Izmir, Turkey

History can be the most boring subject but not until you hear the history of Izmir, Turkey. The city of Izmir, formerly Smyrna, is considered to be one of the earliest settlements in the Mediterranean. Its history brings us back to 3000 B.C., which is the exact estimation of archaeologist upon the discovery of the Temple of Artemis. In fact, teams of researchers from a number of universities still continue to investigate the origin and history of the city.

The remnants found in Izmir tell a lot about the ancient city. And by what the researchers have discovered, during the 1500 B.C. the city fell under the Hittite Empire. And during the time of the Ionian civilization, Izmir became one of the major cities. Everything in the city prospered but not long after the Ionian Federation came the Lydians came. And during that time, the city became nothing more than just a small village which continued throughout the regime and the Persian conquest. Then, on the commencement of Alexander the Great, Izmir was rebuilt on Mt. Pagos and that was the beginning of another great era for the city.


Izmir became one of the cores of Christianity and developed as one of the Seven Churches of Revelations. This denoted that the Jews existed during the earliest centuries. There was even a letter sent to Izmir indicating that the early Christians and Jews were in dispute. But with all the proof, the origin of Christianity on the city remains unknown. The Byzantines then came and ruled the city until the 11th century of the Seljuk conquest. The city has been ruled by many rulers but in the end the people earned their most-desired freedom and eventually became one of the major port cities in the world for three centuries. The economy of the country swelled and transformed the city as portal of commerce, situated right at the gulf of the city

At present, Izmir is one of capital cities of Turkey and is the third most crowded city in the country. And the portal of commerce that began centuries ago is still used. In fact, the city's port is second to Istanbul's.

Article Source: EzineArticles