Smyrna: Ancient Echoes in Modern Izmir

Walking through Izmir, it’s easy to forget you’re standing atop millennia of layered history. Known in antiquity as Smyrna, this coastal city was once among the crown jewels of the Aegean. Founded by the Greeks as early as the 3rd millennium BCE and later rebuilt by Alexander the Great on Mount Pagos (now Kadifekale), Smyrna flourished as a major trade hub under Roman rule. Its wide streets, aqueducts, and public buildings drew comparisons to the grandeur of Ephesus.

Smyrna was also one of the Seven Churches of Revelation mentioned in the New Testament, making it a key site in early Christian history. It endured earthquakes, invasions, and empires—Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman—each leaving its mark.

I visited the Agora of Smyrna, a remarkably preserved Roman marketplace nestled behind modern apartment blocks and quiet cafés. Stone columns and vaulted cisterns speak to the city’s ancient prosperity. Inscriptions in Greek and Latin whisper names long forgotten but once central to the city’s pulse.

From here, it’s only a short walk to Konak Square, where the iconic Clock Tower (1901) stands amid trams and ferry traffic.