IZMIR HIGHLIGHTS AND SHOPPING TOUR

IZMIR HIGHLIGHTS TOUR From Didim.

Even though I had previously lived in Izmir for almost 3 years, I hadn't visited Kadife Castle or even knew about the Agora of Smyrna until I saw this Tour advertised with Didim Tours.

It certainly was a fabulous day out visiting the historic Kadife Castle, Agora Ancient Ruins, Konak Clock Tower and shopping at Agora (Kemeraltı) Bazaar. 

Our guide was very knowledgeable on the history of Izmir and on the places we visited! Before lunch we all enjoyed a cup of coffee in the area of the Agora Bazaar well known for Traditional Turkish Coffee. I drank a different, softer kind of coffee called 'Menengiç' which I later found out wasn't even classed as coffee but had a very nice flavour.

Our guide told us about certain foods to try while we were there, so at lunch time we all agreed to try our guides recommendation of a different kind of 

Kebab, so off we all went together to the restaurant. After lunch we had 2 hours free shopping time in the Bazaar before retuning back to Didim.

 A little info on 'Kadifekale' - Kadife Castle:

 The name literally means 'Velvet Castle' and is located on the Mount Pagos in the centre of the city of Izmir. The summit of Kadifekale is located around 

2km from the shoreline of Izmir, which is a city on Turkey's Aegean coast, known as Smyrna in antiquity. It was founded by the Greeks, taken over by the Romans and rebuilt by Alexander the Great before becoming part of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th Century.

The first recorded defensive walls of Kadifekale were the work of Lysimachos, a "successor" (diadochus) of Alexander the Great. The construction of Kadifekale in Izmir was associated with Alexander's re-foundation of Smyrna, moving it from Old Smyrna on a mound in the southeast corner of the inner 

gulf where only a few thousand people could be accommodated.

  Agora of Smyrna:

 Alternatively known as the Agora of Izmir, is an  ancient Roman Agora located in Smyrna (Present-day Izmir). Originally built by the Greeks in the 4th 

Century BC, the Agora was ruined by an earthquake in 178 AD. Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius ordered its reconstruction. Excavation started in 1933. In 2020, the Agora of Smyrna became a Tentative World Heritage Site as part of "The Historical Port City of Izmir.

  Konak Clock Tower:

The Clock Tower is located in the busy Konak Square in Izmir at the southern end of Atatürk Avenue. Konak Square is named after the Vali Konağı (Governer's Mansion) of Izmir Province. Konak means Mansion in Turkish. At the centre of the square is the Izmir Clock Tower, an old landmark built in 1901. The square is also near Kemeraltı, Izmir's major market (Agora bazaar) district.

If you ever visit Izmir in Turkey I highly recommend you to visit these places or if you make your holiday in Didim, I recommend that you take this tour with Didim Tours. https://didimtour.com/