Things to see and do Aegean Coast

In fact, this island is, since the construction of a bridge in 1964, a peninsula and one can go by bus, but it is much more pleasant to take one of the boats that leave the port several times a day. This ancient resort, where the rich Ayvaliotes spent the summer, had 15 000 inhabitants at the time. Today, there are about 2 000. You have to walk through the streets to the ruined houses and the deserted churches where birds are hunted. Cunda has some pensions and the coast is strewn with small coves where you can swim, but most visitors come mainly to taste the mezze and fish used by the port's restaurants. Bikes can be rented to tour the island.

The beach is located in the village itself, which is quite convenient when you have small children and don't want to go for a swim. There are also many beautiful coves in the area, which are best visited by boat. In addition, you will have the opportunity to see seals, especially in autumn. Indeed, the waters off the coast are reputed to be home to the last Mediterranean monk seals. An essential stop: Orak, an island famous in Greek mythology for its mermaid songs.

Kara Ada ("Black Island") has healing hot springs that spring from a cave. The resulting orange mud is renowned for its benefits to the skin. So you will see many travelers rush to cover their bodies with it. Legend has it that Queen Cleopatra used this mud to preserve her beauty and fight skin diseases. There are also some great hikes to be had on the island. Many travel agencies offer day trips, Kara Ada is one of the must-see stops.

If you have the courage, this is an idea for a nice walk from the agora. This is where the ancient acropolis of Smyrna was located, built by Lysimachus during the reign of Alexander. However, the current walls of the citadel come from the Byzantine period. The view from the fortress, on the gulf, is magnificent. The enclosure would however need a restoration by places. Small restaurant on the spot, with the splendid panorama.

It is the largest building in ancient Smyrna, and the residence of the governor. Located on the waterfront, and in front of the Belediye, stands Saat Kulesi, the Clock Tower, which dates from 1901. 25 meters high and with its elaborate decoration, it has become the emblem of Izmir. The clock was originally a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II. It was designed according to the architectural plans of a French foreman. The tower faces the former location of the customs house.

After the museum, on the road to Ephesus, stands the only column that testifies to the existence of one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. On this site, from the end of the VIIth century, three temples dedicated to Cybele, Phrygian goddess of the fertility, follow one another. Crésus builds then, in the VIth century, an imposing Artemision supported on 127 columns. But, the same night that Alexander the Great was born, in 356 BC, the monument was burned by Erostrate who wanted to immortalize his name by destroying the temple! The Hellenistic Artemisia, built on the ruins of the previous one, is even bigger, and decorated by famous sculptors like Praxiteles. This sacred place of the cult of Artemis is then considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. With the advent of Christianity, it gradually lost its splendor and, from the fourth century, it was used as a quarry for the construction of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

In Greece, the goddess Artemis combines the attributes of several older deities symbolizing fertility, nature and the moon. For the Romans, she became Diana, goddess of the hunt, but at the same time protector of animals, trees, lakes and rivers and pregnant women, even if she is a virgin. Finally, she is androgynous since her statues are decorated at chest height with a series of small breasts which, according to the most recent theories, represent bulls' testicles. Her attributes are the bow, the half-moon and the stag. Her priestesses were supposed to be virgins and her priests eunuchs, but in her temple a feast is celebrated in honor of Dionysus where the men become satyrs and the women bacchantes.

To make sure that the priestesses are really virgins, they are made to enter a cave behind the temple. If they succumbed to the pleasures of the flesh, the opening of the cave closed for three days and when it opened again, the sinner disappeared. On the pedestal of the great statue of Artemis are engraved letters forming incomprehensible words, considered magical. These letters of Ephesus are engraved on pieces of wood or leather and worn in medallions to protect against evil spells. According to Plutarch, the soothsayers advised the victims of bewitchments to pronounce these magic words in a low voice. It is however difficult to imagine by contemplating the ruins of the site its splendor of formerly...

The cobbled streets behind the waterfront, facing the docks, are delightful. The atmosphere is friendly, everyone seems to know each other. Numerous pensions, small shops and the welcoming terraces of restaurants with colorful shopfronts await you. It is very cute. Dalkıran Mehmetağa and Fevzi Çakmak avenues are worth seeing. You can also head to the end of the docks at the place called Çamlık (the sea being on the right). A market is held every Thursday and gives you a good insight into the life of the locals.

From Konak, the ferry glides in twenty minutes to Karşıyaka, a peaceful residential area where you will find several cafes and restaurants. Before 1922, this suburb was called Kordelio, a name inspired by Richard the Lionheart who passed through here during the Third Crusade. The beautiful residences in the area were mostly inhabited by Greeks. You will see them as you walk around; they are characteristic, with the roof topped with a finely carved wooden fringe, the indispensable loggia and a facade decorated with bricks. Lively market on Sundays.

The building of the Izmir Archaeological Museum is built on three levels. In the basement and on the ground floor, you will discover some sarcophagi, bas-reliefs and beautiful statues. Also some Roman busts and marble statues from Ephesus. On the first floor are exposed the terracotta objects of the archaic period, jewels, seals and glassware. For lovers of antique remains, this museum can be worth a visit, it concentrates architectural elements of the ancient sites of the Aegean coast, such as the famous Ephesus, Pergamon or Millet.

