Berlitz: Istanbul & The Aegean Coast Pocket Guide by APA

Author:APA
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, Istanbul
Publisher: APA
Published: 2014-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

King Aegeus

The Aegean is named after King Aegeus, whose adopted son, Theseus, went off to kill the Minotaur, helped by Ariadne, who loved him. He deserted her, and so taken up was he with his adventures, he forgot a promise to change the black mourning sail from his ship for a white one. As his ship sailed home, Aegeus, seeing the black sail, thought Theseus was dead and threw himself to his death in the water.

When the Ottoman Turks took control in the 15th century, İzmir grew wealthy as a merchant city, handling Smyrna figs and Turkish tobacco from the farms of the interior, and allowing the establishment of European trading colonies. It prospered as a port until the close of the Greco–Turkish War in 1922, when it was almost completely destroyed by bitter fighting and fire. Rebuilt around the site of Alexander's city, it is once again a bustling port and industrial city, the third largest in Turkey, but almost no trace remains of its former glory.

The heart of the city is Konak Meydanι, a square distinguished by two famous monuments. The Clock Tower (Saat Kulesi), dating from 1901, is the unofficial symbol of İzmir. Nearby stands the tiny Konak Camii (mosque), built in 1756 and decorated with colourful Kütahya tile panels. On the hill to the south of the square stands the Archaeological Museum (Tue–Sun 8.30am– noon, 1–5pm, Jun–Sept until 6pm; charge), whose superb collection of antiquities includes statues of Poseidon and Demeter that once stood in the Agora of ancient Smyrna. The nearby Ethnographic Museum (Etnografya Muzesi; Tue–Sun 8.30am–noon, 1–5pm, Jun–Sept until 5.30pm; charge) recreates such treats as the interiors of traditional local houses, an Ottoman pharmacy, a bridal chamber, a circumcision room, and exhibits on the manufacture of the ‘evil eye’ amulets and camel wrestling. Inland from the Konak Mosque is İzmir's bazaar, one of the best in Turkey.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.