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7 Hour
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Tour Detail
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
TOUR START TIME : 10:00
TOUR END TIME : 17:00
INCLUSIONS
EXTRAS
VEHICLE OPTIONS
SEDAN : 1-3 PERSONS
MINIVAN : 1-6 PERSONS
MINIBUS : 1-18 PERSONS
MIDIBUS : 1-31 PERSONS
BUS : 1-54 PERSONS
Tour Program
Due to the historic use of the Karataş region as a stone quarry, the coastal strip (current Mithatpaşa Street) was separated from the Halil Rıfat Paşa neighborhood above by cliffs. Two stairways were built between the two neighborhoods: the "Karataş Stairs" by the Turks, and the "Devidas Stairs" by the Jews who settled in the neighborhood above.[2] The upper part of the stairs contained the house of the Devidas family, while Nesim Levi (Bayraklıoğlu) lived in the largest house below. It is said that after Baba Devidas fell and broke his leg on the stairs one day, his friend Nesim Levi developed the idea of building an elevator similar to those he had seen in European cities.[2] The elevator tower was built with bricks brought from Marseille. The construction was completed in 1907. Until it was sold in 1942, the revenue was used to cover the expenses of the Karataş Jewish Hospital.[3]
Above the entrance of the elevator, there is an inscription in Hebrew as well as in French that reads "Ascenseur Construit Par Mon. Nissim Levy 1907".[4] The elevator tower has a stone foundation and is constructed with brick, tapering in two stages from the stone structure to the balcony, with the bricks also brought from Marseille.[5] At the destination of the elevator, there is a wooden balcony supported by iron brackets, adorned with cast iron railings featuring various motifs.
It was operated by Jozef Palambo for many years.[6] After the elevator changed hands in 1942 and was closed for a while due to operators quitting or passing away, it was donated to the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in 1983 with the requirement to be used for the same purpose. It was restored in 1985 during the term of Burhan Özfatura.[1] Prior to the 1985 restoration, one of the elevators operated by steam and the other by electricity. After 1985, both elevators were upgraded to be operated electrically. During the period of Yüksel Çakmur, another renovation was made alongside the restoration limited to Dario Moreno Street, and it was opened to service on June 20, 1993.
The owners of the structure have been Nesim Levi Bayraklıoğlu (the founder of the structure), Şerif Remzi Reyent (who bought it in 1942), Ayla Ökmen, and Izmir Metropolitan Municipality (since 1983).
Today, the elevator is operational, and the upper level serves as a cafeteria with a small observation balcony. Access to the elevator is provided from the street, commonly referred to as “Asansör Çıkmaz Sokağı” by the public, with the official name being “Dario Moreno”. The tower rises as brick after two stone sections. At the point where the structure reaches Şehit Nihatbey Street, there is a wooden balcony supported by iron brackets, from which the city of Izmir can be viewed from above.
The word Agora, which comes from Greek, means "gathering place, city square, market, or trading area". In ancient times, agoras were known to be the focal point of the city, serving not only commercial, political, and religious functions but also being a hub for the arts and a site for many social events. Every city in ancient times had at least one agora, while many larger cities typically had two. One of these was the state agora, where state business was conducted and various public buildings were located, while the other was the commercial agora that focused on trade activities.
The Izmir agora was established in the 4th century BC on the northern slope of Pagos (Kadifekale), where ancient Smyrna was moved. This structure, surrounded by important public buildings of the period, is the state agora of the city.
Most of the remains of the agora, built in the Hellenistic period, belong to the Roman agora reconstructed after the earthquake in 178 AD with the support of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
The Smyrna agora was planned in a rectangular form, consisting of a large courtyard with columned galleries (stoa) surrounding it. The north and west stoas unearthed by excavations stand on a basement level. The north stoa has basilica-like architectural features.
Basilica
Basilicas are structures designed with a wide and high central area flanked by narrower and lower parallel corridors. As such, Roman basilicas, which paved the way for Christian churches in plan features, served as a type of courthouse for handling legal affairs in the city. Furthermore, they were preferred for the activities of merchants and bankers that directed the commercial life of the city.
The basilica located on the north wing of the agora has external dimensions of 165 x 28 m, giving it a rectangular plan. In terms of size, the Smyrna agora basilica is the largest known Roman basilica.
The magnificent basement, with cross vaults seen at both eastern and western ends, is among the finest examples of Roman architecture.
On the north facade of the basilica, one of the two monumental doors leading to the basement has been completely uncovered.
Toward the end of the Roman period, the state agora began to acquire a commercial meaning, as evidenced by the vaulted shops uncovered on the northern facade of the basilica.
