to build a city on that spot while he slept on the slopes of the nearby Mount Pagos. With a history dating back 8,500 years, Iz- mir is certainly among Türkiye’s oldest set- tlements, while it has welcomed various civilisations throughout that time. You will enjoy the edifices that hold traces of this multicultural climate, and with this in mind you certainly mustn’t miss out on a vis- it to Kemeraltı Bazaar. That’s because this market has always been, and remains, the place where everything happens in Izmir. In the narrow arcades of this proper hive of activity that’s awash with sounds, colours and aromas, you will find products made by the skilled hands of Izmir craftsmen. But perhaps it is best to take home one of the ‘nazar’ eye-shaped amulets that are in- tended to protect against the “evil eye” and are made in this area. This talisman in the form of an “evil eye” will protect you against other such eyes, but it is also said to drive away fears and misfortune. There might not be beaches in Izmir it- self (we’ll head there soon), but it does have the Kordon Promenade. There you can stroll, jog or cycle along the shores of the gulf, and stop by at the museum dedi- cated to Kemal Atatürk, founding father of the modern Republic of Türkiye. Once you reach the end of the promenade, you’ll en- counter a pier that extends over the waters (Konak Pier), which is said to have been de- signed in 1890 by Gustave Eiffel – yes, that same civil engineer whose name adorns the famous tower in Paris. Despite hav- ing started its life as a customs clearance building, this pier is today home to an up- market shopping centre that has a fantas- tic restaurant overlooking the sea. Konak Square is the busiest part of the city. The houses in the surrounding area were built in the Turkish neoclassical style, while the square itself is adorned with a clock tower that represents one of the main sym- bols of the city. Reaching a height of 25 metres, the French architect who designed it drew architectural inspiration from North Africa and Andalusia, while it is today a per- fect spot for taking photos that will end up on Instagram. It is impossible to list all of Izmir’s many at- tractions in such a short article, because it’s already time for us to move on, to head to a place where we will sunbathe on an end- less sand beach and bathe in the warm, blue waters of the Aegean. At the spot where Asia ends...
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1 Trg Konak krasi Sahat kula, simbol grada, visoka 25 metara / Konak Square is adorned with a clock tower that represents one of the main symbols of the city, reaching a height of 25 metres 2 Nemojte propusiti bazar Kemeralti gde ćete u uskim ulicama pronaci proizvode veštih ruku zanatlija Izmira / You mustn’t miss out on a visit to Kemeraltı Bazaar and find products made by the skilled hands of Izmir craftsmen 3 Sam Izmir možda nema plažu, ali zato ima Kordon promenadu / There might not be beaches in Izmir itself, but it does have the Kordon Promenade
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Turkey » Turska | 91
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