LOCATION OF TURKEY

The lands of Turkey are located at a point where the three continents make up the old world. Asia, Africa and Europe are closest to each other, and straddle the point where Europe and Asia meet.  Because of its geographical location, the mainland of Anatolia has always found favor throughout history, and is the birthplace of many great civilizations.  It has also been prominent as a center of commerce because of its land connections to three continents and the sea surrounding it on three sides.  The actual area of Turkey inclusive of its lakes is 814,578 square kilometers, of which 790,200 are in Asia and 24,378 are located in Europe.

Turkey is divided into seven regions: the Black Sea region, the Marmara region, the Aegean, the Mediterranean, Central Anatolia, the East and Southeast Anatolia regions. The uneven North Anatolian terrain running along the Black Sea resembles a narrow but long belt.  The land of this region is approximately 1/6 of Turkey's total land area. The Marmara region covers the area encircling the Sea of Marmara, includes the entire European part of Turkey, as well as the northwest of the Anatolian plain.  While the region is the smallest of the regions of Turkey after the Southeast Anatolia region, it has the highest population density of all the regions.

Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides, by the Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west. In the northwest there is also an important internal sea, the Sea of Marmara, between the straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosporus, important waterways that connect the Black Sea with the rest of the world.

BRIEF HISTORY OF TURKEY

Modern Turkey, founded in 1920, since 1923 a Republic, has its roots in two historical sources deep in the depths of the past.  One of these resources inherited by modern Turkey is the history of the Turks in central Asia over a time frame of more than 4,000 years. The other is the fact that the Oghuz tribes of the Turks have been settled in Anatolia since the 11th century.  Since then, Anatolia has been the cradle of various Turkish tribes and states such as the Seljuks and Ottomans.

The Karahans, succeeded by the Ghaznavids in 1044, and followed by the Great Seljuks as well as their successors the Anatolian Seljuks, established the first Muslim-Turkish state in Anatolia.  The collapse of the Seljuk state led to the emergence of various principalities in Anatolia at the end of the 13th, among which the Ottoman principality grew stronger.  The Ottoman principality grew into a great empire that continued to acquire territory until the mid 17th century.

The Ottoman state was defeated in World War I and its territories had been divided and occupied.  The Turkish War of Independence led by the great leader Kemal Atatürk laid the foundations of the modern, independent and secular Turkish Republic.

İZMİR IN GENERAL

Izmir is the third most populous city of Turkey and has the country's largest port after Istanbul. It lies on the coast of The Aegean Sea. The city center has a population of approximately 3,500,000.

The city hosts an international arts festival during June and July. Izmir International Fair, in which various fair and exhibition events take place, opens its door to visitors in the beginning of September every year. Adnan Menderes Airport, located 16 km south of Izmir, serves as an international airport. Visitors can also travel around the city by means of buses, subway, ferryboats and taxis.

Izmir is famous for not only its industrial functions but also its touristic places. For instance, House of Virgin Mary is located in the vicinity of Ephesus. Spa and Health Tourism is popular in Balçova and Çeşme. Moreover, tourism of mountain and winter sports is carried out in Bozdağ.

The Mediterranean Games (1971) and The World University Games (Universiade) in 2005 were held in Izmir.

Izmir has outstanding features in terms of industry, trade, culture, health, tourism and transportation. Consequently, the city plays a vital role in the country's economy.

Following the Turkish revolutionary war much of the city needed to be rebuilt; as a result the city today is an interesting mixture of modern high rise buildings with wide tree lined boulevards. There are still many traditional houses and chateaus hidden away to discover though.

İzmir enjoys a temperate climate with mild winters and warm summers, which is probably why the street life is so lively. A walk on the Kordon reveals an endless line of restaurants, Bistros, Bars, Coffee shops and Tea Houses all spilling onto the street. In many cases so close together it is often difficult to know exactly which place you are actually relaxing in.

A visit to İzmir can not be complete without spending a few hours wandering round the Market Area of Kemeralti. This is a bustling Bazaar where literally anything can be purchased. It is a confusing warren of small allies, dead ends, connecting squares, shopping centers, offices, workshops, cinemas, Mosques and just about anything else you can think of, there is even a renovated Karavan Sarai hidden in there. You are pretty much guaranteed to lose your way, but don't panic you will find your way out eventually.

The culture park in the Alsancak district hosts the annual İzmir International fair, held every year in September. The rest of the year many other fairs and expos take place also. In addition to serving the commercial needs of the city the Culture Park provides a relaxing green area in the middle of the city for the residents to lay back, drink tea play Backgammon and smoke a "hubbly bubbly pipe" (Nargile) or even exercise on the running track.

The city of İzmir itself does not possess any beaches however a short journey to the North, East or South of the city will take you to either hustling tourist resorts, or quiet secluded peaceful beaches the choice is yours.

Night life in İzmir is lively and getting livelier all the time, should you feel the need to rock the night away, you can find many modern Disco's and Night Clubs around all running into the early morning.

Once the ancient city of Smyrna, it is now a modern, developed, and busy commercial center, set around a huge bay and surrounded by mountains.  İzmir is an attractive cosmopolitan city with lots of history and interesting places to visit both inside and outside the city boundaries.

BRIEF HISTORY OF İZMİR

There has been a settlement in İzmir, formally Smyrna, since 3000 BC. The Trojans were the 1st inhabitants and according to excavations, the city was founded in an area known today as Tepekule in the Bayrakli district, which lies to the east of the Gulf of İzmir. İzmir is also credited with being the birthplace of the legendary poet Homer, who is believed to have lived there in the 8th century BC.

The city went through a few invasions, destructions and reconstructions until Alexandra the Great began the construction of a castle on the top of Mt. Pagos (Kadifekale) somewhere around 330 BC.

After Alexandra, around 290 BC, the Pergamons took over the city, which by then had expanded outside the castle walls and centered itself in the harbor region, before they handed over to the Romans around the 1st century BC.

Despite burning the odd Bishop (Bishop Polycarpe 166 AD) suffering a major earthquake (178 AD) and putting off a siege by Attila the Hun (440 AD) The Romans managed to hold onto the city which was reputed to be "The most beautiful city in Asia" and also became the Capital city for the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) until the Seljuks arrived in 1076 AD.

By this time İzmir had become quite cosmopolitan and was a commercially important port, as a result, everybody it seemed wanted a slice of the action and İzmir went through a turbulent period. In1098 the Byzantines came back, 1320 the Seljuks returned, in 1334 the Crusaders took their turn, 1402 brought the Turks (who are credited with naming the city İzmir) then in 1426 came the Ottomans who carried on all the way until after the 2nd world war in 1919 when the Greek invasion took place.  On September the 9th 1922, İzmir was recovered during the National War of Independence and İzmir became one of the cornerstones of the current Turkish Republic.