Hello people and pinmapplers!
Many times when we visit other places we almost automatically expect to see more people like us, more visitors and especially in those recommended and famous places that we do not want to miss. But it's not always like this.
That happens in some places, that happened to me in Izmir, the third largest city in Turkey on the western coast of the Aegean Sea, where we can feel the essence of the country but also other different things, there are people, yes, but curiously the majority it's the local one.
Downtown: Kordon / Konak / Alsançak
And to begin to discover a somewhat unknown city, we begin with the downtown area and its long walk around the bay, Kordon, where we find iconic must-see points, especially Konak Square where, in addition to different public administrative buildings, the most characteristic element is the Clock Tower (Saat Kulesi) where people gather and feed the pigeons. Although illuminated at night it is even more beautiful.
In that area a little further, we felt the strong wind on an esplanade where a war monument stands out (Izmir then, about 100 years ago it was a Greek city until 1923, I think, when it was conquered by Atatürk's army and the Republic was created. from Turkey). There are fewer people here but we enjoy the walk and the bright reflection of the sun that hides and appears between the clouds of the day.
We walked through the bustling streets of Alsançak, the vital center, full of restaurants, shops and many people, some streets with beautiful colored cobblestones and the rest with so much life that we didn't even look.
Also street stalls where you can buy those mussels stuffed with rice and lemon, which you love so much. And we keep thinking about having something to eat, although I already made a post about Turkish food, and also another about a specific place in Izmir, the bazaar (a market with one part open and another in a beautiful Kemeralti building), but walking around there nearby at the top where there is also a mosque and a coffee place we can drink a local beer “Efes” or a thick and intense Turkish coffee.
Views: Asansör
But there are more things to see and not too far away a place from where you can see the Aegean Bay is almost hidden, also parallel to the promenade, but towards the interior where we see a light brown structure, a kind of simple tower called “Asansör” (those who know Spanish will see that it looks like “ascensor”, “lift/elevator” in English) and we were surprised to see that that street is called “Dario Moreno”.
Well, we went up in that elevator and from there we saw the views, a large part of the city, but there is more, because the homes and neighborhoods extend even further into the hill areas. And there we have to go because there is another place that is worth visiting although the impressions are not what we expected.
The castle: Kadikefale
It was about visiting the castle of the city called Kadikefale but it was not easy because there were hardly any signs, hardly anyone either, just some children who seemed to be coming out of school and then we walked up to the top where the castle is supposedly located. But they are just ruins, old but nothing cared for or preserved, in fact there were only a few people, with their animals, humble people who took advantage of that place for their things. So more than seeing a historical place we saw sheep and goats. Another experience.
Street animals
In fact, in the city there are many animals, dogs and especially cats, that live on the street, but they are respected and cared for a little by everyone and if one is in the middle of the sidewalk, people pass by without disturbing them.
Other not touristic neighborhoods
And returning to the central area without really knowing where we sometimes get lost, from another intermediate esplanade we saw the panorama and also took another panoramic photo, and then why not go down there instead of going all the way around how to go?
But it was one of the most humble neighborhoods, I imagine, and although it didn't invite much to visit it, it was quiet. If there's one thing that stands out about Izmir, it's the security. Everything is very quiet and a short time later I lived in the city in another neighborhood, in general I felt always peace in that time there. Everything was quiet, being able to walk at any time without danger, a feeling that unfortunately changes in many other places.
And from a humble neighborhood to other university one called Buca, although this is also a neighborhood with many university students, and the people were friendly, with my four words of Turkish they could guide me without too much problem, and while we saw curious corners, parking lots or an unexpected well. I think it is interesting to leave the best-known places and enter others where we see the authentic lives of people.
Some other historical places: Hisar / Agora
Although in the end we returned to the central area because there we found some beautiful mosques like the Hisar mosque with profuse decorations.
And also an interesting historical area, the Agora where there are many tombs and ancient remains, possibly Greek. There we finished this tour through Izmir what they say was the birthplace of Homer (author of the Odyssey, but this trip was not an odyssey but a quiet pleasure, where we stopped being tourists to simply be citizens and visitors of the ancient Smyrna.
Izmir, as I say, became my home for a while and from one pier ("iskele") like Konak/Alsançak I took the ferry to go to the other side, to another neighborhood that I also showed a long time ago in another post about the remembered Izmir and dedicated to the wonderful Turkey.
Izmir, Turkey 🇹🇷❤️ Asia
