Birgi, located at the foothills of Mount Bozdağ in the Ödemiş district of İzmir, is a town praised for its natural beauty and architecture by prominent researchers and travelers such as Evliya Çelebi, Texier, Fontrier, and Foss. Known by various names throughout history, Birgi’s historical names include “Dioshieron,” meaning the sacred place (temple) of Zeus, “Khristopolis,” meaning the city of Jesus, “Pyrgion,” derived from the ancient Greek word for tower/bastion/wall, and “Birgi,” which was adopted by the Turks in the 14th century. First recognized as a city during the Roman period in the 1st century AD, Birgi became the first capital of the Aydınoğlu Beylik in 1308, whose main source of income was the Venetian-Genoese maritime trade. There is still an inner fortress located on Asartepe where remnants of fortification walls can be seen. With traces of settlement from various periods including Lydia, Persia, Rome, Byzantium, the Aydınoğlu Beylik, the Ottoman Empire, and the Republic of Turkey, Birgi embodies the characteristics of a medieval town. However, apart from the reuse of materials in existing structures, there are few traces before the Aydınoğlu Beylik period. Until the 17th century, Birgi was renowned as an Ottoman city with its madrasas (theological schools) and foundations. Notable structures that still stand today include the Birgi Grand Mosque, Çakırağa Mansion, and Gündük Mimare Mosque, which have left their mark on world literature. Additionally, there are two monuments erected for Dr. Hızır Ali Bey, who wrote eight major works and symbolizes the martyrs of the War of Independence and the native town of Birgi. The streets of Birgi are adorned with social structures, bakeries, and fountains.
Birgi boasts nearly 200 registered cultural assets, with nearly 1500 valuable immovable cultural heritage sites. Immediately after the conquest of Birgi by the Aydınoğlu Beylik, the Grand Mosque was built west of Asartepe and became the central structure of the city. Other monumental structures from the same period include the Hatuniye Tomb to the south, the Aydınoğlu Mehmed Bey Tomb to the west, and the Guduk Minaret Mosque to the southwest. The Birgivi Madrasa and Bazaar Bath, built in the 15th and 16th centuries, are also located in the same square as the Grand Mosque. The Şeyh Muhiddin Bath is contemporary with these structures. Other monumental buildings indicate the southward expansion of the city during the Ottoman period. There are few monumental structures in the residential area north and east of the Grand Mosque. The Sasalı Bath and the Kale Madrasa, defining the northern boundary of the city, are among the rare structures in this area. The Derviş Ağa Mosque, Derviş Ağa Darülhadis, Karaoğlu Mosque, and Arif Mehmed Efendi Library, located to the south of the city, are 17th and 18th century structures. Evliya Çelebi mentions four wooden bridges and a single-arch stone bridge (Derviş Ağa Bridge) over the Sarıyar (Birgi) Creek. In the early 20th century, a major fire and the flood of 1939 occurred, resulting in the collapse of the Derviş Ağa Bridge during the flood. After the disasters, a new urban plan was prepared, leading to the development of a new bazaar and a new urban fabric belonging to the Republic Period in the southern part of the city.
