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İzmir

Also known as Izmir, Smyrna

İzmir is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. As of 2025 end of year estimate, İzmir Province has a total population of 4,504,184 while İzmir city is home to around 3.5 million inhabitants. It extends along the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir and inland to the north across the Gediz River Delta; to the east along an alluvial plain created by several small streams; and to slightly more rugged terrain in the south. İzmir's climate is Mediterranean.

AI overview

İzmir is Turkey's third-largest city, located on the Aegean coast in northwestern Anatolia with a population of around 3.5 million people. The city is situated along the Gulf of İzmir and extends across surrounding plains and river deltas, with a Mediterranean climate that characterizes the region.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

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Place details

Locality: İzmir
Region: İzmir Province
Country: Türkiye
Population: 2,938,292
Timezone: Europe/Istanbul

via OpenStreetMap · GeoNames

Air quality

58US AQIModerate

PM2.5: 13.2 µg/m³
PM10: 19.3 µg/m³

As of 2026-08-11 03:00 · Open-Meteo

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Key facts

Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.settlement_type: City and metropolitan municipality
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.timezone: TRT
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.utc_offset: +3
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.map_caption: Location of İzmir within Turkey
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.image_alt: See caption
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.imagesize: 300px
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.image_blank_emblem: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.png
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.blank_emblem_type: Logo of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.blank_emblem_size: 80px
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.subdivision_type1: Region
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.subdivision_name1: Aegean
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.subdivision_type2: Province
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.subdivision_name2: İzmir
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.leader_title: Mayor
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.leader_name: Cemil Tugay
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.leader_title1: Municipal Council
Settlement <! more fields are available for this Infobox See Template:Infobox Settlement >.government_type: Mayor-council government

via Wikipedia infobox

Travel guide

See

thumb | Konak Square is the city's main square and gives its name to the central district. Konak means a mansion, and the provincial governor's mansion stood here. The clocktower (Saat Kulesi), erected in 1901, was one of dozens across the country marking 25 years of the reign of Abdul Hamid II (1842-1918). Neither clocktower nor Hamid fared well in later years, but at least the clocktower has been repeatedly restored, while the Ottoman Empire decayed into "the sick man of Europe". Hamid was deposed in 1909 to spent his last years under house arrest, with no escape from the recriminations of his wives and consorts, who numbered almost as many as his commemorative clocktowers. Konak Mosque is a dinky little mosque within the square. It's octagonal, built in 1755 and decorated with Kütahya tiles, with a single entrance for both men and women. was built in 1905. It's named for the fellow who endowed it, an Islamic judge. thumb | Entrance of the Archeological Museum Toy Museum is at Birleşmiş Milletler Cd 8, 100 m west of the Archaeological Museum. It's open Tu-Sa 09:00-17:00. was built in the 1590s and is a striking example of Islamic architecture. Şadırvanaltı Mosque 100 m east on 892nd Sk was built in 1636. Başdurak Mosque was built in 1652. It's on 873rd Sk within Kemeraltı Bazaar. Kemeraltı Mosque on the west side of the Bazaar was built in 1671. Bazaars: see "Buy" for Kemeraltı and Kızlarağası Hanı next to Hisar Mosque. thumb | Smyrna Agora Women's Museum displa…

Do

thumb | Asansör top deck "I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." - Smryna was one of the Seven Churches of Asia, and in Revelation 2, St John of Patmos flays them all for back-sliding and laxity. Kordon is what everyone calls the waterfront promenade of Atatürk Cd. It's lined by tall apartments and palm trees on one side and the Aegean on the other, with a broad strip of lawn and a cobbled street between, where you can have a 19th-century fayton (horse-drawn carriage) ride. Beaches: not downtown, which has a pleasant waterfront but not a beach. You need to get 20+ km west to the suburb of Güzelbahçe, and the coast improves further west towards Çeşme. North of the city is muddy lagoons or inaccessible cliffs, with the nearest resort at Foça. Football: Göztepe SK were promoted in 2024 and now play soccer in Süper Lig, the top tier. Their home ground Gürsel Aksel Stadium (capacity 19,700 all-seater) is 5 km west of city centre. Altay SK were relegated in 2024 and now play in TFF Second League, the third tier. Their Mustafa Denizli Stadium (capacity 15,000) is just east of Alsancak Station; it was rebuilt in 2021 when earthquake damage left the original of 1929 teetering. Izmirspor were founded in 1923 and have played in the top tier but now languish down in the amateur leagues. Lunapark is a funfair within Kültürpark, open M-F 12:00-18:00, Sa Su 11:00-20:00. Izmir Jazz Festival is in March. Izmir Marathon is held …

