Ancient İzmir (Smyrna) was built on a small peninsula with a size of approximately hundred decare, which was located on the northeast of the İzmir gulf. In the last few centruies, with the soil coming with floods from the Meles River through Sipvlos (Yamanlar) Mountain, today’s Bornova plain was formed and the small peninsula turned into a hill.

Now known as “Tepekule”, over this mound visitors can see a wineyard. The region, which was populated with slums after 1955, is hosting İzmir Mound, the first known settlement in İzmir. Türkiye History Institution and General Directorate of Museums have great contribution to the first excavations.

The first settlements on the Western Anatolia seashores, having mainly Aiol, Ion and Dorian roots after the war of Troy, were built on small peninsulas. These are settlements such as Çandarlı, Foça, İzmir, Klazomenai, Miletos and Iasos. So, the founders and settlers had mostly Hellenistic roots. Therefore the settlers had not only two different ports, they were also safe against the attacks coming from both land and sea. Under unfavorable weather conditions, when one port was not available, sailors had the chance to use the other port. Bayraklı Mound was on the norteastern corner of the İzmir gulf and also with the help of the Yamanlar Mountain’s steep structure on its north, it was located on a convenient place against the attacks from land. Mound’s southern part was open to sea breeze. Ancient İzmir settlement remained on this peninsula almost 3000 years long. In the second half of the 4th century BC, settlement was moved to today’s Kadifekale foothill as a result of the huge increase in population.

Origins of the Word “İzmir”

In the Ionian dialect, the word “İzmir” was written as Smurne, and in the Attika (Athens) dialect was written as Smyrna. Helenians pronounced the name of the city as Smirni; however, in light of the new findings, it was found that there was a village with the same name around Ephesus Ancient City. A group of Amazon Queens traveling from İzmir to Ephesus likely named this village after they settled down, and this hypothesis is supported by Ancient Greek sources as well. Nevertheless, it is believed that the origin of the word Smyrna is rooted in an Anatolian name like Tismurna or Smurnu, which dates back to the Bronze Ages. The city was known as Smurnu approximately between BCE 3000 and BCE 1800.

IZMIR THROUGHOUT HISTORY

Bronze Age (3000 BC – 1050 BC)

Although the first settlements in İzmir date back far earlier than 3000 BC, the recent excavations show only 3000 BC yet. According to the information gained by these excavations, the first settlers of İzmir were building their homes on the top level of the mound onto the rocks 3 to 5 meters above sea level. This first settlement belongs to Bronze Age. The potteries of those times have similarities with Troian times and culture (3000-2500 BC). Over the first settlement layer, there was the Middle Bronze Age. The stoneware artefacts found here are almost identical with the artefacts produced in the city of Troy II (2500 BC – 2000 BC).

The third settlement layer is contemporary with Troy VI and Hitite period (1800 BC – 1050 BC). A large and solid vase found in this layer is the same type with the potteries found at Beyce Sultan excavations, a region located on the south of the cities Afyon and Uşak. Likewise a lot of potteries have similar forms with the ones in Middle Anatolia and in Troy VI. Other than these, the “Minyas” type of vases found in Troy VI are also found in Bayraklı and 4-5 Myken ceramics were found as well. Since the excavation drills are small, there is no extensive information about the structure of houses. The language of the native population living in İzmir during Bronze Age is also still unknown. The finding of “Minyas” type stoneware can be taken as a clue that also here there was an Achaian (Achaioi: Myken) trade colony in the years around 2000 BC just as in a lot of Anatolian cities.  

Iron Age

During Hittites Period (1800 BC – 1200 BC) writing was used in Anatolia, hence historical ages were reached. But around 1200 BC after Troy VII and Hittite capital Hattusa were destroyed by tribes coming from the Balkans, Central and Western Anatolia once again entered into a dark age, to the Iron Age. Iron Age had continued in Anatolia till the reusage of writing, which occured in Phrygia in 730 BC and in 650 BC in Western Anatolia.

