Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Izmir is a cosmopolitan city with
large hotels, shops, leisure
amenities, mosques and muse-
ums. Its Archaeology Museum
(see p. 139) near Konak Square
is arguably its best museum,
with displays of antiquities that
date back centuries, but there are
also good museums dedicated to
ethnography, fine arts and natu-
ral history. Its Atatürk Museum ,
housed in a lovely old property
in Atatürk Caddesi, displays old
photographs if your family is
into recent Turkish history. Izmir
is the third largest city in Turkey,
after Ankara and Istanbul, and as
such it has a thriving commer-
cial centre. It is not really a
tourist city however, and your
family's visit will probably
revolve around experiencing
daily life. It has some of the
most authentic bazaars in this
area of Turkey, where everything
from traditional crafts to gems
can be found.
for swimming, and are especially
popular with diving enthusiasts.
The city takes its name, meaning
'bird island', from a pretty, com-
pact island that lies just off its
seafront. Known as Pigeon
Island, or sometimes Pirate
Castle Island as it was at one
time a base used by pirates, it is
reached from the mainland by a
causeway and has its own
Byzantine castle (see p. 137).
At night the restored castle, built
during Ottoman times as a
means of defence, is lit and pro-
vides a beautiful view from the
mainland. Your children will
love the opportunity to walk
over the causeway and explore
the castle, which looks rather
like a toy fort found in the play-
rooms of every young boy, albeit
a bit bigger. This is the spot for
some of the best sunsets ever to
be seen in the Aegean, plus some
of the liveliest nightlife. Nearby,
is the outstanding Dilek
Peninsula National Park (see
p. 133) and Ephesus (see
p. 136) where the remarkably
well-preserved remains of one of
the most famous ancient cities
ever can be visited. It is the site
of the Temple of Artemis , one
of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World.
Ku@adası
Ku @ adası revolves around its
large port and marina, and is
generally full to the brim with
tourists in the summer months.
Whether they are there to enjoy
the view of big ships and cruise
ships passing by, or are keener to
relax on the beach, dine at a
quayside restaurant or enjoy a
cultural event is open to ques-
tion. Ku @ adası is a cosmopolitan
city. There are beaches galore,
attractions, restaurants and a
particularly wide choice of hotels
for your stay. Its waters are safe
Marmaris
Marmaris hugs the coast a little
north of Dalaman, on the south-
western tip of the Aegean region.
Centuries ago it was an impor-
tant Dorian city and a fishing
village in more recent times, but
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