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A sensorial journey through Beautiful İzmir, the crown of Türkiye’s Aegean coast

One of Türkiye’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, İzmir amazes with the sights, sounds and flavors of a 3,000-year history.

İzmir, set along Türkiye’s sun-drenched west coast, is a place to be experienced. From the sound of ferries sailing across turquoise water and the call of market traders in canopied bazaars, to the scent of freshly baked pastries from family bakeries and the feel of ancient stone underfoot, this is a city that enlivens the senses.

Ask anyone who lives here, and they will call it Güzel İzmir, or Beautiful İzmir. It’s a nickname the city has earned over 3,000 years of welcoming the artisans, artists, and travelers who’ve been drawn to the edge of the Aegean. But while a glorious past is evident everywhere you look, İzmir is a thoroughly modern travel destination, a place where you can see, hear, taste, and feel all that Türkiye has to offer.

Seeing history

To get a real sense for İzmir’s layered history, travelers should look out for the visual clues that point to how successive civilizations have rebuilt the city over millennia.

Seeing history

To get a real sense for İzmir’s layered history, travelers should look out for the visual clues that point to how successive civilizations have rebuilt the city over millennia.

Start at the Agora of Smyrna, a 4th-century BC public square and marketplace built following the reign of Alexander the Great and later reconstructed by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius after an earthquake in 178 AD. Walking under colossal stone arches into multistory vaulted basements, you can still see the ancient wall graffiti that once framed the commerce capital of this ancient metropolis.

Or for an entirely different perspective of the city's evolution, head to the Historical Elevator (Tarihi Asansör). Built over a century ago to save locals from climbing 155 cliffside steps between neighborhoods, this brick elevator is now a favorite local hangout. From the wooden platform’s unique vantage point, the city’s architectural timeline unfolds through a mass of modern concrete and Ottoman-era terracotta rooftops, all while the horseshoe of İzmir Bay glitters in the background.

Hear and taste the bazaar

At Konak Square, the century-old Clock Tower marks the start of the day – its morning chime signaling the opening of the Kemeraltı Bazaar and that things are about to get busy.

Kemeraltı is where the city’s volume increases. The day usually begins with the rattle of metal shop shutters rolling up followed by eager sales pitches from vendors, as they demonstrate their wares to potential customers.

Deeper into the labyrinthian bazaar, the sheer variety of what’s on offer provides a unique soundtrack for any shopping trip. One alley might be dominated by the mechanical whir of industrial Turkish coffee grinders, while the next is the soft clinking of glass nazar amulets, the world-famous evil eyes meant to ward off bad luck.

Hear and taste the bazaar

At Konak Square, the century-old Clock Tower marks the start of the day – its morning chime signaling the opening of the Kemeraltı Bazaar and that things are about to get busy.

Meanwhile, in Kemeraltı’s open-air courtyard, Kızlarağası Han, the cacophony of sound is swapped for hushed conversation and the clatter of backgammon dice under an open blue sky.

After picking up some mementos in the main bazaar, it’s time to taste Kemeraltı. Two local favorites are boyoz, a layered Sephardic Jewish flaky pastry that comes usually in savory filled varieties, and şambali. This is a dense, sticky block of semolina cake, served with a dusting of cinnamon and a dollop of thick cream. It’s incredibly sweet, but a real crowd pleaser.

Beyond the market gates, İzmir’s street food is just as unpretentious. Most begin the day with gevrek, the city's version of the sesame seeded simit bread, which is boiled in molasses and baked for extra crunch, or pişi, a pillow of fried dough that’s stuffed with salty, crumbly Tulum cheese. And if you really want to eat like an İzmirli, look for taverns serving İzmir köfte, the iconic oval meatballs baked in a rich tomato sauce and served with chunky potato wedges.

The pull of the Aegean coast

İzmir’s sensory adventure extends far beyond the urban center, with the greater municipality’s surrounding hills and coastline offering an escape from the buzz of the city.

Climb to Pergamon, an ancient city and current UNESCO World Heritage site. While standing on its hillside acropolis or walking the Asklepion healing temple's stone colonnades, you can feel the breeze whipping off the coast, just as ancient citizens would’ve done millennia ago.

The pull of the Aegean coast

İzmir’s sensory adventure extends far beyond the urban center, with the greater municipality’s surrounding hills and coastline offering an escape from the buzz of the city.

For a change of pace, take the short drive to Urla and take a dip in calm turquoise waters or just enjoy a walk along the picturesque harbor. This peninsula haven is renowned for its crisp Urla Karası wines and olive-grove lunches that provide the rare combination of a vineyard setting paired with coastal views. For dinner, there are several farm-to-table, Michelin-starred restaurants to choose from, each one taking a considered and elevated approach to traditional Turkish cuisine.

Beautiful İzmir is a true Aegean paradise, one that imparts a physical and emotional imprint, so that when you leave, you’ll bring with you the memory of how it looked, how it sounded, how it tasted, and exactly how it felt.