District guide · İzmir
Konak is the central district of İzmir, stretching along the southern coast of the Gulf of İzmir and historically serving as the city's administrative and econo...
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Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor
Konak is the central district of İzmir, stretching along the southern coast of the Gulf of İzmir and historically serving as the city's administrative and economic core. The İzmir Saat Kulesi, Asansör, and Kadifekale stand as landmarks reflecting the district's layered past. The Agora Açık Hava Müzesi and Izmir Archaeology Museum document its archaeological significance for those interested in classical history.
Checked 2026-09-04
Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.
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İzmir Saat Kulesi
İzmir Clock Tower is a historic public monument in Konak Square, in İzmir’s Konak district. Built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan II Abdülhamid’s accession, it has become one of the city’s most recognisable symbols.
Asansör is a historic vertical connection in İzmir’s Karataş neighbourhood. It links Mithatpaşa Caddesi with Şehit Nihatbey Caddesi, allowing people to cross the steep change in level without taking the long stair route.
Kadifekale, also called Velvet Castle, is an open-air archaeological site on Pagos, the 186-metre-high hill south of İzmir’s city centre.
Konak Meydanı
Konak Square is İzmir’s civic waterfront heart, where the city centre opens towards the Gulf and the historic entrance to Kemeraltı. Its defining landmark is the İzmir Clock Tower, completed in 1901 and rising 25 metres above the square.
Atatürk Maskı
Atatürk Mask is a monumental outdoor portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk built directly into the Yeşildere hillside in İzmir’s Çaldıran area, between Buca and Konak.
Kızlarağası Hanı
Kızlarağası Han is an eighteenth-century Ottoman commercial inn in İzmir’s Konak district, embedded in the working lanes of Kemeraltı rather than set apart as a museum.