West Stoa
The west stoa, which consisted of galleries separated by three rows of columns, was also elevated above a basement. Today, it is understood that the west stoa was a two-story structure rising above the basement, which typically has arched cellars. The ground floor, accessed by three steps from the courtyard, and the second floor, with a wooden floor, were places where people could promenade protected from rain and sun in ancient times.
Possibly, some walls of the basement galleries were filled in later to create cisterns, which represent one of the finest examples that have survived to the present day.
The columns of the first floor of the west stoa facing the courtyard were erected in the 1940s.
Faustina Gate and Ancient Street
One of the parallel streets oriented east-west in the grid-planned city of Smyrna ran through the agora. Likely, at the western entrance to the agora, where a street divides it into two equal parts, there is a magnificent gate.
It is believed that the gate has two openings, with the portrait relief of Faustina, the wife of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, located at the center of the northern arch. It is thought that the second opening, which is below the used street, possibly housed the portrait of Marcus Aurelius. The citizens of Smyrna paid their debt of gratitude to these two figures for having them rebuild the agora after it was destroyed by the earthquake in 178 AD.
The arched gate, which was restored in the 1940s with incorrect measurements, was renovated in 2004 to its original form.
Graffiti
Graffiti, which includes wall paintings and writings from the Roman period, are found on the plaster surfaces of the walls and arches in the basement of the basilica. Apart from those drawn with a mixture of iron and oak root ink, there are also examples made using a scratching technique.
Graffiti provide essential insights into daily social life during the Roman period. Topics covered in the graffiti range from love games to gladiatorial contests, sexuality to sailboat images, names of loved ones, birds, ships, and riddles. The competition between the three Radiant cities of Western Anatolia during the Roman period—Pergamon, Ephesus, and Smyrna—can even be traced in the city slogans found in the graffiti, which reflect a rivalry among ordinary people.
The graffiti discovered in the basilica's basement are unique in many aspects. Firstly, these finds are some of the oldest graffiti ever made using a material containing iron and oak root. Additionally, while most written sources encountered in the studies of ancient times are often official and religious in nature, the Greek inscriptions of the Smyrna Agora graffiti reflect traces of ordinary people's daily lives. The basilica's graffiti provide crucial clues about the early times of Christianity. Another key feature of these graffiti is that they encompass the most extensive representations found globally. Due to these attributes, the specified graffiti holds a unique position in the archaeological literature of the world.
WORKS - PROJECTS
The first archaeological excavations in Smyrna were conducted between 1933 and 1941 as a joint effort between the Izmir Museum Directorate and the History Institute. Excavations began around the in-situ preserved columns of the basilica and later expanded to the West Stoa and then the East Stoa.
Today, the majority of the West Portico and a small portion of the East Portico, as well as the entire northern Basilica, have been uncovered. It is expected that there is a structure for the South Portico in the area south of the site, used as green space. Recent excavation work has also revealed the presence of a Bouleuterion / Odeion adjacent to the West Portico. Another urban finding from the excavations is the east-west oriented street, named the North Street, just north of the agora. Among the finds, an architrave block inscription signals the existence of a Nemesis Temple within or near the agora, as mentioned by other ancient sources, yet pinpointing its exact location is still not possible.
The first excavations carried out in Smyrna Agora between 1933 and 1941 were one of the first excavation activities of the Turkish Republic, conducted in collaboration with the Izmir Museum Directorate and the History Institute. In 1944, a brief report on the excavation conducted by R. Duyuran was published, and later, in 1950, a relatively more comprehensive article was published by R. Naumann and S. Kantar.
After these dates, work on the Agora remained halted for a long time, and subsequently, frequent examination and cleaning works were done. During these efforts at the Agora site, salvage excavations took place between 1996 and 2006 with the leadership of the Izmir Museum in collaboration with the Izmir Governorate, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, and Izmir Chamber of Commerce.
Since July 2007, the excavations named Smyrna Ancient City Excavations, conducted by a team led by Associate Professor Dr. Akın Ersoy on behalf of Izmir Katip Celebi University, have been ongoing at various other points in the city alongside the Agora site. Recent excavations at Smyrna Agora, Basmane Altınpark, Kadifekale, and the Smyrna Theatre are still continuing.
KIZLARAĞASI HANI
It is the largest and the most magnificent of the inns in İzmir. Not only does it have monumental characteristics, but its unique architectural features distinguish it among Ottoman inns. Built by Yakup Bey in 1598, it was constructed a few meters west of Hisar Mosque, which is now the largest mosque in İzmir. This part forms the eastern side of the inn. The western facade is located across from Halim Ağa Bazaar, on the old Lumberjacks' street, which is now 871. street. The inn, which was originally built by the seaside, is now about 200 meters away from the coast due to land reclamation over the years.
According to the construction inscription of the inn built by Kızlarağası Hacı Beşir Ağa, it is definitively understood to have been built in 1744. Although significant collapses and destruction occurred on the inn's façade in 1745 due to a landslide, it was immediately repaired. Following the earthquake in 1778, the inn suffered extensive damage and was thoroughly restored in 1779. In the subsequent years, the inn survived further disasters from earthquakes and fires. The main similarity of Kızlarağası Hanı with other Ottoman inns is its bazaar and courtyard layout. It is classified among Ottoman inn architecture due to its five-column, six-row archways on the upper floor, and the protruding bay windows on the brackets of its façade. It is a grand structure with an almost rectangular plan of approximately 4,000 square meters, consisting of two floors, and has a large courtyard of about 600 square meters, with single-story deposits in the northern section. The grand scale of the inn also has a southern corridor on the lower floor, a single one in the north (now known as Cevahir Bedesteni), and two (Bakır Bedesteni and Çuha Bedesteni) in the east. Besides these, there is a single-story additional section facing the old street, called Çankırılı, that was built in 1745 as "Saçmahane." From the foundation documents, we understand that these row stores built against the outer wall of the southern corridor were added to the inn shortly after its construction in 1745. Today’s first northern corridor (Bakır Bedesteni) aligns with 902. street, which is home to numerous restaurants, and was included in the inn in 1746 during renovations of its front facade. Bakır Bedesteni, which consists of 26 shops and initially focused on copper craftsmanship, later sold especially Iranian silk products. The second northern corridor, which is directly adjacent and parallel, opens with one door to the courtyard of Hisar Mosque and another door to Halim Ağa Bazaar, is the best-preserved and most original part of the inn.
In the early years, the inn was predominantly occupied by the hasırcı (straw) tradesmen. Later on, when the Çuhacı tradesmen moved from the upper floor to the lower one, it took the name Çuha Bedesteni and became the most significant bedesten of the inn. The Bakır Bedesteni and Çuha Bedesteni are connected by a door and passage in the middle. The corridors (Bedestens) open to the outside through a door at both east and west ends. The eastern corridor, which could be referred to as the Inner Bedesten, makes up the bottom of the U shape formed by the other two corridors. This corridor is also connected to the courtyard by a passage in the center. Before restoration, the vaulted roofs covering the western gallery along with the archways were completely destroyed. The columns managed to stand until the restoration date, thanks to tension rods connecting them to each other and the building. The columns consist solely of plain stone cylinders. The column capitals are adorned with triangle and diamond-shaped geometric Turkish motifs. There are 73 rooms on the upper floor. With the exception of those in the northern corridor, the majority of rooms in the other two corridors were completely or partially destroyed, and some were in such deplorable condition that they had lost their functionality.
Guests enter the courtyard through the main door in the middle of the facade; facing the inn’s facade, two doors to the north (entrances to Bakır and Çuha Bedestens) can be seen on the left while a door (entrance to Cevahir Bedesteni) is located to the south on the right. Today, all around the building, starting from the end of the lead roof, there are two rows of brick eaves. There were chimneys on the roof as many as there are rooms. Based on two original chimney examples that have survived to this day, all chimneys have been reconstructed in accordance with their original designs. In the 1740s, due to Hacı Beşir Ağa's commercial ties with İzmir, he was well aware of the commercial potential here, especially having the positive example of Büyük Vezir Han in front of him, which motivated the construction of Kızlarağası Hanı.
The ground floor of Kızlarağası Han was used for storage and commerce. The loads of merchants arriving at the inn would be unloaded here, separated for export, sold in the shops, or stored, and trades were conducted. The caravans of camels, donkeys, mules, and horses entered the courtyard of the inn with their loads and remained overnight after unloading their burdens. Goods were stored in the inn's warehouses and cellars. The doors of the inn, like in all inns, would close when night fell. The upper floor contained rooms used for overnight stays, featuring fireplaces, niches, basements, and wooden floors. Inside the rooms, there were bedding suitable for needs, clay latrines, jugs, clay lamps, and tobacco pipes among other utensils.
The fact that Kızlarağası Han was built in the most central location of İzmir (at the mouth of the harbor) at the time highlights its significant operational role. This Han, which was crucial to İzmir's economic life, reached its peak commercial capacity in 1778 and maintained this prosperous period for a century until the last quarter of the 19th century.
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What to know
The guide fee is not included in our tour prices. The fee for a Turkish and English guide is 5,000 TL. The guide fees for other languages are subject to an additional charge of 7,000 TL.
