Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey (after Istanbul and Ankara) and the second biggest port. It is a modern metropolitan with a developed and busy city center surrounded by a large bay. With its mounds and settlements, a part of the city is an open-air museum that gives a historical touch to its modern side. Located on the coast of the Aegean sea, Izmir is known for its beaches and watersports.
Izmir is one of the cities which has almost 4000 years of history. It is one of the oldest cities, continuously inhabited since 8500 years. Previously called Smyrna, the main centre of Izmir is Konark Square. It is lined with modern buildings and shopping centres intermingling with traditional red-tiled roofs, old mosques and churches. Considering how old the city is, Izmir does not have a lot of historical sites due to the great fire of the 1920s.
Izmir is a gateway into a world of modernity and traditions. It has more of a European style of living and tends to give a very little impression of being one of the prime cities of Turkey. Izmir is decorated like a painting during the spring, with blooming hyacinth flowers and lush trees. It is also known as the city where the sun never sets because it receives ample sunshine throughout the year.
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