The Explore series goes further afield this week. We focus on Izmir, the birthplace of reporter Ruken Alışkan. Renowned as the “castle of secularism”, it is actually a very big place with both its city centre, holiday resorts, and villages, and many places to visit. She focuses on the centre of Izmir and shares with you the places worth seeing and its popular tastes.
As I mentioned above, as it is a big city, I will describe the places that are close to each other by dividing İzmir into regions: Alsancak, Konak, and Kemeraltı. The general name of all these regions is also Konak, that is, the ‘mansion’. In the region, named after the mansion built by the Izmir overlords in the 16th century, other important mansions were built later on. Business people from many nations came to Izmir, an historical port city, and this greatly affected the culture and architecture of the city. Konak’s entire region is a district with shopping malls, restaurants, and cafes as well as art centres, so this is the heart of the city. Therefore, it is the right location to take the pulse of the city.
Alsancak
Kıbrıs Şehitleri Caddesi: I started our tour here because here are two famous places I can recommend to have breakfast unique to Izmir: Alsancak Dostlar Bakery and Historical Zeynel Ergin Gevrek Bakery.
If you prefer Dostlar Bakery, you should definitely try the drink called sübye here. Boyoz and cuttlebone were introduced into our kitchen by the Spanish Jews who settled in Izmir at the time. Boyoz means small bread in Spanish and comes from the word bollos.
We, the people of Izmir, eat this delicacy, which I can describe as a greasy muffin, together with a boiled egg when it is warm. Sübye is a refreshing drink made from dried melon drink. Muzaffer Izgü and Gazi Women’s Street and other side streets, which you can deviate from on this street, are also places you might want to see because there are colorful pubs and a nice atmosphere.
Kültür Neighborhood: There are stylish restaurants, stylish venues, new-generation cafes, and boutique shops in Kültür. La Cigale, Leone Patisserie & Boulangerie, and Ristorante Pizzeria Venice are popular places there.
Kordon: This place, which is the name of the coastline, is an area where everyone who takes their place on the grass along the coast relaxes, sunbathes, makes music, and has fun. It is the most favorite place, especially for the beer-mussel duo. You can grab your beer and buy mussels from peddlers and relax here. Kordon is also a place with fish and meat restaurants in the first row and pubs in the back. I recommend Deniz Restaurant in Kordon for raki-fish, an Izmir classic. If you want to have a red meat feast with a very rich menu, you should go to Tavacı Recep Usta.
Arkas Art Centre: You may want to visit the art centre on Kordon as there is a current exhibition. The sea-facing part of the building, which has been used as the French Honorary Consulate building since 1875, was reopened in 2011 as Arkas Art Centre. The painting exhibition “Myths and Dreams” is on until 31 July, free of charge.
Konak
Konak Pier: Konak Pier, which was created between 1867-1950 as an area where the French could moor their ships, was restored in 2003 and since then it has been used as a shopping centre with shops, cafes/restaurants, and jewelers. This place, which has high-quality restaurants, can be visited only for its location on the sea.
Izmir Clock Tower: You should see the Clock Tower, which is located in the middle of Konak Square and the symbol of İzmir. It was built by Grand Vizier Küçük Said Pasha in honor of the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdülhamit’s accession to the throne in 1901. The clock in the tower was from Emperor of Germany II and gifted to Izmir by Wilhelm. The watch still works the old-fashioned way today, manually, with the weight system turning the wheel. This is the number one meeting point of people in Izmir.
Historical Elevator and Dario Moreno Street: Built by Jewish businessman Nesim Levi in 1907, the Historic Elevator was built to facilitate transportation, but today it is among the places to visit. When you go up with the elevator that allows you to reach the 40-meter-high street, the panoramic view of İzmir greets you. There is also a cafe and restaurant in the same place that watches Izmir Bay. You can enjoy the view with a drink and a snack. However, there is no special flavor that I can recommend here. I would like to talk about the street you entered before getting on the elevator. This street takes its name from Dario Moreno, an Italian-born Turkish guitarist, pianist, and film actor, who has an important place in İzmir’s cultural memory. There are very cute cafes on this street where there are Greek houses, including Dario Moreno’s house.
3. Kemeraltı and Kizlaragasi Inn
Kemeraltı Bazaar: You should go here right after seeing the Izmir Clock Tower in Konak because Kemeraltı Bazaar awaits you right across the street. I must warn you that you will enter a crowded place. I’ve never had a nuisance here, but you may still need to watch your bags while walking in the crowd. Kemeraltı bazaar is a colorful place where you can find all kinds of spices, Turkish delights, sweets, clothes, traditional clothes, and souvenir shops. But let me warn you that you have to bargain in the Turkish way: Say that you find the price too high and you want a discount. If you don’t get a discount, feel free to bluff about not buying. Bargaining is a natural thing, especially in Kemeraltı Bazaar.
Kizlaragasi Inn: You should definitely see this historical place where you can relieve the tiredness of shopping. It is possible to enter Kizlaragasi Inn without entering Kemeraltı Bazaar. In the 18th century, traders and travelers came to this inn both to store their cargo and to rest. In the past, there were warehouses on the first floor and resting rooms on the upper floor. Today, on the first floor, jewelers, dress shops, fabrics, and towels are sold. There are also antique shops on the second floor. It is possible to relax by drinking Turkish Coffee on both floors. Also, the area around the inn is full of kebab shops that you should stop by.
How to get there
- Didim Travel or Pamukkale Travel companies have frequent buses every day at Didim bus station to İzmir. The journey takes 2.5 hours. You can find the city buses going to Alsancak and Konak on the lower floor of the Izmir bus station, but you need to get an Izmir Bus Card from the buffets at the bus station as the money does not pass.
- Another option is to take a taxi from Izmir to Alsancak, but make sure to ask to turn the taximeter on.
- If you go with your personal car, when you arrive in Alsancak, you can park your car in the car park or in the paid municipal parking lot on the road.
- To avoid the problem of car parking, you may want to choose a taxi for the transition from Alsancak to Konak.
Addresses of restaurants/cafes in the article
Alsancak Dostlar Fırını:Alsancak, Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cd. No: 120
Tarihi Zeynel Ergin Gevrek Fırını: Alsancak, 1466. Sk. No: 2
La Cigale:Kültür Mahallesi Alsancak Mahallesi Fransız Kültür Merkezi Cumhuriyet Bulvarı, D:No:152
Leone Patisserie&Boulangerie:Kültür, Vasıf Çınar Blv 29/A
Ristorante Pizzeria Venedik:ültür, 1382 Sokak, Alsancak – İzmir Gül sokak No:10/A-B
Deniz Restoran: Kültür, İzmir Palas Oteli, Atatürk Cd. No: 188/B D:ZEMİN
Tavacı Recep Usta:Alsancak, Atatürk Cd. No:364