Dating from the 19th century, it was transformed into a mosque after the population exchange of 1923. You can still see some past Byzantine frescoes. But the restoration of the building is almost non-existent, to the detriment of the local heritage. The church is located in the garden of a house of the village which is a former school. You can ask for access to it. The owner is also a winegrower. Inside, the atmosphere is meditative, with a mixture of choral music and the sound of tourists' voices outside.

To the northwest, the Myndos Gate was part of the city walls, 7 km long at the time of Mausoleus, who ordered its construction in the 4th century B.C. It is the only remaining gate. You can also see the remains of a moat, as well as several ruins, a little further on. Also, some tombs and mosaics. The date of 334 B.C. remains famous because many soldiers of Alexander the Great died in the moat by drowning.

Housed in a beautiful old building that originally served as a hospital, the small ethnographic museum provides information (unfortunately not enough) on the traditional architecture of Izmir, daily life and customs of the region. Beautiful sculptures. Not to be missed: the Ottoman pharmacy and the bridal room. This is also an opportunity to discover the Zeibeks, a tribe from the vicinity of Izmir, whom Descamps depicted with high conical turbans, huge belts and curved swords, the famous yatağan.

The entrance to the site is near the springs.

Theandrôn A (4th century), place where important men met. Next to it, perhaps the dwellings of the priests. Very impressive, the mausoleum certainly sheltered the remains of a powerful family.

Andrôn B (4th century), built by Mausole, has two rooms. The monumental staircase leads to the propylaea around the Roman baths and the Byzantine church. The nearby lake and the sacred fish allowed the oracle to answer visitors.

Theandrôn C, located near theandrôn B, dates from the Byzantine era.

City of Artemis and Apollo, it was founded by settlers from the city of Miletus. With time, the island joined the land to become a peninsula. Not much remains of it. Firstly because of the successive wars from the 2nd century. Then, because the Turks used part of the ruins that they moved to Istanbul for the construction of various buildings. The remains of the walls - the boulê (city council), the agora and the mosaics in a Roman villa - are the major parts still visible.

It takes a lot of imagination to reconstruct the Roman bouleutêrion, baths and theatre. On the other hand, it is easy to recognize the small Hellenistic temple of Athena perched on a hill. On the peninsula are the ruins of the bishopric's palace and some tombs almost covered by the lake water. A little further west, a Hellenistic building with four columns, sanctuary of Endymion. The thick ramparts that surrounded the city are very well preserved.

Located in front of the islands of the peninsula, Ildırı is a fishing village also famous for the archaeological site of Erythrai, which makes it a protected site.

The café of Ildırı is the meeting place of the fishermen. For Turkish pastries, go to the Manzara café famous for its lokma.

For fish, a typical address Chez Ali which only serves fish that he caught himself (Ali'nin Yeri, tel. 0232 725 13 22; on the front sea in Ildırı). Another option is Mutlu Restaurant, which offers barbecued fish (tel. 0232 725 14 11).

The city of Aphrodisias was destroyed in the 4th century. The museum includes the ancient site itself (from the 3rd century BC) and the marble quarries located to the north-east of the city. It was these quarries that gave the city of Aphrodisias its prosperity. The place is interesting especially for its ancient statues. Indeed, the famous school of the city produced for a long time effigies of quality for many Roman cities. Steles, tombs, coins and many other objects found on the site are also exposed.

St. Peter's Castle is the headquarters of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, founded by G. Bass in 1973. The finds of divers during excavations of wrecks, including the 3,400-year-old wreck east of Kaş, are displayed there. Every part of the castle is used to display the objects or stage reconstructions. The Gothic chapel of the Hospitallers, houses a fragment of the frieze of the mausoleum. The visit of the castle is a superb walk in its enclosure.

There is little left of the Ionian city of Phocaea. The five-gates castle (Beskapilar Kalesi), with the aqueduct, the ruins of the ancient theatre and those of the temple of Athena, is one of the only remains worthy of interest in Foça. It is a Genoese building, in fact a landing stage, restored by the Ottomans to which they added towers to the ramparts in the 16th century. The former boat shelter, partially and several times restored, is now used as an open-air theatre. You'll find it as you pass the sanctuary and the city walls.

The church of St. John the Baptist overlooks the village. Dating from the 19th century, notice the domes and the Greek inscription above the door. A restoration project with the collaboration of an American foundation is underway. Unfortunately, the authorities seem to be more or less neglecting the preservation of the church. Graffiti is spoiling some places, like the altar, it's a pity. At the entrance, a well of wishes receives your coins...

The archaeological museum exhibits a model of the sanctuary of Zeus as it originally was. This life-size reproduction of the original, which is now in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, is worth a visit. Also, a beautiful collection of Roman and Byzantine architectural elements as well as funerary steles. It is recommended to visit it before your visit to the acropolis. Beautiful collection of statues. Finally, an ethnographic gallery, testimony of the habits and customs and the craft industry at the time of the Ottomans. Tea room next to the museum.

In the village, next to the ruins. It dates from the ^14th century and was probably built on the site, and with the stones, of a ^6th century Byzantine church. The building is quite modest. Above the entrance, you will notice crosses and Greek inscriptions. Note that the Hüdavendigâr Mosque (which means "Bursa"), is one of two such mosques remaining in all of Turkey. The second is in Bursa.