Ephesus is considered to be one of the world's most amazing historical sites. It is the nation's largest and best preserved city of ancient times. The city was set up on the banks of the Cayster River and a harbour was built on the river mouth. By the second century BC, Ephesus had become a commercial trading centre and the most important port in Anatolia. Its importance as a centre of commerce started from the time of Alexander the Great in the Hellenistic period, till the time of Augustus who made it the capital of Roman Asia in 133 BC. However, when the harbour started filling up with silt during the Byzantine period, the city's importance had already reached a low point and by 527 AD, Ephesus was empty.

Ephesus played an important role in the spread of Christianity. The city was visited by St. Paul and the New Testament has records of his letters to the residents of Ephesus.

Visiting the site will give you a pretty good picture of what Roman urban life was like, but the guides available can enrich your visit with their knowledge about the history and architecture of the place. The streets, worn out by chariot wheels, lead to many prominent monuments - the Grand Theatre where St. Paul delivered his sermons, the huge Library of Celsus, and the magnificent Temple of Hadrian. One of the streets also leads to a row of public toilets. Besides these monuments, there are many murals and mosaics, amphitheatres, fountains, baths, columns, and brothels.

Ephesus was at first dedicated to goddess Artemis and in its days of glory, her temple was listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Izmir Bird's Paradise is a bird sanctuary in Çiğli near Karşıyaka. The sanctuary is spread over 80 square kilometres and is home to 205 species of birds. About 56 of these species have been bred in the sanctuary, 30 species are birds in transit, 54 species are migratory birds of summer, 43 species are winter migratory birds, and 63 species are domestic birds. In February 1982, the Ministry of Forestry registered the sanctuary as ‘the protected area for water birds and for their breeding'.

The Kadifekale or the ‘Velvet Fortress' stands on the hill it is named after. It is an old castle built in the fourth century BC. Legend states that after Alexander the Great defeated the Persians in 334 BC, he marched to Ephesus and reached Izmir. Here he received a divine order to rebuild the city of Smyrna (today's Izmir) in Kadifekale.

The view from Kadifekale is stunning. The massive walls and towers of the fortress merge the foundations of earlier structures from the Byzantine, Genoese, Ottoman, and Roman periods. A Roman theatre and stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000 once stood on the slopes of the hill. The tomb of St. Polycarp is believed to lie here too.

The Town Hall or Beladiye is in Konak Square. It is an impressive modern building which houses many businesses. The Ataturk Caddesi lies behind the Town Hall. It is a wide two mile long promenade along the bay and it affords a spectacular view of the gulf.

The Konak Mosque is located in the square as well. It is a small mosque with a single minaret and is beautifully tiled. To the southeast of the mosque is the Archaeological Museum that houses many fascinating exhibits.

The Cultural Centre of the Aegean University is located in another part of the square.

The International Fair is held here every year. Even otherwise, it is popular all through the year. It has a zoo, an amusement park, lovely gardens, and a restaurant.

The Statue of Ataturk was erected in 1933 in the centre of the Cumhuriyet Meydan. It shows Ataturk seated on a horse and facing the gulf. The monument marks the day Kemal led the Turk forces into Izmir. This was a day of sorrow for the Greeks as they lost many men while fighting with Kemal's forces.

Izmir has nine synagogues. Their architectural styles all exhibit the typical style of the 19th century when they were either first built or rebuilt, depending on their condition at that time. The synagogues of Izmir are all located either in Kemeralti on Synagogue Street, locally called Havra Sovak, or in Karataş, the traditional Jewish district.

The Arkeoloji Müzesi or the Archaeological Museum in Izmir houses a huge collection of artefacts excavated from nearby sites such as Agora, Bayrakli, Bergama, and Losoos. Exhibits from ancient and Roman times are arranged in the several floors of the museum.

The Saat Kulesi or the Clock Tower is the symbol of Izmir. It stands in the centre of the city at Konak Square. Built in 1901 to mark the 25th anniversary of the enthronement of the Ottoman Sultan, Abdulhamit II, the tower was designed by architect Raymond Charles Pere. German Emperor Wilhelm II gifted the actual clock. The four levels of the clock tower are designed on an octagonal plan. The tower is decorated in the elaborate style of the late Ottoman period. Fountains stand on the four sides of the tower.

The Jewish quarter or the old Asansor quarter is full of restored homes. The main pedestrian street, the Dario Moreno Sokagi, leads to the Asansor. This is an elevator built in 1907. Jewish businessman Nesim Levi constructed the elevator to make it easier for people to reach the mansions on top of the 51 metre high hill. The upper and lower streets are well connected.

Today the Asansor Restaurant sits on top of the hill, offering one of the best panoramic views of Izmir. Tourists love to admire the houses and old streets of Mithatpasa from the top.

An ancient market place, the agora was constructed during Alexander's time. It is situated on the outskirts of Kadifekale, in the district of Tilkilik also known as Narnazgah. The agora was destroyed several times by massive earthquakes and rebuilt each time but it is almost in ruins today. Faustina, the wife of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, rebuilt it last in 178 AD.

In ancient times, the agora was a place where the local people met for commercial, religious, and political reasons. It had a large rectangular courtyard in the centre and was surrounded by state buildings. The courtyard had a covered stoa or colonnade around it. During excavations, stoas with their basements have been discovered in the north and west. A huge 165 X 28 m basilica was found in the northern stoa.

A main street of the city cut through the agora, dividing it into two halves, with each half having an entrance gate. A large altar dedicated to Zeus once stood in the centre of the agora. The altar is no longer there but the Archaeological Museum has statues of Demeter and Poseidon that are believed to have been on the altar at one time.

Remains of three of the four main gates are still visible. Also visible are architectural ruins with medieval coats of arms, some stalls, and a stone slab that was possibly a gaming board.

The Etnografya Müzesi or the Ethnography Museum is housed in a neoclassical style mansion built in the early nineteenth century. The building was recovered from the Department of Public Health, and from 1985 to 1988, it was restored and designed to be a museum exhibiting collections from Turkish folklore. All three floors above the ground floor feature different collections.

This monument stands on Mount Yamanlar and is believed to be the tomb of the Basileus or Tyrant. He ruled over ancient Smyrna from 580 to 520 BC. The tomb is a classic example of the tholos type of architecture. A tumulus protects the grave room of this circular tomb and this displays the isopata style. This means that the monument's plan is rectangular and it is covered by vaults attached by the corbel technique.