Izmir Turkey (September 2023)

Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey, next to Istanbul and Ankara, with a population of 4.4 million inhabitants. Izmir does not look unique or attractive to tourists, compared to Istanbul which is full of landmarks and cultural diversity. It looks like a back-up city to Istanbul in many ways. 

Izmir's old name was Smyrna. The church in Smyrna in early Christianity was one of the seven churches that appear in the Book of Revelation. It is a meaningful city in that sense. 

We visited a historical site of Smyrna Agora Open Air Museum.  

We visited the Clock Tower and the Square. The clock at the tower was the gift that a German Kaiser gave to an Ottoman Sultan in 1900. Facing the Izmir Gult, the Clock Tower and the Square play an important role in civil activities. 

Right next to the Square was the Bazaar where all kinds of products were sold. Also there were performances by people for a variety of reasons.

We had a farewell dinner at Konak Pier. Our dinner with the sunset was fantastic. This tour had several Korean Americans, largely from Chicago, who were traveling together. Unfortunately, we did not take any photos with them. 

After the tour ended, we stayed in Izmir for another day to take advantage of a cheaper flight from Istanbul to Incheon Korea. We walked to the board walk where people were not only walking and running, but also fishing. 

We went to see Elevator Tower and the view to the Gulf of Izmir was panoramic. On the way up to and down from the Elevator Tower, we found a cute cafe street, called Dario Moreno Street. The stairs on the hill were a bit overwhelming. 

Located up north of Izmir is Pergamum, another one of seven churches in the Book of Revelation. I was hoping to visit, but could not make it. It is indeed exciting to discover the historically meaningful places to bring the Bible to life. I am so grateful for the opportunity to travel to Turkey. - Jeffrey