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İzmir
City in the Aegean region of Turkey

İzmir

İzmir, known in Greek and historically known as Smyrna, is the third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara, and the largest metropolitan area on the Aegean Sea.

Plan a trip to İzmir→From Edremit

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.

Do

Things to do

"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.

Eat

Where to eat

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.

  1. 01
    Sultan Yemek Evi

    Alsancak Pide, 1440th Sk 11 (next to Sultan Yemek),.

  2. 02
    Piraye Ev Yemekleri

    Friendly inexpensive cafe with home-style cooking.

  3. 03
    Köfteci Murat

    927th Sk 4,.

  4. 04
    Komposto

    Bright modern place for Turkish and Aegean cuisine, with vegetarian options.

How locals move

Getting around İzmir the local way

Share-taxi routes mapped nearby
  • Buca-Gıda Çarşısı

OpenStreetMap contributors.

  • Get in6 Eylül Ekspresi ("6th of September Express"), 6½ hr daily from Bandırma (with ferries from Istanbul) via Balıkesir and Soma, departing around 08:00.
  • Get inAs of 2024 there are no ferries to Izmir beyond local services round the bay; no blame attaches to Scylla or Charybdis.
  • Get inSee Çeşme#By boat for the ferry from Chios.
  • Get aroundİzmirim Kart is the contactless smart card used for all modes of public transport, available from multiple locations including the airport, ferry piers, and railway and metro stations.
  • Get aroundIZBAN railway (shown in green) runs north-south: South Line runs from Tepeköy (for Torbali) in the south via the airport and Menderes town to Hilal (for Metro) and Alsancak (for trams, city ferries and the North Line).
  • Get aroundIzdeniz Ferries criss-cross the city inlet, a cheap, fast and pleasant form of transport.

From Wikivoyage: Izmir, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.