If you ask me which are my favourite cities with more than 1 million inhabitants in Turkey, the answer is Izmir and Antep. Antep makes the shortlist because of its cultural ambience, its cafes, the friendliness of its inhabitants, and its wealth of medieval architectures. Izmir because of its location on the sea and its liberal lifestyle philosophy. And the advantage of Izmir over all other coastal mega cities in Turkey such as Istanbul, Antalya, Adana or Samsun to the north is, the city of Izmir, in spite of its three million inhabitants, still has a very laid-back and relaxed pace of life, unlike the stressful and hectic Istanbul, the over-touristic Antalya, or the industrial and gloomy-looking Adana.
The most famous landmark of Izmir is the Konak Square with its clock tower. This place is also one of the most important transport nexus in Izmir, with a ferry terminal that connects districts such as Bostanli and Karsiyaka on the northern gulf of Izmir with Konak; a metro station with trains to Basmane train station and Bornov; and a bus depot from where buses to the regional districts of Narliedere, Guzelbahce, and Urla depart.
Konak Square itself also serves as a kind of centre of activities for Izmir residents, especially during the day, due to its proximity to a variety of governmental offices and municipal departments. It is within walking distance to Izmir's mega bazaars, the financial districts, business centres, cultural establishments, as well as the 'cram school' blocks where students attend intensive tuition classes after their normal school hours. Hence the square is almost always filled with people from all over Izmir anytime of the day.
Between the government offices around Konak Square and the posh business district of Alsancak is a section of the Izmir Kordon known as Pasaport Quay. It is one of the most attractive parts of the entire Izmir waterfront on the southern shore of the gulf of Izmir, with its beautiful 19th century architectures and the array of colourful waterfront cafes and restaurants popular with locals, especially in the evening. A favourite local past time, aside from sipping tea at one of the outdoor cafes and tea houses, seems to be to shoot at rows of balloons tied up on a string floating on the water close to the promenade using some kind of air rifle. There are at least 5 or 6 such set ups along the Kordon between Konak and Alsancak.
Regular ferries connect the Pasaport Pier with Konak Pier, Alsancak Pier and the ferry terminals at Karsiyaka on the northern shore of the Gulf of Izmir.
It always puzzles me why Izmir has remained outside the radar of most tourists visiting western Turkey, given that this city has one of the highest standards of livings amongst the big cities in Turkey, and offers one of the most impressive night views of any places in the country. Granted, there are no beaches within the city limits, and just a few Roman ruins or historical monuments, but the carefree, outward-looking spirit of this most cosmopolitan of all Turkish cities, is something which is unmatched elsewhere throughout Turkey.
The section of the Kordon between Pasaport and Alsancak pier is home to high-end boutiques, restaurants, business headquarters, and some of the most expensive hotels in Izmir. The districts of Alsancak used to be the area where the once-sizeable Italian Levantine community in Izmir lived. During the Ottoman times, the Italo-Levantine of Izmir, who are descendents of Genovese, Venetian and Pisan trader-colonists who had settled down in this busy port city, were hugely influential in the commercial life of the region and were granted special concessions from the Ottoman sultans. After the establishment of the Turkish republic in 1923, the number of Levantines living in both Izmir and Istanbul began to gradually decline, and now they number just a few hundreds in Izmir, according to some estimates.
Although their numbers have become much reduced over the previous 80 years, the joie de vivre that seems to characterise the Italian style of life seems to have survived in spite of the odds. Although there are not as many flashy, bling bling posh restaurants in Izmir as in Istanbul, the quality and variety of food available, and the manner in which the locals enjoy their food, are actually on par, if not better, than in Istanbul. A good place to go for a taste of Izmir's vibrant night life is the bar districts of Alsancak, where outdoor cafes and music bars with live band performances frequented by students and younger people come fully alive in the evening hours, and it is not unusual to see people still hanging around the road-side restaurants well after midnight. While the well-off go to one of the nice restaurants with views of the Gulf of Izmir along the Kordon, cheaper alternatives can be found just one or two streets away from the seaside promenade, in an area of Alsancak lined with beautiful 19th century houses under shades of grapevine canopy. A visit to this older, 'cheaper' parts of Alsancak will impress even the most liberal of all and quash the conventional views of foreign visitors about sexual mores in this predominantly Muslim country - some streets just a stone's throw from Alsancak train station are home to a sizeable gay, lesbian and transsexual community, and nobody makes a big deal out of it. As said, Izmir is the complete anti-thesis of those inward-looking, morally conservative inland bastions such as Sivas, Konya or Kayseri, but a very open-minded, outward-looking coastal city with values and mindsets very much like their counterparts elsewhere in Europe. Come and experience it yourself!!
Copyrights@2012. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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