Six things you must do in Izmir, Turkey:
Roman ruins, fresh fish and olive groves
On a wide bay under
a range of high hills halfway down Turkey’s west coast is a big city with a long
history. Izmir is one of the fastest-growing cruise-ship ports of call on the
Aegean and an excellent base for trips to nearby Ephesus and Pergamon.
Gareth Huw Davies spent some lazy days browsing the boulevards, walking the
elegant seafront, riding a century-old cliff-face elevator and visiting some of
the most extensive Roman ruins outside Pompeii...
Towering history: Tourists
walk the marble-paved street of Curetes, near the Temple of Hadrian and Library
of Celsus, in Ephesus
1. Catch of the Day
Izmir is an ideal base, if you don’t require a sandy beach and resort
facilities. The airport, served by UK budget airlines, is only ten miles from
the city centre. Izmir can be crowd-free even in the first week of August, when
historic sites such as Ephesus and Pergamon are awash with tourists.
I stayed at the waterside Crowne Plaza Hotel, with stupendous views over the
bay. A free shuttle bus takes guests the six miles to the city centre. In the
evening the day’s catch is barbecued at fishing boats tied up on the waterfront
promenade and served between great hunks of fresh bread. Utterly fresh:
perfectly simple.
Lot of bottle: You must sample the local brew, fruit wine at Sirince
2. Go Greek
Alexander the Great started building the city and the Romans finished the job,
so it’s worth a visit to the Roman and Greek remains at the Agora. Go early
morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat, and walk among the colonnades and
remnants of once-mighty gates.
Statues of Poseidon, Demeter and Artemis from the altar of Zeus are displayed in
the site’s museum. They are knocking down homes and rehousing people, and taking
down a multi-storey car park so the site can be expanded.
3. Book a guide
Most people who visit Izmir by cruise ship are whisked off to the big
attractions by coach, at £40 a head or more. I recommend taking a personal guide
instead. If you are with three or more people, you save serious money. My guide
gave me a tour of Izmir, breaking for an excellent (£20 for two) lunch in the
market.
Our last call in the city was to the Ansansor quarter for a trip in the antique,
recently renovated and free elevator, enclosed in a tower made of bricks. It
zings locals up from the cobbled, sea-level street to the clifftop
neighbourhoods. Stop at the terrace cafe for great views over central Izmir.
Next day my guide took me to Ephesus – 50 miles away.
4. Square deal
The spacious Konak Square, with a 1901 clock tower as its central feature, is
the spiritual heart of the city and, arguably, of modern Turkey – the fight for
independence after partition in the wake of the First World War began
here.
From the square, it’s a short stroll to the cafe-lined seaside promenade, the
Kordon, and the customs house on Konak Pier built by Gustave Eiffel and restored
as a chic shopping centre. I recommend the short ferry trip across the bay
from Pasaport for some fresh sea air and good views back over Izmir.
Time tells: The early 20th century clock tower in Konak Square, where Turkey's
fight for independence began
5. Roman roaming
Ephesus is a fabulous place, with the largest collection of Roman ruins in the
eastern Mediterranean. It is the closest thing to Pompeii as a place of buried
marvels still to be excavated – only an estimated 15 to 20 per cent has been
unearthed.
But it does get extremely busy (and very hot). You should go as early in the day
as you can, perhaps overnighting in nearby Selçuk. Use the eastern entrance,
then walk down the Marble Road, past the many highlights such as the Library of
Celsus and the 25,000- seat amphitheatre. Be careful with your possessions...I
had my wallet stolen at the gate.
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6. Retreat to the olive grove
Tours to Ephesus often add the village of Sirince, about five miles away in
hills smothered with olive groves and vineyards. A number of the mainly
19th Century houses have become boutique hotels. Local people make wine
and olive oil and grow tasty peaches. I stayed at the Nisanyan boutique hotel
where, from the terrace at dusk, I watched the swallows hand over to the night
shift of bats. It was Ramadan and they announced the pre-dawn feast by someone
walking round the village beating a drum. It was authentic village life.
