EGETÜRKİYE

İzmir

From bay to peninsula. Read through place dossiers, regional narratives and source records.

İzmir is read within the <a href="/en/bolge/izmir-yarimada">İzmir &amp; the Peninsula</a> narrative through links between places, periods and stories.

From basin to stop

İzmir’s coastal cities do not share one harbour story. At Klazomenai, an olive-oil workshop passed through distinct phases; Teos had two harbours and an association of Ionian actors; Erythrai produced and exported millstones in one period. At Ephesus, sediment changed the shoreline and the position of its harbours. Workshops, civic institutions, production and a shifting coast give this region several histories, not one continuous network.

A workshop with interruptions

The olive-oil workshop at Klazomenai has a stop-start history. It was founded in the first half of the sixth century BCE, abandoned around mid-century, reorganised in the final quarter, and fell out of use around 500 BCE. The workshop’s changing use gives the city a production history distinct from its coastal setting.

A coast that moved

At Ephesus, the old harbour lay by the mouth of the Kaystros. Silt accumulation changed the shoreline, and settlements and harbours shifted position over time. The Roman-period sea channel and harbour basin mark a separate phase. The ancient harbour’s coastline cannot simply be read as today’s shore.

Millstones at Erythrai

Erythrai belonged to the Panionion and, during one period, made and exported millstones. This is a specific episode of production, distinct from the olive-oil workshop at Klazomenai. The two cities preserve different traces of work along the same coast.

Teos’s harbours and actors

Teos was an Ionian city with two harbours. The Ionian Actors’ Association was founded there toward the end of the third century BCE. The Temple of Dionysus, dated to the early second century BCE, is associated with Hermogenes of Priene. Harbour, civic association and temple reveal distinct aspects of public life in Teos.

360-degree province worlds

District guides

Place inventory

Connected stories

Table and production narratives

Culture and memory narratives

Research stories and events

Source network

Frequently asked questions

What does the İzmir guide bring together?

The İzmir guide includes 9 place dossiers and 6 connected stories. The stops can be read within the same geographic context.

How should I read the stops in İzmir?

Rather than seeing places in isolation, follow them through their region, period, route and source records.