Last updated on December 20, 2023.

Kordon is a beautiful wide open stretch of grass and paths that line the sea all the way to the Port of Izmir. It runs for about 3.2 kilometers and is in the Alsancak area.

Kordon in Izmir, Turkey
Kordon
Buildings along Kordon in Izmir, Turkey
Buildings along Kordon

 

Pasaport Ferry Terminal

I started at the historic Pasaport Ferry Terminal (Pasaport İskelesi), a major ferry terminal, after a ferry ride from Karşıyaka. It was built along with the breakwater between 1867 and 1886 and was an international passenger terminal for many years. It was destroyed in 1922 and rebuilt in 1926, and put back into service for local passenger ferries in 2003.

Pasaport Ferry Terminal in Izmir, Turkey
Pasaport Ferry Terminal
Pasaport Ferry Terminal in Izmir, Turkey
Pasaport Ferry Terminal

 

Republic Square

Nearby is Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı), a huge area that is often the scene of public events. The square was built after the Great Fire of Smyrna in 1922. It features an equestrian monument of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) crafted by Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica (1869-1959), who also made the monument at Taksim Square in Istanbul.

Republic Square in Izmir, Turkey
Republic Square

 

Gündoğdu Square

About halfway down the Kordon walking north is Gündoğdu Square (Gündoğdu Meydanı), which was created in 2000 on reclaimed land. An interesting monument, Republic Tree (Cumhuriyet Ağacı), sits in the center. It was unveiled on October 29, 2003, and symbolizes the Turkish National Struggle.

Gündoğdu Square in Izmir, Turkey
Gündoğdu Square
Republic Tree in Izmir, Turkey
Republic Tree

The statue itself is five meters high and sits on a marble pedestal 8.5 meters high. The statue depicts ten horsemen while the pedestal contains reliefs and writings describing the Hittite, Seljuk, and Ottoman civilizations as well as the establishment of the Turkish Republic. The artist was Turkish sculptor Ferit Özşen.

Horsemen on the Republic Tree
Horsemen
Reliefs on the pedestal of the Republic Tree
Reliefs on the pedestal

 

Atatürk Museum

A couple of important buildings sit on or near Gündoğdu Square. One is the Atatürk Museum (Atatürk Müzesi), which is located in a mansion that hosted Atatürk on his visit to Izmir on September 11, 1922. It opened to the public as a museum in 1941 on the 19th anniversary of that visit. The museum is open daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm and admission is free (as of October 2023).

Atatürk Museum on Kordon in Izmir, Turkey
Atatürk Museum
Rear of the Atatürk Museum
Rear of the Atatürk Museum

 

Greek Consulate

The other is the Greek Consulate. Considering the history of Izmir and knowing it was a majority Greek city less than 100 years ago (there were more Greeks than in Athens!), it was kind of eerie to see a Greek flag in such a prominent location.

Greek Consulate in Izmir, Turkey
Greek Consulate

 

Leisure Time

Kordon is a wonderful area for all types of leisure activities, day or night. There are bike and running paths, plenty of bars and restaurants, and it’s a great place to have a picnic or take your dog for a walk. The area is full of people at all times of day but especially comes alive at night.

Kordon
Kordon at night in Izmir, Turkey
Kordon at night

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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