As far as we understand from the excess number of stoneware artefacts found in excavations, during the Iron Age, Aeolian and Ionian Civilizations were living in ancient İzmir, who migrated from Greece. There is no evidence of native people living in the peninsula. About the settlement in Bayraklı Mound, which started to be established in 1050, it is understood that it was of Hellas origin.

For this primitive period lasting for 400 years, five settlement layers are discovered, these are:

1. Aeolian settlement (1050 BC – 1000 BC)
2. Early, Middle and Late Protogeometric Settlement (1000 BC – 875 BC)
3. Early and Middle Geometric settlement (875 BC – 750 BC)
4. Late Geometric settlement (750 BC – 675 BC)
5. Subgeometric setllement (675 BC – 650 BC)

These 5 layers start at 6,40 meters above sea level and end at 9,50 meters, therefore they are building up a 3 meters thick layer. The Aeolian stonewares found in excavations have Submyken origins. And for the potteries with the style of protogeometric and geometric style, it can be said that they are mainly a continuation of Attika vase production.

During the Iron Age, houses in İzmir were made of one room buildings in different sizes. The oldest house unearthed was dated to 925 BC – 900 BC. In this one room house (2,45 x 4 m.), which was found well preserved, the walls were made of mudbrick, and the roof was made of reeds. Since the Early Geometric age (around 875 BC) these one room houses were surrounding three sides of a courtyard, which was formed like a horseshoe.

Ancient İzmir community started to protect their city with a thick wall made of mudbrick. It can be said that the Ancient İzmir became a city state after this time. It is presumed that the city was under the command of a ruler called “Basileus”. The migrating settlers and prominent people of the city were constituting the noble class. Population living in city walls was probably around one thousand. In the period, which is marked as Late Geometric and Subgeometric ceramics (750 BC – 650 BC), the population of the peninsula was more crowded, possibly exceeding 1500 people. Most of the population belonging to city state were living in the nearby villages. In these villages; agricultural fields, olive trees, wineyards, pottery and stoneware workshops were to be found. Means for living were agriculture and fishing. 

The most significant divine building of the city was the Athena Temple. The oldest ruin of this building preserved until today is dated to 725-700 BC. Also during the earlier 4 periods (1050-750 BC) people were worshipping presumably to Goddess Athena as well, but in those periods the statue of the goddess was remaining probably in a little niche (naiskos). Homer’s well-known epic story Iliad was written with a language mixed with Aeolian and Ionian dialects. Therefore as one of the most important literary works of human kind, this epic story was most probably written in İzmir, which was a border line between these two dialects. In fact, people of İzmir who lived in Hellenistic times had established a building with the name of “Homeraion”.

Golden Era (650 BC – 545 BC)

The golden era of Ancient İzmir was lived in the years of 650 BC – 545 BC. Lasting almost hundred years, this period was the strongest time of the whole Ionian civilization. In these times, colonies were established in Egypt, Syria, on the west coast of Lebanon, in Propontis (Marmara Region), in Pontus (Black Sea Region) by the leadership of the Ionian city “Miletos”; and Eastern Hellenic world started to compete with continental Greece and to take over its power on many fields. During this period we see that İzmir didn’t confine itself to farming only, also became a part of Mediterranean trade.  Artifacts with Phoenician origin, statues and figurines with Cyprus origins, tile figurines with Asia Minor or Mediterranean origins found in the layers of this period, are artifacts remaining from that international trade.

One of the important signs of Golden Era in İzmir is the fact that writing becomes more prevalent after 650 BC. Many gifts offered to goddess Athena include presentation notes. Maybe not many, but some of the city folk were literate. Temple of Athena (640 BC – 580 BC), which was unearthed within the excavations, is the oldest architectural work of Eastern Hellenic world. Until now the oldest and most beautiful column capitals are the ones which were found in İzmir. The capitals found in ancient cities of Samos, Miletos, Ephesos, Erythrai and Phokaia are dated to later than second half of 6th century BC (575 BC – 550 BC). Aeolians and Ionian type of capitals and Ionian and Lesbos type cymatiums (architectural adorments with sheet or egg shape) owe their existance to these capitals, which were found in İzmir and mainly inspired by Anatolian Hittite art.

