IZMIR Old Izmir And The Temple Of Athena

The Old Izmir settlement , 10 kilometers away from the city center is located within the boundaries of Bayrakli township. The settlement which is also known as Tepekule was first inhabited in 3000 BC.

Later the city was invaded by the Aiolos in 1100 BC and by the Ions in 950 BC. The eighth century BC is rather important for the city of Smyrna. Homeros, the author of the epic poem Iliada and Odyssey lived and wrote his epic poems here. The city which went under the rule of the Lydians, Persians and of Alexander the Great proved to be a settlement in the Hellenistic period as well.

If we look at the remains of the old Izmir we see that the most important remnant is the Temple of Athena. The temple which is the oldest temple of the world known was built in 725-700 BC. The temple was expanded with the addition of a terrace in 600 BC and in 547 BC it was covered with a monumental door and taken under protection against Persian attacks.

Looking at the city in general it can be seen that there is a grid form settlement. Houses built in Megaron style stand in the forefront of the city which attracts attention with different types of houses dating back to different centuries.