The Port of Izmir is Turkey's third largest city and a major port. Lying at the head of the Gulf of Izmir on off the Aegean Sea on Turkey's west central shores, the Port of Izmir rests on the delta plain of the Kizilcullu River (known in ancient times as the Meles) about 40 kilometers southeast of the Turkish Port of Aliaga. The old citadel of the ancient Port of Izmir is located atop Mount Pagus south of the modern commercial center. In 2000, over 2.2 million people lived in the greater metropolitan area of the Port of Izmir.

Located on the site of ancient Smyrna, the classical Greek city-state, the Port of Izmir is the capital of Izmir Province, and it contains ten separate and unique metropolitan districts. The Port of Izmir was privatized in 2007, and it handles more exports than any other Turkish port. A Turkish-US joint venture established its free zone in 1990. The workforce in the Port of Izmir is a growing class of young professionals who work for an increasingly international community of companies. The Port of Izmir is regarded as one of Turkey's most progressive cities.

The Port of Izmir is one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean region, having been inhabited and important over the past five thousand years. The archaeological sites of Yesilova Hoyuk and Yassitepe on the plain of Bornova contain evidence of settlement by the indigenous peoples of Izmir as far back as 6500 to 4000 BC. Other archaeological evidence confirms a settlement dating from the 3rd millennium BC that was contemporary with the first Troy. Pottery found at excavations attests to the presence of a Greek settlement in about 1000 BC. Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the ancient city of Smyrna (now Izmir). By the 7th Century BC, Izmir was an advanced city with huge fortifications and many two-story homes.

By 1500 BC, the area was controlled by the Hittite Empire, and writings from that culture mention Izmir in their records. In the 1200s BC, invaders from the Balkans defeated the Hittite Empire and drove the region if Izmir/Smyrna into a dark age that lasted about four centuries until the Phrygian civilization emerged. The oldest home in the Bayrakli district of Izmir and ancient Smyrna dates to 900 BC. It was about this time that city walls and ramparts began to appear. From that time, Smyrna was recognized as a city-state with about one thousand residents. Outside the Port of Izmir were olive trees and vineyards, and stonecutters and potters had workshops. It is said that Homer was born in Smyrna on the banks of the Meles stream in the 8th Century BC. As one of the twelve Ionian cities, Smyrna was one of the known world's most important cultural centers, reaching its peak between 650 and 545 BC.

Drawn by the Port of Izmir's wealth, Alyattes of Lydia captured Smyrna in about 600 BC. Soon after, the Persians destroyed old Smyrna in 545 BC as retribution for the Port of Izmir's support for Lydia in its war with Persia. The Port of Izmir then all but disappeared for three centuries until Alexander the Great re-founded it at a new site on Mount Pagus in the 4th Century BC. Soon, it was once again a major city in Asia Minor and a wealthy center of learning, medicine, and culture.

When the last king of Lydia died without an heir in 133 BC, he left his kingdom to Rome, including the city of Smyrna. Roman rule brought a new era of prosperity. It is believed that Smyrna was one of the seven cities of Asia mentioned in the Christian Book of Revelation, and Smyrna's Christians suffered at the hands of the city's Jews well into the 2nd Century AD. Rome's Emperor Hadrian visited Smyrna in the early 2nd Century AD, and he had a silo built near the docks.

In 178 AD, an earthquake leveled the Port of Izmir, and Rome did much to rebuild Smyrna. Many of modern Izmir's architectural landmarks are said to have come from that period. When Roman divided, the Port of Izmir became part of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire.

The Port of Izmir saw many conquerors over the centuries. During the Byzantine era, Smyrna/Izmir was the capital of the naval province of Samos. Unfortunately, it never returned to the level of prosperity that it enjoyed under the Western Roman Empire.

Seljuk Turks first captured the Port of Izmir in 1076, using it as a base for their maritime raids. But when their leader, Caka Bey, died in 1102, the Byzantine Empire recaptured Izmir. In 1204, the Knights of Rhodes, sponsored by Pope Clement VI, took the Port of Izmir during the Fourth Crusade.

In the early 14th Century, the Turks returned under the command of Umur Bey who used the Port of Izmir, as had Caka Bey 200 years earlier, as a naval base for raids. In 1344, the Genoese took part of the Port of Izmir, and for 60 years, an uneasy truce existed between the two powers. In 1402, Tamerlane (or Timur), the conqueror from Central Asia, beat back the Ottoman Turks and returned most of the Anatolian areas to their former rulers. He came in person to Izmir to fight his only battle against non-Muslims when he took defeated the Genoese.

