Tourism Guide

The historical Kemeralti neighborhood in Konak district is the best known local shopping market in Izmir. Originally it was built around 17th century right behind the harbor and expanded in the following centuries as the port was silted in. Original shops were made of wood or bricks, some covered with domes. The name Kemeralti (under arches) comes from the fact that there were streets covered with arches with all the shops underneath. Besides small shops, there were many inns as well. Starting from 20th century it became a shopping area of mainly middle class people as it offered very reasonable prices.

Today, besides vaulted and domed shops of the past, here you can find modern business centers, stores, movie theaters, and cafeterias. All kinds of traditional Turkish handicrafts, ceramic ware, wooden objects, clothing, leather and kilims are sold in the markets, including food and fish for your daily shopping. Kemeralti consists one of the most frequented neighborhoods of the city today, especially by local people.

On Anafartalar Street in Kemeralti, there is an old marble fountain called Donertas Sebili, built in 1814 by Osmanzade Seyyid İsmail Rahmi Efendi. The name derives from a turning marble column in its corner. The fountain has a square plan and a brick-tiled dome roof. There are two windows and a small door which was giving access to its cistern.

At the entrance of Kemeralti from Konak, one can see Mayors' Building (Hukumet Konagi) which was built between 1868-1872. This building occupies an important role in the history of the city; when Turkish Army entered in Izmir during the War of Liberation, the Turkish Flag was raised on its balcony on September 9th, 1922, marking the liberation day of Izmir. The building was restored after suffering a big fire many years ago.

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