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From Konak Square (Konak Meydanı) there is direct access to Izmir’s historic bazaar district of Kemeraltı. A street with the funny name, Anafartlar Street (Anafartlar Caddesi), leads directly into the heart of the area.
Wandering off onto the side streets can be rewarding, with the possibility of finding some interesting shops, Ottoman mosques, and synagogues from the once-dominant Jewish population of the area.
Anafartlar Street
Inside the bazaar area, you can find locals doing their shopping for everything from socks to wedding gowns to phones to fish. It’s easy to get lost on the little side streets and paths that shoot off Anafartlar Street. The good thing is that if you aren’t there to shop, most of the main sites sit along Anafartlar Street.
An interesting fact about Kemeraltı is that it once sat on a harbor, which is why Anafartlar Street is curved. It follows the old natural boundaries of a harbor that was filled in by the Ottomans.
Kızlarağası Han
One of the best caravanserais in Turkey, Kızlarağası Han (KızlarağasıHanı), is the crown jewel of Kemeraltı. It was built in 1744 and once faced the old harbor. The building has been renovated and is full of shops selling all kinds of souvenirs and jewelry.
In the courtyard of Kızlarağası Han is a café. In fact, the streets behind and adjacent to it are also full off small coffee shops. This is where you can have a glass of tea or try fincanda pişen Türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee boiled in the cup), a local specialty.
Hisar Mosque
The Hisar Mosque (Hisar Camii) sits next to Kızlarağası Han and is the oldest mosque in Kemeraltı. It was built in 1592. The interior has red carpet and very nice chandeliers hanging from the dome. The minbar is made of beautifully carved marble. Click here for a virtual tour.
Other Mosques in Kemeraltı
There are some more interesting Ottoman mosques to be found peeking out from behind the shops in Kemeraltı. Four of them lie along Anafartlar Street. From Konak Square, the first one I encountered was the Kemeraltı Mosque (Kemeraltı Camii), built in 1774.
Around the curve in the road was the Başdurak Mosque (Başdurak Camii), built in 1652 (click here for a virtual tour).
Further up the road was the Kestanepazarı Mosque (Kestanepazarı Camii), dating back to 1668 (click here for a virtual tour).
The fourth mosque, at the end of Anafartlar Street, is Şadırvanaltı Mosque (Şadırvanaltı Camii). It literally means “mosque with the fountain under”, and literally, the ablutions fountain is under the mosque. It was built in 1636. You have to walk up a flight of steps to enter a very beautiful prayer hall. Click here for a virtual tour.
Another mosque, Salepçioğlu Mosque (Salepçioğlu Camii), is a little bit south of Başdurak Mosque. It was built in 1905. Click here for a virtual tour.