Izmir became part of the Ottoman Empire in the early 15th Century. Even though it was damaged by severe earthquakes in 1688 and 1778, it continued to be a busy and prosperous Ottoman port with a large European community. The Ottomans did not value the Port of Izmir as highly as they did Istanbul or Allepo, and they allowed the inner bay to silt up until it was of no use. Despite the Ottoman's inattention, they granted trading privileges to the Port of Izmir, and allowed foreigners to settle there in the 17th Century. Foreign consulates were set up as trade centers for their countries. Each consulate built its own quay and anchored its ships in the Port of Izmir. It continued to grow as an international trade center due to its appeal to foreigners and its European atmosphere. The Port of Izmir has attracted a wide variety of people throughout its history.

In 1866, the British built a 130-kilometer rail line to Aydin, further increasing the Port of Izmir's influence. By the end of the 19th Century, the Port of Izmir had a large community of foreign merchants and immigrants from elsewhere in the Ottoman Empire.

With the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, the World War I Allies intended to divide Anatolia among themselves. In 1919, Greek troops occupied the Port of Izmir and headed for central Anatolia, a disastrous move for the Greeks of Turkey. The Port of Izmir was retaken by Turkish forces led by Kemal Ataturk in 1922, ending the Greco-Turkish War. The Port of Izmir suffered bloody fighting during this period, and a fire started three days after the Turkish victory in 1922 that devastated much of the Port of Izmir. In 1923 with establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations, a part of the Laussane Treaty, resulted in the expulsion of Greek Turks and the immigration of Turkish Greeks back to Turkey.

Since the end of World War II, Izmir has grown quickly. It was selected as the headquarters for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) land forces command in southeast Europe. It is second to Istanbul only in its industrial development, with industries producing cement, textiles, foods, and petrochemicals. The Port of Izmir exports manufactured goods, carpets, and silk as well as agricultural products from the region, including tobacco, cotton, figs, and vegetables.

The General Directorate of Turkish State Railways (TCDD) is the port authority for the Port of Izmir. As the third largest city in Turkey and an important business center as well as the urban center of a large industrial and agricultural region, the Port of Izmir plays a vital role in the country's economy and export trade. The Port of Izmir handles all types of cargo, and it is well connected with Turkey's rail and highway networks.

In 2007, the Port of Izmir handled a total of almost 12.1 million tons of cargo, including 7.8 million tons of exports and 4.3 million tons of imports. This total included over 3.2 million tons of general and dry bulk cargoes and 8.9 million tons of containerized cargo in 898 TEUs.

The outer harbor of the Port of Izmir is 300 meters outside the old port breakwater and provides ample space for vessels to anchor. Two anchorage areas serve the Port of Izmir: one anchorage area west of Yenikale has depths of around 32 meters, and the second are in the middle-harbor area off the old breakwater has depths from 14 to 16 meters. Pilotage is required for all vessels leaving or entering the Port of Izmir, and the services provided by the Turkish Maritime Organization are available 24 hours a day. The main entrance to the inner harbor of the old port is 39.6 meters wide and 12.19 meters deep.

Vessels access the Port of Izmir from the Aegean Sea through the Izmir Inlet, with depths from 46 to 73 meters. The Port Authority recommends the use of radar to fix a vessel's position in the inlet, and it advises that there may be significant differences between charted depths and actual depth soundings between the approach and the middle harbor anchorage. The Port of Izmir's Port Authority also warns that areas adjacent to the channel may present significant dangers, as merchant ships have gone aground in the area of the Pelikan bank and hear Yenikale. Vessels should also give wide berth to Cakal Burnu point.

The cargo-handling facilities in the Port of Izmir include 24 berths with a total length of 3.3 thousand meters. The berths are well-equipped to handle all types of cargo with a 200-ton capacity floating crane, five 40-ton quayside gantry cranes, nine shore cranes, and 14 mobile cranes as well as numerous stackers, forklifts, loaders, and trailers.

The Port of Izmir also has ample storage facilities, with almost 216 thousand square meters of open yards and almost 27 thousand square meters of covered areas, including a warehouse for hazardous cargoes. With daily loading capacity of from 750 to 1000 tons per 8-hour shift, the bulk cargo facilities include a 76-thousand ton capacity grain silo with a conveyor that delivers from 2.5 to 3 thousand tons per day.

The Port of Izmir's Container Terminal has seven berths with alongside depth of 13 meters. The berths total 1050 meters, and the container terminal covers 152 thousand square meters. The terminal has holding capacity for 7074 TEUs, and the quays are served by five 40-ton capacity gantry cranes. Reefer facilities for refrigerated containers are available.

