İzmir and Çeşme Peninsula * Focus on İzmir Hotels - S&M ...

ocus on DESTINATION<strong>and</strong> İkiçeşmelik), to the seashore alongthe Konak Square. It remains one of theliveliest parts of İzmir.The first step thatpaved the way for the emergence ofthe present-day Kemeraltı area was thebuilding in 1592 of Hisar Mosque. It isthe oldest <strong>and</strong> one of the most significantOttoman l<strong>and</strong>marks in İzmir, although builtby Aydınoğlu Yakup Bey, a descendant ofthe dynasty that had founded the Beylikof the same name (Aydınoğlu) whichhad controlled İzmir prior to the Ottomanconquest. The name of the mosque, whichmeans “fortress”, makes reference to theGenoese castle of “San Pietro”, previouslycalled Neon Kastron in Byzantine times,part of which used to st<strong>and</strong> on the samelocation <strong>and</strong> which gradually disappearedin whole with the construction of newbuildings on its spot. The final remainsof the castle were cleared up during theconstruction of new port installationsbetween 1867-1876. The court of the1744-built Kızlarağası Han (caravanserai),with 1592-built Hisar Mosque in thebackground, in Kemeraltı, Konak, İzmir.The caravanserai is a cultural center <strong>and</strong>a touristic attraction today. The marketitself came into existence with the fillingbetween 1650-1670 of the shallowestparts of the inner bay. The processof gaining ground from the bay waspursued in 1744 with the constructionof Kızlarağası Han, a still-st<strong>and</strong>ingimpressive caravanserai that emergedas the nucleus of the market, togetherwith two older “hans”, the term implying acaravanserai with more markedly urbancharacteristics, that could not reach ourday. These were the “Great Vezir Han”constructed by the 17th century gr<strong>and</strong>vizier Köprülü Fazıl Ahmed Pasha, <strong>and</strong> theneighboring “Little Vezir Han” constructedby his successor Merzifonlu Kara MustafaPasha. Another historically important <strong>and</strong>no longer existing one was “Cezayir Han”(literally “Han of Algiers”), from wherewestern Anatolia’s excess labor force hadbeen annually dispatched to the Ottomanprotectorate of Algiers for centuries. Infact, among the hundred odd “hans”Kemeraltı counted until the beginning ofthe 20th century, clearly visible on a 1905map drawn by French cartographerson behalf of international insurancecompanies, only a dozen remains, infull or in part, while most was destroyedduring the 1922 Great Fire of Smyrna orafterwards.The remaining part of the innerbay being allowed to silt up progressivelythroughout the 18th century, the shorelinefacing Kemeraltı took its present straightform in the beginning of the 19th, althoughsome of the l<strong>and</strong> along the berth remainedunused until the end of that century. In1829, Sarı Kışla, the Yellow Casern,the principal Ottoman casern of the city,gigantic for its time, was built at immediatesea-side, <strong>and</strong> a private residence (konak)situated slightly diagonally behind thecasern was extended <strong>and</strong> converted intothe governor’s mansion, demarcatingKonak Square that holds its name fromthe mansion, <strong>and</strong> which in its turn gavethe name to the central metropolit<strong>and</strong>istrict of İzmir (Konak) <strong>and</strong> at the level ofwhich Kemeraltı is considered to start. Thegovernor’s mansion still st<strong>and</strong>s, althoughthe Yellow Casern was demolished in1955 under express instructions from thethen Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, whowanted to see Konak Square re-shaped,to the ongoing regret of many Smyrniotswho had come to adopt the oversizebuilding as one of the main l<strong>and</strong>marks oftheir city.What to Eatİzmir’s cuisine has largely been affected by its multiculturalhistory, hence the large variety of food originating from theAegean, Mediterranean <strong>and</strong> Anatolian regions. Another factoris the large area of l<strong>and</strong> surrounding the region which growsa rich selection of vegetables. Some of the common dishesfound here are tarhana soup (made from dried yoghurt <strong>and</strong>tomatoes), İzmir köfte, keşkek (boiled wheat with meat), zerde(sweetened rice with saffron) <strong>and</strong> mücver (made from zucchini<strong>and</strong> eggs).Historically, as a result of the influx of Greekrefugees from İzmir (as well as from other parts of Asia Minor<strong>and</strong> Istanbul) to mainl<strong>and</strong> Greece after 1922, the cuisine ofİzmir has had an enormous impact on Greek cuisine, exportingmany sophisticated spices <strong>and</strong> foods. You can also find manykind of Aegean sea fishes <strong>and</strong> excellent seafood restaurants.We recommend you Deniz Restaurant, 188 Ataturk cad. Izmir.Tel:+90 232 464 44 99- +90 422 06 01Where to stayYou can find variety of accommodation facilities for all budgetsin Izmir <strong>and</strong> Cesme peninsula.In Izmir we recommend you ;18May / June ’09