woman out of the queue and without permission rushes into the room. The young Lady at the door is the daughter of famous businessman of İzmir, Uşakizade Muammer Bey. This young lady whose name is Latife managed to stay for one hour with the victorious commander, while everybody is waiting out there. 
"She left the room after telling persistently again and again that the house of Uşakizadeler would be a suitable headquarter for Pasha. During the night of 13th September 1922, unforgettable Izmir fire begins.  That day even though many of the people around him insist that he should leave İzmir Headquarter and move to another place, Mustafa Kemal, especially with the insistence of İsmet and Fevzi Pashas, agreed to go to the house of Uşakizadeler in Göztepe. And from 13th October to 29th October he stayed there. After that, the new İzmir headquarter became the house of Muammer Bey.

Mustafa Kemal returns that mansion back on January the 27th, 1923. This time the reason for his return is different. The great commander is proposing marriage to the daughter of the house, Latife Hanim. January the 27th, 1923. At last, Pasha and Latife Hanım are meeting in the house of Mr. Muammer. While the young girl saying with pleasure of seeing Mustafa Kemal that "I miss you so much, I miss you so much," he expressed the marriage proposal with an expression peculiar to him. "Well then" said Pasha, and continued, "We are agree. So, we are getting married." After the wedding ceremony, Mustafa Kemal and Latife Hanım get married on January the 29th in the same house.  is getting married marry the coast. On February the 18th, 1923, during the 19th day of their marriage, they left İzmir and set out towards Ankara.

We are now in another famous place after Göztepe. We have the chance to go Balçova, famous for its spas and healing waters, with a ropeway. The road goes to İnciraltı, Çeşme in the same direction. We return to Konak square again, because we will mention about these districts later. This time we turn our back to the pier connecting Karşıyaka via sea and climb the variant and reach the height which provides us to see İzmir from a wide panorama. İzmir Archeology Museum in which invaluable work arts are being exhibited and provide us to have knowledge about the history and background of İzmir is another stopover on the road. We come down to the beach and walk through the cordon way near from the clock tower and mosque, organized again with double roads.

Within last few years, the restaurants have been attracting attention with all the streets opening to cordon way, which has become very far from the sea after the sea was filled. 1st and 2nd cordon is like a podium full of charming girls who are update in fashion and handsome boys.  

The banks lying through the coast is a very suitable environment for the lovers to rest and walk. From the early hours of the evening, cordon restaurant and beerhouses are the places of nice conversations and loud laughters and very popular. The nights start with beers, potato, fried food and mussels and the smells of numerous olive oiled meals, snacks, çipura, levrek, trance fish and anise mix each other. Konak Pier, having 150 years of background in İzmir, has been in a demand since it was opened in 2003, December with sports activities, restaurants, shops, and exhibition and cinema saloons.  This giant building was constructed as a customs building during Ottomans period and it drives attention with its different architecture which is no being used as a different shopping center. 

Ataturk’s Museum House

There is another museum you may see during your cordon visit. The history of the two-storey house is like this: 
16th June 1926. Mustafa Kemal and İsmet İnönü come to Naim Palas hotel in İzmir. This hotel was built by Sir Tekfor, a rug merchant, between 1875 - 1880 years to be used as a house. When Turks took İzmir back and Greeks return their home again, Sir Tekfor left İzmir. His house was transferred to National treasury like many houses. The building was rented for many purposes for a short time and at last, the National Treasury gave the building to a businessman, Sir Naim to be used as a hotel. In 1926, İzmir Municipality bought the building and decorated it elaborately and gave Mustafa Kemal as a gift. That time, Pasha divorced from his wife and he had not got a house in İzmir. 

Mustafa Kemal visited İzmir between 1903 -1934 and stayed in that house. In 1934, he came with his official guest Persian King Rıza Shah Pehlevi. They spent two night there and went Balıkesir from there. After the death of Atatürk, this house was given to his sister, but İzmir Municipality took it to make it a museum.  The restoration of the building finished in 11th September 1941 opened for the visits after a ceremony. In 1962, it was named as Atatürk Public Library and İzmir Atatürk Museum, and once again it was named as İzmir Archeology Museum with the help of Finances Ministry. After a restoration in 29th  October 1987, it turned to Atatürk Ethnography Museum. After the museum was moved together with the furniture in it, the building became again Ataturk’s museum.
There is a big and long saloon at the bottom floor of the house. Here, there are tile plates, scenes from Shakespeare’s works, encyclopedias on the bookshelves, statues and paintings. In second floor, there are Ata’s bedroom, guest bedrooms, security rooms, waiting, reception, dining, and bathrooms. 

Cumhuriyet Square with Republic Statue

We are walking on the cordon way in front of Cumhuriyet Square,  where İzmir people come together for every activity, share their happiness, ceremonies, sorrows even if it is symbolic, around which there are phaetons. We pass to the inner parts while watching the historical buildings seen between the pine tress which has a poetic beauty during sunset. Now we are in the biggest international fair area of Turkey. İZMİR Fair welcomes its visitors with many entrances and it is at the same time a kind of breathing pipe of İzmir, which enables many different activities in İzmir. It puts up many visitors every year in 9th September with its fair pavions, stands, casinos, and entertainment parks. The people are informed from the latest technological products, enjoys themselves in recreation areas, watch the colorful pools and cool them. Another thing that cools the people of İzmir is the wind ”İmbat” which is impatiently being waited in the evenings. We left the gulf and port in left and go to the other side. Now we are Karşıyaka, the best area to watch İzmir. There is no trace from the bad small and colour of the gulf.  You may encounter the buildings like Chaina walls lying along the coast. Historical buildings, mansions, aesthetic attractive houses can be seen here over the tall apartments, numbered, planned streets.  The coastal road lies from the houses of Emlak Bank, built lately, towards Bostanlı(Papaz). Karşıyaka people walk along this coast decorated by palm trees till the late hours of the night, taking phaeton tours, watch the beauty of İzmir from the restaurants and bakeries. The most active part of Karşıyaka is ferryboat pier and its vicinity.
22nd Teacher’s local is remembered as the place where Atatürk danced in ball for him.  The inner part of the building is decorated with the photos of Atatürk.  When we go parallel with Karşıyaka train rail, we see another house full of the memories of Atatürk, Uşaklıgil mansion. Atatürk and Latife hanım came this house, situated in 1879 numbered 31st street after they got married and they stayed here. It is known that two pine trees were planted by Atatürk and Latife hanım when they first got married.
 
The grave of Ataturk’s mother Zübeyde Hanım, is another place to visit in Karşıyaka. 
The places to see and visit in İzmir are not limited to what is written here. There are lots of beauties to see and places to go such as going up Kadifekale, visiting the areas of ruins in Bayraklı belonging the first ages of İzmir, having a historical tour with Nature History Bornova, seeing herons and flamingoes in İzmir Birds Heaven, visiting mansions, fairs areas, parachute tower, the zoo, Thus, İzmir deserves to be called as “The Pearl of Aegean”.