The Port of Izmir also has ship repair shops that perform engine and deck repairs, basic metal working and electrical work, and carpentry.

Berths 1 and 2 in the Port of Izmir serve passengers. Berth 1 is 140 meters long with alongside depth of 8 meters, and Berth 2 is 190 meters long with alongside depth of 8.5 meters. Berth 3 handles dry bulk and roll-on/roll-off cargos. It is 150 meters long with alongside depth of 10.5 meters.

The Port of Izmir's Berths 4-12 total 1065 meters in length and handle general cargo. Berths 4, 5, and 6 are 345 meters in length with alongside depth of 10.5 meters. Berths 7, 8, and 9 are 372 meters long with alongside depth of 9.5 meters. Berths 10, 11, and 12 are 348 meters long with alongside depth of 8 meters.

Berths 13-19 in the Port of Izmir handle containers and roll-on/roll-off cargoes, and they all have alongside depth of 13 meters. Berths 13, 14, 15, and 16 are 600 meters long, and roll-on/roll-off facilities are available at these berths. At 600 meters long, Berths 17, 18, and 19 handle both containers and roll-on/roll-off cargoes.

The Port of Izmir's Berths 20, 21, 22, and 23 handle general cargo. They are 360 meters long with alongside depth of 13 meters. Berth 24, at 360 meters long with alongside depth of 10 meters, handles dry bulk cargoes.

Once the ancient city-state of Smyrna, the City of Izmir is now a modern, busy commercial center hugging a big beautiful bay and surrounded by mountains. The Port of Izmir is a mix of contemporary glass buildings, red-tiled traditional structures, modern shopping centers, an 18th Century market, and many mosques and churches.

Some say the Port of Izmir is more Mediterranean Europe than Turkey. The Port of Izmir enjoys long, dry, and hot summers and mild, cool, and rainy winters. Most of the rain falls from November to March, and the months of June through August are virtually dry. While there are many places to see and things to do in the Port of Izmir, we can only mention a few here.

Konak Square is the busiest spot in the Port of Izmir. Located at the southern end of Ataturk Caddesi in the Konak District of the Port of Izmir, it holds the 1901 Izmir Clock Tower (a city symbol and landmark given by German Emperor Wilhelm II), the City Hall, the central bus station, and the Konak Mosque. Near the square is the Kermeralti bazaar, the market district with beginnings from the middle 17th Century. At the south end of Konak Square is the Aegean University's Cultural Centre with an opera house, a music academy, and a modern art museum.

With a beautiful Aegean coastline, the Port of Izmir has many beaches, most of them served by public transportation. Cesmealti is a busy tourism center about 36 kilometers from Konak Square with long beaches that swell with people during the summer. The small bays of the Karaburun-Mordogan route are natural wonders that have not been developed for tourists, so they are most popular with campers and nature-lovers. The Port of Izmir's Cesme-Ilica-Sifne beaches are a leading tourism attraction in Turkey with an international reputation and luxurious international accommodations and facilities. The Akkum Beaches in Sigacik are popular with locals and boast glittering sand, clear waters, and the archaeological site of Teos about a one-kilometer walk away. The Aliaga-Candarli Beaches on the northern shores of the bay are especially popular with domestic tourists and campers. Countryside cafes and entertainment complement the natural beauty of these Port of Izmir beaches.

In a city so ancient, archaeological sites and museums are a must-see while visiting the Port of Izmir. The Archaeological Museum of Izmir contains finds from excavations throughout the region, including from places like Ephesus, Miletus, Sardis, and Lasos as well as, of course, Izmir (or Smyrna). Port of Izmir visitors are amazed at the collections of stone carvings and statues (including Zeus, Poseidon, and Demeter), artifacts from near the Temple of Apollo, and many other ancient treasures. The museum contains more than ten thousand exhibits.

The Port of Izmir's open air Archaeological Museum of the Agora was located beneath a cemetery in the Narnazgah District in Kadifekale, and only the northern and western sections of this 2nd Century market from the Roman period have been excavated. The northern section contains a 160-meter long basilica made of pink marble. The Port of Izmir Agora area is still being studied today, particularly at the northern gate where many additional statues of Roman and Greek gods are being uncovered.

Travelers who want to learn more about the many things to see and do in the Port of Izmir should visit the online Izmir City Guide. For those wanting to visit the Port of Izmir by sea, a list of scheduled cruises is available on the Cruise Compete website.