- Posted: 28 November, 2016
- Category: Europe
Discovering Izmir with Turkish Airlines ازمير والمناطق الساحليه في تركيا
By an invitation from Turkish Airlines I’ve had the chance to explore Izmir and its coastal areas in the month of September, 2016.
My tour in Izmir started off by exploring the metropolitan city within Anatolia, Turkey. A beautiful tour was arranged that included a great taste of Turkish lunch, followed by visits to the main land marks of Izmir such as the clock tower that is build in the 1990s. The area around Clock tower is very nice to explore by foot. All traditional cafes and filled with locals and tourists both together.
I would recommend a full day exploring this area by foot (ladies, wear comfortable shoes!)
Izmir is really cute. However, I would not spend more than 3 days in Izmir itself. It has a really magical walk-way by the sea.. I was lucky to be walking there around sunset time. Beautiful!
Alacati, Cesme Coastline
My favorite part of the entire trip.. Alacati on the Cesme Coastline! In short, I was taken on an exciting tour around the old stone houses and a breathtaking coastline.
Alacati is called the “St. Tropez of Turkey” with its beautiful historical town and many coffee shops and terraces.
The drive from Izmir to Alacati was around 1 hour.
Alacati to me, was heaven for photography. Every little corner is a photo worth taking corner. The centre of Alacati’s is full of restaurants, cafes and little boutiques, which all open until late and attract both foreign and Turkish tourists to Cesme. ONE hiccup, when I entered the boutique, they didn’t speak English.
Alacati’s centre got really busy during the evening, so much so you could eat and drink at a different places till the night.
Unfortunately, we only spent one day at Alacati. If I were to do it again, I would definitely stay at least two nights in this beauty of a town.
Windsurfing
What I also experienced and for the first time in my life.. WINDSURFING!!!! I had the chance to meet windsurfing Champions Ms. Lena Aylin Erdil and Mr. Enes Yilmazer!
This was my first time surfing as I mentioned, so it was very convenient having instructors guide you through the ABC’s of surfing. I loved loved loved my session and I would go again to Alacati for Surfing!
The shoreline of Alacati is crowded with kite and wind-surf rents, shops and hotels to stay.
Ephesus
Another unforgetable sight Turkish Airlines planned for me is the experience of the ancient city Ephesus, meryemana which is the mother mariam’s house!
“تقع مدينة أفسس عند المصب القديم لنهر كيستر وتشمل منشآت بُنيت تدريجياً في مواقع جديدة خلال فترة عمد فيها سكان الساحل إلى الانتقال إلى المنطقة الغربية. وحذا اليونانيون والرومان لاحقاً حذو هؤلاء السكان، إذ كشفت عمليات التنقيب عن وجود آثار عظيمة تعود إلى عصر الإمبراطورية الرومانية، ومنها مكتبة سيلسوس والمسرح الكبير. ولم يبق سوى القليل من آثار معبد أرتميس الشهير الذي يُعتبر من “عجائب العالم السبع” والذي كان يزوره حجاج من كل بلدان حوض البحر الأبيض المتوسط. وتُعد مدينة أفسس القديمة مثالاً استثنائياً على مدينة ساحلية تضم قناة بحرية وحوضاً لرسو السفن”
Ephesus is considered one of the great outdoor museums of Turkey. I was very impressed and loved this place as it was exactly to my liking. Ephesus; Ancient Greek city of Asia Minor, near the mouth of the Menderes River, in what is today West Turkey, South of Smyrna (now Izmir). It took me around 3 hours to complete all over Ephesus.
The ancient city Ephesus is located in Selcuk, a small town 30km away from Kusadasi.
