 iZMiR
for PLEASURE |
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"SMYRNA"
This is
the ancient name of Izmir and the heroic Amazon who founded the
city according to Herodotus |
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| AREA: |
POPULATION: |
Trafic
Code: |
Altitude: |
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11.973 km² (Third largest city in Turkey) |
3.114.859 (2000) |
35
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Sea level
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| INDUSTRY: |
Animal
husbandry: |
AGRICULTURE: |
| Textiles,
Cigarettes, Soap and Food processing plants,
Automotive, Olive oil |
Not very common |
Wheat, barley, potatoes, cotton, tobacco, olives, grapes,
figs |
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9 September 1922...
The day when Izmir was liberated from three years of Greek occupation
following the Great Attack launched by the Turkish army on 26
August.
One of the major events ln the Turkish War of Independence, this date is
the name of one of the city's universities.
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Known in Turkish as "Beautiful Izmir"
or "The Pearl of Aegean", the city lies at the head of a long and
narrow gulf furrowed by ships and yachts. The climate is mild
and in the summer the constant and refreshing sea breezes temper
the sun's heat. Behind the palm lined promenades and avenues
which follow the shoreline, the city, in horizontal terraces,
gently ascends the slopes of the surrounding mountains.
We should add the attribute
"most
civilized town".
Particularly for that reason, we started with the odor of the
bay which we bear not think of side by side with a town of such
beauties and qualities. How about a bird's-eye view of the city? then we will
continue with Kadifekale or Asansör (the
Elevator). The castle
of Kadifekale at a hill 186 m high was built in the time of
Alexander the Great. Today, only the five western towers and the
southern walls are standing. It will be worthwhile having a cup
of tea to watch Izmir and the bay from this point. Then you can
find the street named after the famous French levant singer
Dario Moreno (He was
born in izmir) which is very near to "Konak
Meydanı" / square and
climb up to the tea house above, via the elevator. For long
years the Elevator served as a massively used means means of
transportation between Karataş down on the seashore and the
upper Halil Rifat quater and surrounding districts. It was one
of the first charged elevators of the world used for public
transportation.
Konak Meydanı is the center and there you will see the
Clock tower built between 1808-1814 to commemorate Abdulhamid's
25th year on the throne and which has since been the symbol of
the city. when you turn your back to the clock tower and the
statue of Hasan Tahsin (the
journalist who fired the first bullet of resistance in the war
of independence), in
other words, when you turn your back to the sea and keep walking
, the way will take you to the grand historic bazaar Kemeraltı,
covering a very large area. Do not keep only to the main avenue in
Kemeraltı
but, also take to the side streets, Hisar Mosque (1592)
and the Hisarönü
in the front, is a rare find charming place where you can find
all kinds of flowers for quite low prices. Havra Street
in Kemeraltı is a zone with many Jewish temples the oldest of
which is Talmud Tora. You can also find quite nice wine houses
here.Kordonboyu
is acoastal promenade with restaurants, beer houses and pubs
lined one after another along the road. A good meal at a fine
restaurant will have a rich variety of green vegetables,
especially salad rocket and cress. When the summer breeze, soft
embracing the shore, appears in the evening, your Kordon
pleasure will be doubled.
Karşıyaka
with modern buildings in the front towering and domineering the
old houses behind; Bornova with mansions in big gardens; Buca
with old levantine villas and Balçova with thermal springs
and flower greenhouses...
The third largest city in Turkey,
Izmir's port is second only to Istanbul's. A cosmopolitan and
lively city all year round, during the International Arts
Festival (June/July)
and the International Fair (August/Sept),
Izmir bursts with an added vibrancy.
There is also the Arcaeological Museum where a rich
collection recovered in excavations in the Aegeon coastal region
are exhibited.
The original city was established in
the third millennium B.C. (at
present day Bayraklı),
and at that time shared, with Troy, the most advanced culture in
Western Anatolia. By 1500 B.C. it had fallen under the influence
of Central Anatolia's Hittite Empire. In the first millennium
B.C. Izmir, then known as Smyrna, ranked as one of the important
cities of the lonian Federation; during this period - one of the
city's most brilliant - it is believed that Homer resided here.
The Lydian conquest of the city, around 600 B.C., brought this
period to an end, and Izmir remained little more than a village
throughout the Lydian and the subsequent 6th century B.C.
Persian rule. In the fourth century B.C. a new city was built at
the instigation of Alexander the Great on the slopes of Mt.
Pagos (Kadifekale).
Izmir's Roman period, from the first century B.C., gave birth to
its second great era. Byzantine rule followed in the fourth
century and lasted until the Selçuk conquest in the 11th
century. In 1415, under Sultan Mehmet Çelebi; Izmir became part
of the Ottoman Empire.
The excavations at Bayraklı
have unearthed a temple dedicated to Athena, and the wall of the
lonian city which flourished here between the seventh and fifth
centuries B.C. Pottery dating to the third millennium B.C. has
also been uncovered.
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 CLIMATE |
Typical mediterranean climate, with hot dry summers and warm wet
winters. The average temperature is 18 degrees Celcius. Snowfall
is extremely rare, and approximately 148 days of the year are
clear and sunny.
People
coming to Izmir can expect long, hot summers and mild, rainy
winters. The total precipitation for Izmir averages 27.8 inches
per year; however, 77 percent of that falls during November
through March.
The average maximum temperatures during the winter months range
in the high 50s with minimums in the low 40s.
Although it's rare, snow has been recorded in Izmir in January
and February. Occasionally, temperatures will drop into the low
20s, but these periods only last one to two days.
The summer months - June through September - bring average
daytime temperatures of 86 degrees or higher, sometimes reaching
100-plus degrees.
Nighttime lows are frequently above 70 degrees. Many people
install fans or air conditioners to cool their apartments.
Rain is extremely rare in the summer and you may have to undergo
water rationing before the rains come in the fall.
IMBAT: The
sea breeze which brings relief to Izmir's inhabitants in the
blazing heat of high summer.
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| Month
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High-Cº |
High-kg/m² |
Low-Cº |
Low-kg/m² |
Humidity |
Precipitation |
| January |
16 |
55 |
6 |
35 |
60% |
very rainy |
| February |
17 |
58 |
6 |
38 |
60% |
very rainy |
| March |
19 |
65 |
9 |
40 |
50% |
rainy |
| April |
22 |
70 |
12 |
45 |
50% |
some rain |
| May |
25 |
75 |
16 |
50 |
60% |
little rain |
| June |
30 |
90 |
20 |
60 |
75% |
no rain |
| July |
34 |
100 |
22 |
70 |
80% |
no rain |
| August |
33 |
100 |
21 |
70 |
80% |
no rain |
| September |
30 |
90 |
20 |
60 |
70% |
little rain |
| October |
24 |
75 |
16 |
50 |
60% |
some rain |
| November |
21 |
68 |
12 |
40 |
50% |
rainy |
| December |
18 |
65 |
9 |
35 |
50% |
very rainy |
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