Walls of Kadifekale hill fortress on the top of Mount Pagos near Izmirt city in Turkey
1277088609
aegean region, gulf of izmir, kadifekale, turkish

Kadifekale

İzmir


Legend has it that in the 4th century Alexander the Great chose this site on Mt Pagos as the location for Smyrna’s acropolis. Nothing remains of the Greek settlement, but parts of the fortifications date back to the Roman era, as do the yet-to-be-excavated remains of a hillside theatre. These days there's not much to see on site, but the view of the Gulf of İzmir is pretty good. To get here take a dolmuş.

When here, you'll see women from Turkey's southeast baking bread in makeshift ovens and weaving colourful textiles that they happily sell to visitors. There is some talk of excavating the Roman theatre and extending the site all the way down to the Agora, but no concrete project or timeline has been announced.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby İzmir attractions

1. Agora

0.51 MILES

Dating from the end of the 4th century BC, Smyrna's ancient agora was ruined in an earthquake in AD 178 but soon rebuilt by order of the Roman emperor…

2. Havra Sokağı

0.63 MILES

One of Kemeraltı's most interesting pockets, this stretch of produce stalls links the centre of the bazaar with the Agora and the eastern stretch of…

3. Kestanepazarı Mosque

0.7 MILES

The multi-domed 'Chestnut Market Mosque' dates from 1667 and has a particularly beautiful mihrab (niche indicating the direction of Mecca). Its profusion…

4. Şadırvan Mosque

0.75 MILES

Named after the fountains next to it, which are used by the congregation for ritual ablutions, this 1636 mosque has a large central dome and a minaret…

5. Kemeraltı Market

0.81 MILES

A labyrinthine bazaar stretching from Konak Sq through to the ancient Agora, Kemeraltı dates back to the 17th century and is home to shops, eateries,…

6. Hisar Mosque

0.83 MILES

Surrounded by popular coffeehouses, this mosque in the Kemeraltı Market is the largest in the city and dates from 1597. The interior is quintessentially…

7. Kızlarağası Hanı

0.84 MILES

This restored Ottoman-built bedesten (warehouse) dates from 1744 and is similar to the İç (Inner) Bedesten in İstanbul's famous Grand Bazaar. It's…

8. City Museum & Archive

0.85 MILES

Housed in a fire station built by the British in 1923, this small museum mounts changing displays on İzmir’s history. It is named after Ahmet Piriştina, a…