İzmir GoTürkiye

The beauty of the Aegean

"Beautiful İzmir" draws you into a world of picturesque modernity and traditions, with its refreshing touches to human souls. İzmir hypnotizes visitors in an aura of history and modernity.

İzmir, ancient Smyrna, is located at a point where the Anatolian Peninsula extends into the Aegean Sea.

İzmir is one of the oldest cities with continuous settlement for 8500 years. Yeşilova and nearby Yassı Tepe Mounds are the oldest Neolithic settlements where idols and symbols of the Mother Goddess have been found. One of the founding legends of İzmir states that the city was founded by the legendary Amazon Queen Smyrna. The city dates back to the third millennium BCE (at Tepekule, modern Bayraklı) and was one of the most advanced civilizations of its time, along with ancient Troia Western Anatolia.

The ancient historian Herodotus wrote: "They built their city under the loftiest dome of heaven and the best climate in the world." Aristotle told his student Alexander the Great, "You are not complete unless you have seen it," and Victor Hugo describes the city as "İzmir is a princess adorning a necklace."

Known throughout Türkiye as "Beautiful İzmir", the city surrounds a large bay adorned by yachts, ships and ferries. As the terminus of the ancient "King's Road" that runs across Anatolia to Persian Gulf, İzmir remains a focal point of tourism and entertainment. Its streets are shaded by palm trees, the sidewalks are beautiful and the houses elegant. The city's coastline is known for its seafood restaurants along the coast as well as its cafes, restaurants serving Aegean Cuisine and other leisure facilities, while the hinterland is rich in ruins and monuments that tell the stories of countless ancient civilizations.

İzmir is the sound of the sea and the wind. Thanks to its Mediterranean climate, İzmir is mostly sunny all year round. Summers are hot and winters are mild. With its cities and historical sites such as Bergama, Çeşme, Foça, Kemalpaşa, Selçuk, Seferihisar, Karaburun, Tire and Urla, İzmir plays a very important role in the history not only of Western Türkiye but in the entire Aegean. With a total coastline of 629 kilometers, İzmir also promises a life in contact with the sea. In İzmir, you can enjoy the sea by walking in Kordon or taking a ferry from Alsancak to Karşıyaka, or you can explore the bluest waters at 49 blue flag beaches. This makes the city a very popular destination for the beaches where you can find every shade of blue and enjoy all kinds of water sports.