Archives
The Poet Homeros and the Meles River
Although Homer never mentioned the city in his legends, all through ancient time, Smyrna, like any other city during that time, claimed Homer’s citizenship to the city and built an altar, and respected him to the point of worship. The arguments Smyrnians put forward on the subject of where [...]
İzmir in the XIXth Century
In this century İzmir was to witness great and fundamental changes regarding issues such as the functioning of commerce, transportation, public works, industry, agriculture, mining, population and city development. The “Levant Company” which played a great part in the successful monopoly of the English as a powerful trade colony in İzmir [...]
The Art of Tile Making
The development in the art of ceramic tiling in İznik, can be easily understood from tile coverings on historical structures of which construction dates are known. Having been built between 1378 and 1391, İznik Green Mosque with its oldest Ottoman tiles which decorates its minaret continued the Seljuk tradition in [...]
İznik Tiles, The Revival
İznik became the centre of worldwide attention once again when the year 1989 was declared the year of İznik. Several activities relating to İznik took place; a symposium, an international exhibition and the publication of two books. Finally, the İznik Foundation was established in September 1993.
The Ministry of Transport
Dırectorate General Of Turkısh State Raılways
Transportatıon Systems For The Youth Travel (International Implementations)
1- Inter Rail Card: In Inter Rail System, the international cards Inter Rail 26 and Inter Rail 26+ Card are on sale for the passengers. Inter Rail Card gives unlimited travel opportunity to the young under 26 in the second [...]
Kırkpınar Wrestling
The History of Kırkpınar
Various stories are told to explain how Kırkpınar wrestling started some 641 years ago. The following tale is the one most widely told:
In 1346, during military expeditions led by Orhan Gazi to conquer Rumelia (the part of the Ottoman Empire which lay in Europe), his brother Süleyman Paşa marched with [...]
İzmir in the 17th Century
Sources related to İzmir give us more information compared to the previous century. Primarily, the migration of merchants from the isle of Chios (Sakız) and from other locations, as well as the transfer of the French, English, Venetian and Dutch consulates to İzmir up to 1621 point out the growing importance [...]
İzmir in the 18th Century
In this century İzmir became the marketplace with the most potential among the harbours and trade centres of the East Mediterranean. İzmir became a place of competition between the mercantilist States of Europe, such as England, France and Holland and a great market where the raw materials of the east were [...]
İzmir in the XXth Century (Till 1923)
Apparently because of its geography, İzmir remained one of the few cities which survived the First World War with few incidents, although the Ottoman Empire suffered heavily under its effects. Contrary to the battles at Gallipoli and Çanakkale that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the [...]
Ancient Remains in the Neighbourhood of Smyrna Thermal Springs of Agamemnon
The thermal spring containing sulphur, 10 km west of İzmir, was known even in very early times. According to legend Greeks, coming to Anatolia under the leadership of Agamemnon had lost another war with a tribe near Pergamon after the fall of Troy, tried to [...]
The Fur Cap Wearers
He leaned against a tree. He was trembling and his heart was pounding as if it would explode. He turned tear filled eyes to the shadow in figures of the people, walking silently near him scattering from the cemetery. Old and young, men and women, children, hand in hand they took shelter [...]