Oldest example of multiple room type house of Hellenic world is found in İzmir. Indeed, the two storeyed, five rooms double megaron with front yard, which was built in the second half of 7th century BC, is the oldest known multiple room house with one roof. The earlier Greek houses were made up of adjacent megarons. The avenues and streets of Ancient İzmir had already in the second half of 7th century grid plan, these avenues and streets were lining along from north to south and from east to west; houses were usually facing to southern side.

This city plan, which would be named as “Hippodamos type” in 5th century BC, was in fact long known in Near East. Bayraklı (Ancient İzmir) city plan is the oldest example of this type of city architecture in Western World. The oldest parquet floored way of Ionian civilization is unearthed in İzmir.

The oldest example of civil architecture of Hellenic world is the beautiful stone fountain made in Ancient İzmir in the first half of 7th century BC. The Tantalus tomb, once raised up on Yamanlar Mountain, is representing a beautiful example of tholos shaped monumental tombs. The tomb room of Tantalus tumulus was present in the plan of the above mentioned fountain and like the fountain, it had the Isopata structure type, that means its plan was tetragonal and was covered with an imbricated vault.  This monumental work, known as the “Tantalus tomb”, must be the tomb of the basileus or the tyrant, who ruled in Ancient İzmir between 580-520 BC.

In Ancient İzmir, pottery workshops were producing beautiful samples of ceramics form which was known as “Orientalisan” or “Frieze style”; stone masons were also making sculptures with monumental sizes and figurines in addition to the architectural works; and some of these artistical creations were exported to international market.

As it is well known, in the first half of 6th century BC cultural center of ancient world was Western Anatolia. Especially in Miletos, for the first time in history, scientific researchs had begun to be free from superstitious beliefs and influence of all religions. “Philosophers of nature” such as Thales, Anaximenes and Anaximandros had established the foundations of today’s Western civilization by way of independent thought and by making use of rich knowledge and experiences of Eastern world. For the first time in the World, Thales had calculated a natural phenomena, the solar eclipse of 28 May 585 BC, before it happened. Therefore, the leadership of cultural and scientific advancements, which was under the domination of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations for 2500 years since the beginning of historical era, had passed to Western Anatolia. Western Anatolia maintained its leadership position until the year of 545, as the Persians’ invaded Anatolia. But after Persian invasion, philosophers, scientists and artists migrated to Athens and leadership of scholarship passed to Athens.

Like Miletos, Ephesos and Samos, Izmir was presumably one of the leading cities in the field of thought and science at the beginning of the 6th century. However, although Ancient İzmir was one of the most advanced cultural centers of the period between 640-545 BC, later it lost its acceleration in scientific life. There is not enough information about the advancement level of Ancient İzmir in terms of literature, poetry, history, philosophy and science. But it is known that it was an important center for architecture.

THE CAPTURE OF ANCIENT IZMIR BY LYDIAN KING ALYATTES AND BY PERSIANS

Herodotos mentions that the old city of Lydia was taken by Alyattes. Findings from the excavations indicate that the date of this incidence was around 500 BC. Although the city and Temple of Athena were damaged, people of İzmir rebuilt the temple around 590 BC. The city, which was later captured by the Persians in the mid-6th century, completed its golden period with this event. The fact that there is no gift presented to the temple of Athena after this date is also an important indicator of this damage.

Period of Regression (500 BC – 300 BC)

İzmir During Hellenic and Roman Period (333 BC – 395 AD)

Although the Temple of Athena was abandoned in 545, the settlement continued, but after that, the Ancient İzmir lost its importance and function for a period of 200 years. Bayraklı Mound, where a small but rich settlement was seen during the 5th century BC, was the location of a busy settlement at the end of the that century and especially during the 4th century BC. Three houses belonging to this period are unearthed; all of them had big courtyards in their center, and the smallest one had 5 rooms the others had 8 and 15 rooms. It is reasonable to think that these houses were belonging to the lords of the city and these lords, presumably with the influence of Persian mindset like in the nearby settlement Larissa, were probably also tyrants. In fact, a few partly preserved tumuli from 4th century BC with uniform crepus, which are assumed to be the tombs of important people, support this idea.

