Seferihisar - on the coast of the Cesme peninsula
- Written by Portal Editor
Seferihisar is a small town on the coast of the Aegean region. The town is located on the southeastern coast of the Cesme peninsula, which is the largest peninsula in the Aegean with a coastline of around 1695 km.
The center of Seferihisar is about 5 kilometers from the sea. This cute little town is governed by the Izmir Metropolitan Administration, whose city center is about 36 kilometers from Seferihisar.
Curiosities at the beginning of the description of Seferihisar
The former name of the town was Sivrihisar, but this led to confusion with the town of Sivrihisar in the Eskişehir province. Therefore, in the 1890s, the Ottoman postal officials wrote Sivrihisar with a sign above the V, so that the V accidentally became an F over time. This led to present-day Seferihisar via Sifrihisar.
The district area of Seferihisar borders other districts of İzmir, Urla, to the west and Menderes to the east, and touches the westernmost district of İzmir, Güzelbahçe, to the north. Seferihisar's city center is at an altitude of 28 m and the urban area extends towards the Aegean Sea. The Sığacık district has its own port and has made a name for itself as a tourist resort.
Both the city center and the district as a whole have the appearance of a pleasant resort with typical Aegean features. It is estimated that the population reaches 150,000 people during the tourist season. However, the economy of the district is still largely based on agriculture, with the cultivation of mandarins and satsumas standing out, and only increasingly on tourism, with the presence of several residential projects or holiday villages. Retirees choose to settle in the area because of its quiet charm and the impetus of a university campus currently under construction. At a distance of 45 km (28 miles) from the center of Izmir (Konak), access to the metropolis is easy, especially once you reach the six-lane highway at Urla.
The nearest train station for travelers arriving to Seferihisar by train is Izmir Central Station, which is 45 kilometers away. Faster access to Europe with Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport is also just 40 kilometers from Seferihisar. Sigacik is a small suburb of Seferihisar with a small fishing port, although this is due to be developed into a marina with a capacity of up to 400 boats in the near future.
There should always be a bit of history
Like many other cities, Seferihisar was subordinated to various peoples in its long history, so the Lydians, Persians, ancient Greeks, the rulers of Pergamon, the Macedonians, the Romans and finally the Byzantines came to take over the rule. Today it is believed that the name Seferihisar originally came from a Roman officer. During the long rule of the Turks, the name Seferihisar, which is still used today, developed. In Seferihisar is the ancient city of Teos, whose highly interesting sites await further research and discoveries. This is probably the oldest place of settlement in Teos and dates back to the 2nd millennium BC. Lebedos, the ruins of Karaköse and the island of Myonnesos are still living witnesses to the eventful history of the ancient region of Teos.
Teos and Lebedos - twelve originally Ionian settlements on the Anatolian coast
Besides Teos, a major Ionian port and centre of art and worship, two other ancient settlements, which can be dated to the ancient Greek period and beyond, lie along the coast of the Seferihisar district, both south of Teos. Near the southern border of the district lies Lebedos, the smallest of the twelve originally Ionian settlements along the Anatolian coast. Pausanias mentions that the town was originally inhabited by Carians, for whom the region is usually considered to be very north, and that Ionian Greeks migrated there under the leadership of Andræmon, while Strabo gives the name of the colonial leader as Andropompus and that it previously bore the name Artis from ancient Lydia. Although the settlement of Lebedos is known to have carried on maritime trade on the peninsula, was famous for its mineral springs and was a member of the Ionian League, it suffered from limited space in the hinterland and a comparatively unsuitable harbour. It has not been excavated and the visible ruins are sparse.
The other settlement, on the edge of a promontory between Teos and Lebedos, described as a "town" by Hecataeus of Miletus (500 BC) and merely as a "place" by Artemidorus of Ephesus (100 BC), is Myonnesos. The best definition for antiquity would have been that of a small town, favored by a peninsula with a 60 m high cliff that was very difficult to access and easily defended. Traces of cyclopean walls testify to the existence of a very special site and it remains a visitor attraction due to the challenges of climbing it.
While the historic madrasa in the dependent village of Hereke (now Düzce) remained a regional educational center throughout, the region of Seferihisar was often notorious as a pirate den during the Ottoman period, being a particularly prized hideout and at times a virtually autonomous entity. The city is notably the birthplace of two of the most famous Turkish corsairs of the late 15th century.
The pirate Kara Turmisch had a retreat there under Bayezid II. The travel writer Evliya Çelebi visited the place in 1670.
Friday market/bazaar in Seferihisar is an experience
The best way to find the Friday market is to drive to the bus depot in Seferihisar. From there it is about a 3-minute walk to the market. "Across the street and then straight on", everyone can describe the route and it is a must for a really interesting experience.
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