Izmir is a special place for tourists, and for the Turks themselves. Located on the coast of the Aegean Sea, he will not show you the grand palaces and cathedrals, like Istanbul, or universities and parks as Ankara. But Izmir should not go to sightseeing (although they are here in large quantities), come here to see a new, European Turkey.
It so happened that in Izmir, the secular ideas of Ataturk were perceived best. Therefore, the cult of the father of all the Turks to whom the country is so ill, they will break up to horror! If the Istanbulians are limited to portraits and other external attributes of respect, then Izmertsy from Ataturk is literally crazy! He is present in all conversations, so you want to make the local pleasant - just praise the Great Leader, will immediately become your own person))
Firelessness of Izmir has its advantages. For example, a lonely tourist girl here does not cause such a flow of attention as in other Turkish cities. So you can safely walk, swim, etc.
I will start with the sea, after all, I have a beach holiday report. It is not particularly clean here, since the city is a port. Local is usually driving on the beaches of the city, I bathed in urban at one hotel. Here, in fact, the sea:
Someone may seem not good enough for swimming, but I liked everything))
I already wrote that everything is tasty in Turkey. Izmir in this case is no exception. There are many fish establishments (the sea nearby!), But I remember the most memorial meat most of all, it is especially tasty. Some kebab will cost, on average, 120-150 rubles.
Now about the sights. There are many of them here, but almost all non-neurures. From the local color: the famous hour tower, the symbol of the city:
In addition, the mass of monuments leader, his acts and revolution, like this:
For me, the main attraction of Izmir is his little workshop citrican workers and modern youth prospects, adjacent to them. There, too, you can see a lot of interesting things, like this night illustration:
If you have a lot of time, go to Ephesus, where there was once the temple of Artemis. The place is impressive. In general, sometimes İzmir looks at just like a piece of Greece in Turkey)) near the city there is a house of the Virgin Mary, the place of pilgrimage, but there I was not.
Shopping in Izmir is notable. If you have little time and you want to buy everything at once, go to the old bazaar. Prices here are acceptable, souvenirs, textiles, etc. Incusently a lot, plus you can bargain)) if you want brands, then you in Alsancak. Prices here, of course, also branded, but still lower than in Russia.
Well, and finally, the panorama of Izmir:
