İzmir
The comprehensive history of the land began from the days when (the then) Smyrna was a part of a rich Trojan civilization. Through the periods, Izmir changed hands between Persian, Roman and Byzantine rules, followed by the arrival of the Turks and the Ottoman rule. This has left its marks in the form of many massive constructions and time-defying remnants.
Continuous archeological excavations have led to the unearthing of many such world-famous monuments from Izmir`s historical past. Some of these relics such as the Zeus Altar, the Artemis Temple are a part of Izmir`s distant past. Some important constructions of the Roman period are the Agora, Acropolis, Theater and the Stadium.
Some remarkable Turkish architectural constructions reminiscent of the Ottoman period are:
- Bedesten (Ottoman`s special trade constructions)
- Cakaloglu Inns
- The Hatuniye Mosque
- The Hisar Mosque
- The Izmir Clock Tower
- The Kemeralti Mosque,
- The Kestane Bazaar Mosque
- The Kizlaragasi Han
- The Konak Yali Mosque
- The Mirkelamoglu
- The Sadirvan Mosque
From city center hotels to laid back holiday resorts, Izmir has world-class accommodation facilities to suit the many needs of the different categories of visitors. If the main motive of your stopover is to relax and unwind, then you can arrange lodging with a holiday resort. Most of the holiday resorts in Izmir are located in the backwaters and support water-based sports as well as other forms of entertainments.
Situated at comfortable distances from the airport, most of the Izmir hotels are perfect for those who seek to manage both work and rest at the same time - as most of these hotels have conference halls and meeting rooms for business talks and transactions. The luxury hotels promise all comforts and amenities of life - starting from attached baths to individual phones, in-room music systems, cable TVs, air-conditioners, central heating systems and mini-bars.
The easy accessibility to the shopping and entertainment centers from these city based hotels ensure that the family members can always enjoy themselves in the entire span of their tour while their folks are busy in meetings and conferences.
As far as transportation is concerned, Izmir`s transportation system makes it unparalleled as a tourism venue. The city-Airport has been named Izmir Adnan Menderes. Transportation within the city offers a variety of means of public transportation such as cabs and dolmus, mini-buses, public buses, taxis and trams. Fares are comparatively low.