If you head west past the outdoor sanctuary of Cybele, you’ll come to the city walls and the partially rebuilt Beşkapılar, effectively the docking area of a castle, built by the Byzantines, repaired by the Genoese and the Ottomans in 1539, and clearly much restored since. Sadly, it's often filled with rubbish.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26.99 MILES
This museum is overlooked by many visitors to the city, who do themselves a great disservice in the process. Spread over three pavilions, it is one of the…
26.89 MILES
A labyrinthine bazaar stretching from Konak Sq through to the ancient Agora, Kemeraltı dates back to the 17th century and is home to shops, eateries,…
26.46 MILES
It’s difficult to imagine life in İzmir without its iconic seafront kordon (promenade), which stretches north from Cumhuriyet Meydanı to Alsancak and…
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29.58 MILES
Extraordinary. It's worth coming to Lesvos for this alone – the Teriade Museum and its astonishing collection of paintings by artists including Picasso,…
27.18 MILES
Dating from the end of the 4th century BC, Smyrna's ancient agora was ruined in an earthquake in AD 178 but soon rebuilt by order of the Roman emperor…
26.86 MILES
Surrounded by popular coffeehouses, this mosque in the Kemeraltı Market is the largest in the city and dates from 1597. The interior is quintessentially…
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26.75 MILES
Built in the early 17th century, this Catholic church is the oldest still-functioning Christian house of worship in the city. Its survival during the 1922…
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29.55 MILES
On the same site as the Teriade Museum, this humble structure contains 86 paintings by the primitive painter Theophilos, who remains a folk hero among…
Nearby İzmir & the North Aegean attractions
3.96 MILES
Guarding the town’s southwestern approaches, the late 17th-century ‘Outer Castle’ can only be seen from the water (on a boat trip) as it’s inside a…
20.76 MILES
This 15th century Ottoman castle was built by order of the Grand Vizier Çandarlı Halil Pasha the Younger.
26.46 MILES
It’s difficult to imagine life in İzmir without its iconic seafront kordon (promenade), which stretches north from Cumhuriyet Meydanı to Alsancak and…
26.54 MILES
Occupying a handsome 1906 building that functioned as the French consulate until 2010, this arts centre hosts temporary exhibitions with an Aegean accent…
26.55 MILES
Built as a carpet merchant's residence between 1875 and 1880, this stately white building ended up in state hands after the shocking events of September…
26.56 MILES
Dedicated to the Turkish War of Independence, this 1932 monument in Cumhuriyet Meydanı features a sculpture of Atatürk on horseback by Italian sculptor…
26.6 MILES
Tucked away in an old house on a street filled with bars, this little museum spread over three floors has an esoteric collection of ceremonial and…
26.62 MILES
Named after Atatürk’s beloved mother, who died in İzmir in 1923, this 50m-long, 307-tonne ferry was built in 1987 and sailed in İstanbul until early 2014,…