Gaziemir - developing suburb of Izmir
Gaziemir is a district of İzmir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is one of the metropolitan districts of Greater İzmir and is situated to the south of central İzmir (Konak) on the road to the İzmir harbour, İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport and the export processing industrial park of Aegean Free Zone; which is also home to the fourth space camp in the world, Space Camp Turkey.
Gaziemir was founded in the 14th century by Aydınoğlu Umur Bey (called Umur Pasha related to Ottoman sources) of the dynasty of the Beylik of Aydın, who had brought and settled Yörük clans from Konya to the region. The first mention in Ottoman records dates back from 1530 and the settlement was named Seydiköy in honour of a Yörük chief, Seydi Ahmed, whose tomb is still to be seen.. The town's evolution can be traced fairly smoothly through the centuries by means of regular references in Ottoman sources. After the 17th century, in line with the general pace of development in fertile western Anatolian valleys based on olive, figs, raisin and cotton exports and the ensuing population movements from the Aegean Islands, Seydiköy was largely settled by Greeks which came to constitute a large majority as of the second half of the 19th century.
The Greek population was exchanged after the Greek-Turkish War (1919-1922) in the frame of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey, and was replaced by Turkish immigrants from Kavala region as well as from Bulgaria. Seydiköy became a municipality in 1926 and was renamed Gaziemir in 1965 in reference to the original founder, Gazi Umur Bey. In 1992, Gaziemir became a district that also includes the municipality of Sarnıç which was formerly a part of Konak district.
Always a hub of crafts and industry both for İzmir and nationally, Gaziemir today has a highly developed industrial basis, with modern residential areas surrounding production and sales centres. The furniture industry (both home furniture and office furniture) is particularly developed. Companies established within the Aegean Free Zone generally focus on export processing, while the presence of such Turkish or international outlets as Tansaş, Kipa (a Tesco joint-venture) and Metro AG subsidiaries makes Gaziemir one the important retail centres of Izmir.
Training, Teamwork and Technology at Space Camp Turkey
As a space and science education centre, Space Camp Turkey is primarily focused on motivating young people from around the world in pursuing careers in science, math and technology. Through interactive, space-related simulations, both youth and adults also learn about communication, teamwork and leadership in a dynamic, fun-filled environment.
Programs and Simulators
Programs at Space Camp Turkey focus on simulators to give participants the sensations of working and living in space. It takes 8 1/2 minutes to reach space, but years to prepare for a real mission. At Space Camp Turkey, we pack years of mission training into 2-Day, 5-Day and 6-Day programs.
Unique Facility - Unique Location
Space Camp Turkey is the fourth Space Camp in the world. We are proud to have the only such facility in Turkey, the Middle East, eastern/southern Europe and Asia. It is located in the Aegean Free Zone, a high-tech industrial park in Izmir, operated by ESBAS.
Izmir is a vibrant Mediterranean city on the western coast of Turkey with a population of over 3 million. The camp is 5 minutes from the international airport and 15 minutes from the city center and one hour from world famous attractions.
International Credentials
Space Camp Turkey is recognized as a science institution by the Turkish Ministry of Education and is a member of the Camp Association of Turkey. It is also licensed with the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. Space Camp Turkey is a member of the following school organizations:
NESA - Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools
CEESA - Central and Eastern European Schools Association
ECIS - European Council of International Schools
EARCOS - East Asia Regional Council of Overseas School