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The Alsancak area of İzmir is the central commercial district with the trendiest bars and restaurants, tallest buildings, and major hotels. Other than the Kordon esplanade, which is covered in another entry, there are are a few interesting things to find in the neighborhood.
Alsancak was known as Pounta (Πούντα) in Greek and was traditionally the home of the upper middle class during Ottoman times.
Kıbrıs Şehitler Street
Kıbrıs Şehitler Streer (Kıbrıs Şehitler Caddesi) is the main street through Alsancak. It’s a pedestrian street with lots of restaurants and shops. There are numerous little side streets and alleys that intersect with Kıbrıs Şehitler Street. Many of these streets are packed with outdoor cafes and bars and are full of life at night. It’s a great place to sit and unwind.
Architecture
A few Ottoman homes, some restored and some crumbling, make up the buildings on the side streets. It’s nice to pay attention to the details on some of them.
Santissimo Rosario Catholic Church
Also on one of the little streets is the Santissimo Rosario Catholic Church, an Italian church.
St. Polycarpe Catholic Church
I found a few other churches in the southern part of Alsancak near the major hotels. One of them is the oldest church in the city, St. Polycarpe Catholic Church, built in 1620.
Santa Maria Catholic Church
Nearby is the Santa Maria Catholic Church. I was able to pop inside to see the beautiful church. I met the Italian priest and the German caretaker and chatted with them for a few minutes. Services are offered in Italian.
Greek Churches
There’s one small Greek Orthodox church that stands in the area, Agia Fotini. It was a gift from the Dutch community after all of the Greek churches in the city burned or were destroyed after 1922, except one – Agios Voukolos in the Basmane area. Agios Voukolos was restored in 2012 and opened first as a cultural center and in 2016 once again as a church. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to visit either church.
