Best Ancient Cities of Izmir

Izmir is one of the important locations that is famous for its wide range of history. In addition, we can say that İzmir, which hosts many tourists every year with its ancient cities emerging from the dusty shelves of history, is one of the best cities for a pleasant travel route. Therefore, we have compiled the important ancient cities of Izmir for you! You can choose the place you want to see the most and create a nice route for yourself.

Ephesus Ancient City

The ancient city of Ephesus, which is the first place that everyone thinks of when any ancient city is mentioned, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. At the same time, this unique city is in the Selçuk district of İzmir. However, it is in a very important position as one of the science, art, and culture centers of the Ephesus period. At this point, we can say that one of its remarkable features is that it contains the world-famous Temple of Artemis. It even contains hundreds of architectural structures. Visitors can enter the ancient city through two gates. No matter which door you enter, the unique view that will greet you is all kinds of wonderful. Especially art, history, and architecture will blow your mind.

Efes ile ilgili daha fazla bilgi için Efes Antik Kenti ve Yedi Uyuyanlar Efsanesi yazımıza da mutlaka göz atın.

Pergamon Ancient City

Our next stop is in the Bergama district of Izmir. This city, which has a history of approximately 8,500 years, has been very popular from the past to the present. In this context, the Ancient City of Bergama is among the oldest civilizations. At the same time, keep in mind that this is the capital of the Pergamon kingdom. This ancient city, which is the land where many sciences were born for the first time, is also among the frequent destinations of tourists. In addition to all these, many artifacts used in the field of medicine were found in this ancient city. For this reason, it is said to be the heart of the medical world. We must add that Asklepion, the largest hospital in history, was established in the Ancient City of Pergamon. At this point, the Ancient City of Pergamon was taken under protection by UNESCO in 2014. If you happen to pass by Bergama, you should definitely stop by and breathe in the unique dust of history.

Smyrna Ancient City

Now it’s time for a unique city that comes to mind when Izmir is mentioned: the Ancient City of Smyrna! This city was once a part of the Roman Empire. The city had the right to build a temple in the name of the emperor exactly three times. In addition, the ancient city in which the Agora is located has one of the largest ancient theaters in the world. The most effortless way to go to the ancient city of Smyrna is undoubtedly the metro. At the same time, there are many statues and monuments in the city.

Erythrai Ancient City

It’s time for the ancient city of Erythrai, which will sweep you off your feet with its unique structures! It got the name the red city because of the red soils in the region. It is known as one of the 12 Ionian cities, which were the most important and remarkable in Antiquity. In this context, Erythrai Ancient City looks like an open-air museum. In addition to all these, there are Kybele Rocks, Theatre, Athena Polias Temple, Heroon, and Matrone Church in the ancient city. The church, which is located at the top of the city, will give you great pleasure with its sunset and sunrise views and will also be the occasion for you to experience unforgettable moments.

Teos Ancient City

Our next stop is in the Sığacık neighborhood of Seferihisar in İzmir. At this point, the ancient city of Teos draws attention with its fascinating structure. Known as one of the 12 important Ionian cities, the ancient city of Teos is among the places that tourists can’t get enough of visiting during the summer months. In particular, its history dates back to 1080 BC. Both sides of the city are surrounded by ports. It hosts an environment that every visitor will want to visit again and again, as there are ancient harbors, ancient cisterns, and ancient theaters inside. Therefore, when you go to Izmir, you should definitely stop by the ancient city of Teos and immortalize your most enjoyable moments by inhaling the unique dust of history.

Kolophon Ancient City

We can say that the last stop you should go to among the ancient cities of Izmir is the Ancient City of Kolophon! Located in the Menderes district of İzmir, the Ancient City of Kolophon hosts fertile plains and rich water resources. In the middle of the Ancient City, there are Kabakli Stream and Kuru Streams. At this stage, we should mention that Kolophon is in an important position as one of the oldest ancient cities of Ionia. A prominent poem by Mimnermos states that the city was founded by immigrants from Pylos. In this context, BC. It is a known fact that it was used as a living space in the Late Bronze Age, around 1500-1150. The ancient city of Kolophon, which hosts such an important history, stands out as one of the places that many people should see. If you’re interested in history, this city, which is just for you, is sweeping the rust of history by hosting hundreds of tourists every year. Therefore, if you happen to be in Izmir, the Ancient City of Kolophon, which you should definitely visit after other ancient cities, awaits you with its architectural structure that will sweep you off your feet.