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Tepekule is the original settlement of the ancient city of Smyrna (Σμύρνη or Σμύρνα in Greek). It’s located at Tepekule in the Bayraklı district of Izmir, Turkey.
Two Smyrnas
There were actually two ancient Smyrnas – old Smyrna and new Smyrna. Old Smyrna was settled in the 11th century BC and is located at Tepekule. Alexander the Great came through in the 4th century BC and conquered old Smyrna. Later, he was hunting up at the top of a nearby hill named Pagos (Πάγος) by the ancient Greeks and decided to take a nap under a plane tree. As he slept, he had a dream in which he founded a great city built on the hill.
Alexander’s dream was eventually carried out but only after his death. The settlement of old Smyrna was abandoned and the people relocated to the new site of the city where the Smyrna Agora is now located. It later became one of the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. The name of the city was changed to Izmir in 1930 by the Turkish government.
Tepekule
The ruins of old Smyrna are located at Tepekule in the Bayraklı district. The site is reached by taking the metro and changing to the İZBAN train at Halkapınar. From there, go to Bayraklı. Walk away from the sea through the modern pedestrian street in Bayraklı until you reach the end. Then turn right and you will see the entrance to the archaeological site. It doesn’t look very inviting with a “Beware of Dog” sign posted clearly on the gate, but if the gate is open just walk in. There was nobody there to stop me and no admission. I had the entire site to myself, minus, of course, the dogs I was supposed to beware.
What to See
What’s there? Not much. A lot of foundations can be seen but the site was well-marked. You have to use your imagination for most of it.
The highlight of the site was a crappy reconstruction with a few columns of the Temple of Athena. I was also able to find the foundation of the Megaron and an altar.
The rest of the site contained mud brick fortification walls, a fountain, the tholos, a well, a latrine, a necropolis, and a wharf.
At the entrance, there’s a bust of Dr. Ekrem Akurgal, the archaeologist who excavated the site.
Conclusion
Unless you are really interested in stuff like this (like me!), it’s too far out of the way and not very impressive. Skip it.
