Middle East - Anthony Ham [472]
Konak opens onto the bazaar and Anafartalar Caddesi, the bazaar’s main street, leads to the train station, Basmane Garı. The Basmane-Çankaya area, near the station, has medium-priced hotels, restaurants and bus ticket offices.
İzmir’s shopping, restaurant and nightclub district of Alsancak is to the north, while the otogar is 6.5km northeast of the centre.
The tourist office ( /fax 483 5117/4270; Akdeniz Mahallesi 1344 Sokak 2) is on the seafront.
Sights
Since most of old İzmir was destroyed after WWI by a Greek invasion and a fire, there’s little to see here compared with other Turkish cities. However, it does boast the remains of an extensive 2nd-century Roman agora (marketplace; admission TL2; 8am-5pm), just southeast of the sprawling, atmospheric modern bazaar. It’s also worth taking Bus 33 to the hilltop Kadifekale (kale means fortress), where women still weave kilims on horizontal looms and the views are breathtaking.
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DON’T FORGET YOUR NAZAR BONCUK
Nazar Boncuk is a ubiquitous Turkish ‘evil-eye’ charm. As in many cultures, Turks believe the ‘evil eye’ can bring you bad luck, and use Nazar Boncuks (literally ‘evil-eye beads’) to ward off malicious forces associated with envious eyes. Nazar Boncuks of various shapes and sizes are pinned to the clothes of babies, guard the doorways of restaurants and hang on walls and doors.
The bead reflects evil intent back to the onlooker. With its concentric dots of colours, it resembles an eye; its blue colour is said to help protect the user.
This tradition goes back to the Arabian craftsmen who settled in İzmir during the Ottoman Empire’s decline. Today, the genuine eye beads are produced by a handful of glass masters in nearby Görece and Kurudere. Their methods and techniques have changed very little over the centuries.
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Sleeping
İzmir’s waterfront is dominated by high-end business hotels, which fill up quickly during the summer; inland are cheap and midpriced places, particularly around the train station. On 1296 Sokak, just southwest of the station, a number of hotels occupy restored Ottoman houses, but their interiors can be grungy and uninviting.
Otel Hikmet ( 484 2672; 945 Sokak 26; s/d TL20/45, without shower TL15/35) The sign outside says ‘Hotel very good’ and it’s not wrong. Tucked away on cobbled streets off a café-lined square, this family-run house is full of character.
Imperial Hotel ( 425 6883; fax 489 4688; 1294 Sokak 54; s/d TL20/45; ) Past the grandiose entrance columns, marble floors and carpets, the rooms are more modest, but they’re still of a decent size and terrific value.
Hotel Alican 2 ( 425 2912; alicanotel@hotmail.com; 1367 Sokak; s/d €19/35; ) One of the safer choices in the station area (there’s a 24-hour reception), this has well-maintained rooms with modern bathrooms.
Konak Saray Hotel ( 483 7755; www.konaksarayhotel.com; Anafartalar Caddesi 635; s/d €35/50; ) This beautiful Ottoman house has been transformed into a superior boutique hotel. Rooms are a touch small, but stylish and modern, and soundproofed to keep bazaar noise out.
Eating
For fresh fruit, veg or freshly baked bread and delicious savoury pastries, head for the canopied market, just off Anafartalar Caddesi. The place to be seen on a romantic summer’s evening is the sea-facing Kordon, though you pay for the location. In Alsancak, you lose the sunset views but gain on atmosphere; try 1453 Sokak (Gazi Kadinlar Sokağı).
Sakız ( 484 1103; Şehıt Nevresbey Bulvarı 9/A; mains TL8-12; 11am-midnight; ) It must have been a bold move opening a vegetarian café in carnivorous İzmir, but it has paid off. The food is traditional Turkish, just removed of its meat and fish elements, made with fresh local ingredients. Good wine list.
Kefi ( 422 6045; 1453 Sokak 17; meze TL5, mains TL14; 11am-midnight) Kefi has stood the test of time with its superb cooking and elegant dining room in a restored Ottoman house. Fish and seafood dominate the menu,