IZMIR

Turkey’s third-largest city, with population of over 3.6 million, is Izmir, the pearl of the Aegean. It has been a major port since biblical times, when it was known as Smyrna.

The history of Izmir stretches back to around 3000 BC when the Trojans founded the city in Tepekule in the northern suburb of Bayrakli. This was the birthplace of Homer, who was thought to have lived here around the 8th century BC. The Aeolians, the first Greek settlers, were eventually taken over by their Greek rivals the Ionians. The Ionians were followed by the Lydians who destroyed the city around 600BC before a brief recovery following Alexander the Great’s arrival in 334 BC. After his death, Alexander’s generals followed his wishes and re-established Smyrna on Mount Pagos in Kadifekale, and the city then prospered under the Romans. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 178 AD but later reconstructed and became a major commercial port during the Byzantine Empire.

After the Byzantines, the city had a turbulent time under the Arabs, Seljuks, Crusaders and Mongols, until Mehmet I incorporated it into the Ottoman Empire in 1415. Under Suleyman the Magnificent, Smyrna became a thriving and sophisticated city and a huge trading center, despite its frequent earthquakes. It was a cosmopolitan city , with a Greek Orthodox majority along with Armenians, Jews and Muslims. Numerous languages could be heard in the streets, spoken by locals and visiting traders.

İzmir is now a modern, developed, and busy commercial center, set around a huge bay and surrounded by mountains. The broad boulevards, glass-fronted buildings and modern shopping centers are dotted with traditional red-tiled roofs, the 18th century market, and old mosques and churches, although the city has an atmosphere more of Mediterranean Europe than traditional Turkey.

Must see monuments

We offer guided tours of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and all must see monuments listed below.

Things to do

Enjoy visit to Ephesus

Ephesus is a large archaeological site in Aegean Turkey and one of the Turkey's major tourist attractions. The ancient Greek city of Ephesus was famous for its Temple of Artemis, which was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Ephesus became a Roman city in 133 BC.

See Temple of Artemis

Temple of Artemis, also known as the Temple of Diana. Once considered one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, this grand temple was destroyed in the 5th century.See the ruins at the site of this once-great temple, and admire pieces of impressive ancient Greek architecture.

Tour to House of the Virgin Mary in Bulbul Montain

The House of the Virgin Mary is a Catholic and Muslim shrine located on Mt. Koressos (Bülbüldağı, "Mount Nightingale") in the vicinity of Ephesus.

The house was discovered in the 19th century by following the descriptions in the reported visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774–1824), a Roman Catholic nun and visionary, which were published as a book by Clemens Brentano after her death. The Catholic Church has never pronounced in favour or against the authenticity of the house, but nevertheless maintains a steady flow of pilgrimage since its discovery. Anne Catherine Emmerich was Beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004.

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