Recent excavations at Tepekule Hill near Bayraklı have shown that the Izmir region has been inhabited since around 3000 BC. The city's original name was "Smyrna," meaning "place of the holy mother."

Ancient Smyrna (Palaia Smyrna) is located about 4 km from what would later become Smyrna, modern Izmir, near the modern town of Bayraklı, which is now a district of Izmir. In ancient times, the town lay directly on the sea, but today it is several hundred meters away. Ancient Smyrna is the remains of a Greek urban settlement that was inhabited from around 1000 to around 300 BC; it was the predecessor of modern-day Izmir. The site was abandoned in 330 BC, and the inhabitants moved to the site of the present-day city of Izmir.

On the History of Ancient Smyrna

Little is known about the history of the city of Ancient Smyrna. Ancient Smyrna was apparently founded by the Aeolians around 1000 BC, but was certainly quite small at the time. Later, the town was conquered by Colophon and considered an Ionian colony. A city wall was built around 850 BC, and the remains of the first Temple of Athena date from around 725 BC. In ancient times, the town was also mentioned, among other places, as the birthplace of Homer. In 688 BC, Onomastus of Smyrna is mentioned as a victor in a boxing match at the Olympic Games.

Around 600 BC, the city was destroyed and captured by the Lydian king Alyattes II. Traces of the conquest have been observed throughout the city during excavations. Most notably, the Temple of Athena was plundered and destroyed. The tumulus, a small settlement by the sea, was revitalized by those returning from the Trojan War; it continually expanded through relations with the Hittites, maritime trade, and the famous Temple of the Holy Mother.

The city became part of the Lydian Empire and was apparently abandoned for a time. In 545 BC, the city was conquered by the Persians. By the 4th century BC, Smyrna appears to have recovered, and the urban area was once again densely populated. When Antigonus I Monophthalmos founded a new city around 330 BC on the site of the Kadifekale fortress in modern Izmir, the inhabitants abandoned the old city.

During Byzantine times, the episcopal church was built on the ruins of the Temple of the Mother of Goddess. In the 7th century AD, the city was destroyed by Arab besiegers and conquered by Türkmenoğlu Caka Bey in 1081. In 1390, the area came under Ottoman rule and became an important trading centre. Izmir, occupied by the Greeks (Helenes) on May 15, 1919, was liberated in an unprecedented battle on September 9, 1922.

Excavations at In Bayraklı since the 1930s

The first excavations took place in 1930/31 under Franz Miltner, and megaron-type houses and a mud-walled city were discovered in In Bayraklı. From 1948 to 1951, excavations were carried out as a joint British-Turkish project under the direction of John Manuel Cook (British School at Athens) and Ekrem Akurgal (Türk Tarih Kurumu). Since 1967, there have been primarily Turkish excavations here under the direction of Ekrem Akurgal. Extensive excavation reports are available for the latter two missions. The town was once located on the sea, but is now about 450 meters away from it. It is located at the bottom of a mountain slope, with the urban area not flat but rather terraced, once forming a peninsula. At the lower end, it lies about 2 meters above sea level, and at the other end, about 12 meters above.

A few traces of settlement date to the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC. The most important remains, however, date from the first millennium BC. The comparatively small city, with an area of ​​approximately 6 to 7 hectares, had a massive city wall and a Temple of Athena. Excavations revealed only the remains of a platform of the Temple of Athena. The temple that originally stood on it was no longer preserved, apart from a few walls. Three main phases could be distinguished. The temple was built around 725 BC. In a second phase, dating from approximately 675 to 640 BC, a monumental pedestal was constructed. In a third phase (640 to 545 BC), a cella and a colonnade were built. Fragments of Aeolian column capitals and remains of mushroom-shaped capitals decorated with plant patterns were found. The capitals vary in detail, and it is difficult to reconstruct the columns, which were once about 10 m high.

The city was surrounded by a massive city wall, with four construction phases that can be distinguished. It consisted of a stone base with a mud-brick superstructure. There were gates and bastions. The first wall was built around 850 BC. A second phase, in which the wall was completely rebuilt, dates from around 775 to 725 BC.

This wall collapsed around 700 BC, perhaps as a result of an earthquake. Subsequently, the city appears to have been wall less for about a century. Around 600, a new wall was built, which was up to 15 m wide.

The last wall dates to the 4th century BC. Shortly thereafter, the city was abandoned.

Strabo's Historical Records

The city is well known through various excavations, and its development can be clearly traced. Nine layers can be distinguished for the Greek city. The oldest layers are poorly preserved, but show a rather loose development, with some houses being oval. Later, rectangular houses, some with multiple rooms, were built, although the buildings were very dense. Fragments of a krater by the Niobid Painter come from the city.

The most important archaeological work visible today in İzmir is the rectangular State Agora, measuring 120 x 80 cm, located in the Namazgah district. At the east and west ends of the agora are 17.5 m wide, two-story levels with double rows of columns. In the northern part of the agora is a two-story Byzantine Basilica. Partial ruins of the aqueducts can be seen in the city.

In ancient times, various temples and buildings were located around the Kadifekale. Strabo describes these as beautiful buildings with wide, columned portals that stood along the street. In the Eşrefpaşa district, the ruins of the ancient road can be seen in the park. The ruins of the stadium and theatre on the northwest slope of the Kadifekale have completely disappeared.

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