Other than these three big houses with courtyards in their center, smaller houses with tetragonal structure derivated from megarons are also found.  It can be said that all the upper level of Bayraklı Mound was fully covered with houses during 4th century BC. It is understood, that the Persian invasion in Anatolia had lost its power in 4th century BC and therefore led to a growth of Ionian cities. Together with the population boom, Bayraklı Mound became insufficient for people of İzmir with its 100 decare area; so a new city of İzmir was built at the mountain foot of Pagos around 300 BC.

After the victory of Alexander the Great against Dareios (333 BC) and his conquer of all the east, Hellenic world entered an era of great wealth. Populations raised rapidly in cities. Alexandria, Rodos, Pergamon and Ephesus, each of these cities had populations over 100.000 in Hellenistic Period. Only a few thousand people were able to live within the city walls of Ancient İzmir which was built on a small hill. Therefore a new and big city was established on the hill foot of Kadifekale around 300 BC.

The historian Strabo was saying that İzmir was the most beautiful Ionian city in his time, that is to say in the early 1st century BC. In those times a little part of the city was on Pagos Mountain. The larger part was around the port on the plains. The temple of mother goddess and gymnasium were also on this line. The streets were plain and all of them were covered neatly with big stones. Ariteides tells that the city had two main roads (Holy Road and Golden Road) stretching on east-west direction and by means of this structure, allowing the breeze from the sea to reach inner parts, the city was cooled. Strabo mentions that there was a stoa in İzmir called as “Homereion” (maybe it was a peristyle house). In this house there was a statue of Homer.   

Among the buildings made in Izmir during the Roman period, there is little trace remaining of both the theater on the northwest foot of the Pagos mountain and of the stadium in the west. On the other hand, the State Agora is well preserved. The agora had a large courtyard measuring 120x80 meters in length. There were two stoas, one the east and one the west. Both buildings were 17,5 m high and had two floors. There was also a basilica with 28 m lenght. İzmir, after being conquered by the Roman Empire in 1st century BC, started to live its second golden era.

Smyrna (ancient name of İzmir), where one of the “Seven Churches” mentioned in the Bible is located, played an important role in the development of Christianity. St.Polycarp, the first archbishop of Izmir, was one of the first disciples of the apostle and Bible writer St. John. He was born in Anatolia around 70 AD. On 23 February 155, due to his religious belief, St. Polycarp was condemned to death by the Romans at the stadium on the Acropolis of Izmir. When the Roman Empire was divided into two in 395 AD, İzmir became a part of the Eastern Roman Empire known as Byzantine Empire. During the Byzantine period, the Arabs, the Seljuks, the Crusaders and the Genoese fought each other to conquer the city. Firstly, the Arabs captured the city from the sea in 672 and used it as a base in their raid on Istanbul. The Turks captured İzmir for the first time at the end of the 11th century under the command of Kutalmışoğlu Suleyman Shah. Then the Genoese held the city, until Aydin Emir Umur Bey took control. In 1344, the Genoese captured St. Peter Castle again. Umur Bey was keeping the upper city under his control while the lower city was under Genoese rule. In the middle of the 14th century the castle and the lower city were captured by the Knights of Rhodes. At the beginning of the 15th century, the Mongols invaded the city and destroyed the castle of St. Peter. In 1422, Ottoman Sultan II. Murat captured the city and İzmir became a part of the Ottoman Empire. After Ottoman Empire gave some rights and privileges to foreigners, İzmir became one of the most important trade centers of the Empire. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the city was a favorite destination of French, British, Dutch and Italian merchants. İzmir, a multinational trade city in the Ottoman Empire, was occupied by the Greek army on May 15, 1919 after the First World War. The invasion ended on 9 September 1922. However, in the morning of September 13, Izmir could not avoid one of the worst disasters of its history. A big fire, starting in the Basmane district, destroyed more than 20,000 homes and businesses in an area of 2,600,000 square meters. This fire destroyed unfortunately three quarters of the city. However, together with the newly established Turkish Republic, İzmir is reborn from its own ashes like a phoenix.