Guzel Izmir Oteli

Guzel Izmir Oteli has been at your service for the past 56 years; and has been owned and operated by the same family during this time....

72%

Berksoy Hotel

Our hotel is located in Bergama, a town near Izmir, in a 5 acre land among trees. Fresh air, sun and nice nature are waiting for you!...

Nazan Country House

A very homey home located 5 Km from the Seacost at Ahmetbeyli/Claros. 35 Km from Izmir airport and 45 Km from Izmir city center...

Lipsos, Ata's Place

We are located 110 Km from the Airport of Izmir and 9 Km from Karaburun. We nearby to a calm fishing village on the sea shore. Price includes the dinner and the breakfast!...

Hotel Kerasus

You have worked all year and you are tired. Your limited holiday time, which you've been dreaming of for months, has arrived. So what would you like to do in this short time?...

Izmir is the third biggest city in Turkey with a population of around 2.5 million, the second biggest port after Istanbul, and a good transport hub. Once the ancient city of Smyrna, it 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.

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 settlers, were eventually taken over by the Ionians, and then the Lydians destroyed the city around 600BC before a brief recovery following Alexander the Greats arrival in 334 BC.

After his death, Alexanders 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. 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 cosmopolitan, with Greek Orthodox, Jews and Muslims, and many languages were spoken amongst locals and visiting traders.

Following World War I and the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Greece was granted a mandate over Izmir and entered the area, coming against the resistance of Ataturks nationalists. This resulted in a 3-day bloody battle, during which 70% of the city was burned to the ground and thousands were killed, and the beaten Greeks eventually left on the waiting ships. Ataturk formally took Izmir on 9 September 1922 which is celebrated as the day of victory in Izmir.

Get out

* Cesme a small village for all summer activities, half an hour drive to Izmir.

* Selcuk, a few hours by bus or train to the south of the city, includes Ephesus and Virgin Marys House. It is also a few kilometers away from Kusadasi.