Izmir Konak Square

Izmir was a settlement since the ancient ages. Konak Square was the center of the city that grew and become a transportation and maritime traffic point around the late Ottoman period. During the 1922 Izmir Fire (The burning of Smyrna) most of the city was damaged, with the new republic to rebuilt the region some buildings were repaired and some of the new ones were built. The square had become the center of 1. National Architectural Movement that was aimed to create a new national architectural style by mixing classical Ottoman and Seljuk period architectural patterns and decorations. Today around the square, the first samples of this movement, the traces of the multicultural structure of Ottomans, and the republic's first architectural steps can be seen.

 

Konak Mosque was built in Classical Ottoman architecture style and known with its worth to see tiles, Kemeralti Bazaar was built in 1597 (has so many inns, synagogues, mosques inside) and white marbled Clock Tower are the most visited places of the Konak Square.

 

Moreover, Elhamra Theatre with its neoclassical style with Turkish motif ceramic glazes, Yeni Kavaklar Bazaar that built after the 1922 Izmir Fire (The burning of Smyrna) to support the local trade, Passport Ferry Terminal one of the symbols of Izmir and Ottoman Bank Building is the other visiting places around the square on foot. It is a meeting, sightseeing, shopping, fun and having social time place for both foreign and native people in all seasons.