izmir history

izmir history

There has been a settlement in Izmir, formally Smyrna, since 3000 BC. The Trojans were the 1st inhabitants and according to excavations, the city was founded in an area known today as Tepekule in the Bayrakli district, which lies to the east of the Gulf of Izmir. Izmir is also credited with being the birthplace of the legendary poet Homer, who is believed to have lived there in the 8th century BC...

The city went through a few invasions, destructions and reconstructions until Alexandra the Great began the construction of a castle on the top of Mt. Pagos (Kadifekale) somewhere around 330 BC.

After Alexandra, around 290 BC, the Pergamons took over the city, which by then had expanded outside the castle walls and centered itself in the harbor region, before they handed over to the Romans around the 1st century BC.

Despite burning the odd Bishop (Bishop Polycarpe 166 AD) suffering a major earthquake (178 AD) and putting off a siege by Attila the Hun (440 AD) The Romans managed to hold onto the city which was reputed to be "The most beautiful city in Asia" and also became the Capital city for the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) until the Selcuks arrived in 1076 AD.

By this time Izmir had become quite cosmopolitan and was a commercially important port, as a result, everybody it seemed wanted a slice of the action and Izmir went through a turbulent period. In1098 the Byzantines came back, 1320 the Selcuks returned, in 1334 the Crusaders took their turn, 1402 brought the Turks (who are credited with naming the city Izmir) then in 1426 came the Ottomans who carried on all the way until after the 2nd world war 1919 when the Greeks tried their hand. This did not last for long though because on September the 9th 1922 during the Turkish National war of Independence Mustafa Kemal Ataturk took the city back and Izmir became one of the cornerstones of the current Turkish Republic.