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| From
Konak Meydan where İzmir’s famous clock tower
stands I walk in the direction of Mithatpaşa
Caddesi, and come to the district known as Karataş
or alternatively as Asansör, one of the oldest
parts of the city. At one end of the street is the
Beth Israel Synagogue, the largest in İzmir. The
synagogue is the most venerable historical witness
in this area, which was the hub of İzmir’s -
now diminished - Jewish community. In the middle
ages Jews who migrated to Anatolia from Spain
swelled the existing community of Byzantine Jews.
On the corner of the street leading to the
Asansör - the Turkish spelling for the French
ascenseur or lift - is a sign telling me that this
is Dario Moreno Sokağı.
The street is lined by old İzmir houses which
give me the impression of making a journey back in
time. The magnolia and jasmine trees in front of
the houses and the cobbled street lend it a
peacefully evocative atmosphere. Many of the
houses in this former Jewish quarter have now been
restored by the municipality. On the left I pass
the house, now a museum, which was home to the
famous singer of the 1960s, Dario Moreno. One of
the songs that he used to sing in his distinctive
Turkish accent came into my mind and I began to
hum as I walked. |
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| On the wall next to Moreno’s
front door is inscribed the poem he composed
expressing his last wishes. İzmir. A man
passionately fond of his native city, Moreno declared: ‘İzmir,
my sweet and beloved city / If one day I should die far
from you / Let them bring me here / But when carrying me
to my grave / Let them not say HE DIED, but that he SLEEPS
in your embrace / My sweet |
At
the end of the street the 93 year old Asansör was
before me in all its magnificence. The lift was
constructed to save people the precipitous climb up
from Mithatpaşa Caddesi to Halil Rifat Paşa
Caddesi. Before it was constructed, those who lived
in the neighbourhood of Halil Rifat Paşa 50 metres
above sea level had to climb a flight of 155 steps.
The pair of lifts are contained in a tower-like
building 51 metres in height constructed in 1907.
The bricks for the tower were shipped from
Marseilles.
Originally one of the lifts was steam driven and the
other worked by electricity, but during repairs in
1985 the steam driven lift was also converted to
electricity. In 1994 both the street and Asansör
building underwent extensive restoration, during
which the building adjoining the tower was converted
into a restaurant. The
lifts have been closed during restoration and only
reopened in March this year.
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| Now I am in the square where
the Asansör tower stands. To the left is the building
which formerly housed the machine room, but will shortly
open as a café and cultural centre. Above the entrance at
the base of the tower is a marble plaque bearing the name
of the builder Nissim Levy and the construction date.
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| Entering
here I purchase a ticket from the ticket window on
the right, and await with pleasurable anticipation
the short but enjoyable journey. Boarding the lift
I look out of the small windows in the tower as we
rise upwards. The Asansör makes no intermediate
stop on its way up the cliff, to which it is
attached by iron rods. At the top a broad bridge
leads into the part of the tower which now houses
a restaurant, where in summer it is possible to
eat out on the two linked terraces. The restaurant
includes a small mezzanine for VIP guests. A
spiral staircase leads down to a bar on the lower
floor, where original Genoese suits of armour
brought from Italy are on display. The restaurant
is a fine dining establishment, whose cutlery,
china and glasses were imported specially to
reflect the historic atmosphere, and where you can
sip the best wines as you listen to the pianist
playing. The
spectacular view which is partially visible from inside
the restaurant is revealed in all its glory from the
terraces.
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| Even
the ferryboats arriving at Konak Quay can be seen in the
distance, and the winding shores of Alsancak, Karşıyaka
and Konak spread out below you like the hair of a
beautiful mermaid blowing in the soft breeze. This is a
city whose magnetism makes separation hard to bear. Even
when you are far away, its memory tugs at your heart.
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iZMiR