Entertainment Venues
It is possible to consider Kordon as a Western-style public space. Entertainment venues have held a significant place within this sense of publicness. Businesspeople, primarily Europeans, who were active in İzmir’s commercial life at the time, as well as notable figures of the city, spent their evenings after working hours at entertainment venues such as […]
Theaters and Cinemas
As trade flourished, the number of European merchants residing in İzmir increased daily, and over time, the city began hosting a considerable population from Europe. According to records from the early 20th century, between 50.000 and 70.000 foreigners lived in the city. As a natural consequence of the high European population, İzmir met Western culture […]
Hotels
With the Industrial Revolution, the raw material demand of newly emerging factories changed the nature of trade, while advancements in transportation technologies—especially railways and steamships—accelerated commerce and facilitated travel between cities and countries. As a reflection of these developments, traditional lodging methods evolved, and hotels replaced hans. During the period when trade was conducted with […]
20th Century Structures
Konak Square underwent significant transformations, particularly in the second half of the 20th century, further solidifying its role as the city’s center. Among these changes, the construction of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality service building, the Central Bank İzmir branch building, and the SSK (Social Security Authority) Business Blocks were particularly significant. The projects for all […]
İzmir Clock Tower
When you think of İzmir, the Clock Tower is always among the first things that come to mind. Shaped as the city’s modern administrative center in the 19th century, Konak Square was virtually completed with the construction of the Clock Tower. Modernization is closely related to time management. The developments brought by industrialization necessitated a […]
Yalı (Ayşe Hanım) Mosque
Located in Konak Square, in front of the Government Mansion, Yalı Mosque was commissioned by Ayşe Hanım, the daughter of Dervişzâde Mehmed Paşa. The mosque, which was opened for worship in 1755, is famous for its Kütahya tiles. For a long time, it was referred to by the name of its patron, but from the […]
İzmir Government Mansion
Starting from the second half of the 18th century, the mansion belonging to the Kâtipzade family, which took control of the administration of İzmir, was located where the present-day İzmir Government Mansion stands. The wooden mansion, used both as a residence and an administrative center, was a three-story structure with bay windows. During the reign […]
Sarıkışla (Kışla-i Hümayun) Building
After the abolition of the Janissary Corps, a new army was established under the name Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye (The Victorious Soldiers of Muhammad). Barracks (kışla) were constructed in İstanbul and other major cities of the empire, to accommodate this modernized military force. In line with this initiative, the Kışla-i Hümayun building—more commonly known as Sarıkışla—was […]
Haralambo Yossifoğlu Hanı
Waterfront Company
