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A great place to start a day in Izmir is at Konak Square (Konak Meydanı), the busiest square in the city. It’s surrounded by government buildings and is full of street vendors, children feeding (and chasing) pigeons, and lots and lots of pigeons.

Konak Meydanı in Izmir, Turkey
Konak Square
Konak Meydanı in Izmir, Turkey
Konak Square
Balloons + birdseed = kids and pigeons in Izmir, Turkey
Balloons + birdseed = kids and pigeons
Man contributing to the pigeon population in Izmir, Turkey
Man contributing to the pigeon population

 

Izmir Clock Tower

In the center of the square is the very ornate Izmir Clock Tower (İzmir Saat Kulesi). It was built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdülhamid II’s accession to the throne. The clock was a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II. It was designed by Levantine French architect Raymond Charles Père. It looks really amazing at night, too. Click here for a virtual tour.

İzmir Saat Kulesi in Izmir, Turkey
Izmir Clock Tower
İzmir Saat Kulesi in Izmir, Turkey
Birdbath on the Izmir Clock Tower
İzmir Saat Kulesi in Izmir, Turkey
Izmir Clock Tower

 

Konak Mosque

Behind the clock tower (or in front, to the left, or right, depending on where you’re standing), there’s an interesting little mosque called the Konak Mosque (Konak Camii). It was built in 1755 and is also known as the Yalı Mosque (Yalı Camii). Click here for a virtual tour.

Konak Camii in Izmir, Turkey
Konak Mosque
Konak Camii in Izmir, Turkey
Entrance to the Konak Mosque
Konak Camii in Izmir, Turkey
Konak Mosque

 

Government Buildings

The government buildings on the square are the Izmir City Hall and the Government Building (Hükümet Konağı), which was built in 1872 and houses the offices for the Izmir Province. The square is named after this building.

Hükümet Konağı in Izmir, Turkey
Government Building

 

Park

A large park with a small section containing a cactus garden covers the southern part of the square. A pedestrian street along the park has more buildings and a shopping mall along it.

Konak Meydanı in Izmir, Turkey
Konak Square
Cactus garden in Izmir, Turkey
Cactus garden
Cactus garden in Izmir, Turkey
Cactus garden

 

Library and Opera House

A block inland is the Izmir National Library (İzmir Milli Kütüphane), built in 1933. Attached to it on the left is the Izmir Opera and Ballet (İzmir Opera ve Balesi), originally built in 1926 as the Elhamra Cinema (Elhamra Sineması), a movie theatre. The world’s first “talkie”, The Jazz Singer, was shown there for the first time in Turkey.

İzmir Milli Kütüphane (right) and İzmir Opera ve Balesi (left) in Izmir, Turkey
Izmir Opera and Ballet (left) and Izmir National Library (right)

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

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