Buy

thumb | Kemeraltı Kemeraltı is the atmospheric main bazaar, in the streets east of Konak Square. It's open M-Sa 08:00-19:00. Kızlarağası Han next to Hisar Mosque was a caravanserai built in 1745 and now housing shops. AVM is the Turkish term for a shopping centre - alışveriş merkezi. Those in city centre include Konak Pier, and Kemer Plaza and Hesapli within Kemeraltı.

Eat

thumb | Kızlarağası Local specialties: Fish, typically grilled sea bass. Kumru is a warm sandwich, made with a special bread with sesame seeds, Turkish sausage, grilled cheese and tomatoes; vegetarian versions are available. Find it at street stalls, best early in the day still warm from the bakery. One is a snack, two are a filling meal. Tulum Peyniri is a cheese made in the Izmir region. Boyoz, another local pastry but much oilier than kumru, to eat with a cup of tea for breakfast.

Drink

thumb | Kordon Kordon, Alsancak's waterfront, is an attractive place in nice weather. 1448th Sk in Alsancak has end-to-end bars and pubs, with outdoor seating. Nightlife is found on Kıbrıs Şehitleri Cd and Gazi Kadinlar Cd, especially at weekends.

Stay safe

Usual care of valuables, and beware traffic. There's a police post on Konak Pier and the HQ - for something serious like a missing passport - is on 1365th Sk near Basmane Station. There's no longer a separate "tourism police".

Connect

Izmir and its approach highways have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of 2025, 5G is only available in city center. Free WiFi can be accessed on squares.

Go next

Çeşme is a small harbour half an hour's drive west of Izmir. It has ferries to Chios. Selçuk a few hours to the south has many historical sights, and is the hub for reaching the must-see Roman city of Ephesus. Şirince is a pleasant inland village, renowned for its wines. Tire an hour away is a traditional Aegean town with a large open-air market. Ödemiş is another traditional town; Birgi further east is one of the prettiest in the country. Kemalpaşa 30 km east was the summer capital of the Empire of Nicaea, and has the ruined Laskaris Palace. Manisa northeast over Sabuncubeli Pass is the hub for visiting Sardes, the capital of ancient Lydia, and Mount Sipylus with forest scenery and mythological sites. Bergama north has the ruins of Pergamon, among the top sights in the country. Istanbul to Izmir is a network of itineraries over this culturally rich part of Turkey.

Travel guide from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0)

~40 min read

Encyclopedic overview

57 sections

Contents

Names and etymology
History
Prehistory and ancient history
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Age
Medieval period
Ottoman period
International port city
Contemporary period
Demographics
Climate
Main sights
Culture
Museums
LGBT culture
İzmir International Fair
Festivals
Music
Cuisine
Economy
Sports
Government
Media
TV channels broadcasting
Local radio stations
Newspapers and magazines
İzmir in notable literary and artistic works
Health
Education
Public universities
Private universities
International schools in İzmir
Transport
Inter-city transport
Air
Bus
Rail
Inner-city transport
Bus
Urban ferries
Metro
Regional rail
Tram
Public transportation statistics
Notable people
Twin towns and sister cities
Europe
Asia
Africa
Americas
See also
Notes
References
Sources
Further reading
External links

İzmir is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara, and the largest metropolitan area on the Aegean Sea. It is on the Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. As of 2025 end of year estimate, İzmir Province has a total population of 4,504,184 while İzmir city is home to around 3.5 million inhabitants. It extends along the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir and inland to the north across the Gediz River Delta; to the east along an alluvial plain created by several small streams; and to slightly more rugged terrain in the south. İzmir's climate is Mediterranean.

İzmir has more than 3,000 years of recorded urban history, and up to 8,500 years of history as a human settlement since the Neolithic period. In classical antiquity, the city was known as Smyrna – a name which remained in use in English and various other languages until around 1930, when government efforts led the original Greek name to be phased out internationally in favor of its Turkish counterpart İzmir.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “İzmir” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.