November 3rd, 2007 No Comments »
The Origin Of The Name “Izmir”
Izmir was written as Smurne in Ionian dialect and Smyrna in Athens dialect. Hellens used to pronounce it as Smirni. The name of Smyrna is not a Greek word but it is originally an Anatolian word as most of the settlement names in Aegean Region. The name of Tismurna was encountered in some of the tablets, which were found in Kültepe- Kayseri, dated back to the beginnings of 2000 B.C. ‘Ti’ is a prefix probably identifying a person or a place. It is obvious that people who lived in Bayrakli before Hellens deleted the prefix and named it as Smurna.
November 3rd, 2007 No Comments »
MUSEUMS IN IZMIR
The Archaeological Museum, near Konak Square, houses a superb collection of antiquities including the statues of Poseidon and Demeter which, in ancient times, stood in the Agora. (Closed on Mondays)
Next to the Archaeology Museum, the contains folkloric artifacts, which include a fine collection of Bergama and Gordes carpets, traditional costumes and camel bridles. (Closed on Mondays).
The Ataturk Museum is situated on Ataturk Caddesi in an old Izmir house used by the founder of the Turkish Republic. It exhibits photographs of the leader as well as some of his personal effects. (Closed on Mondays)
The Fine Arts Museum, located in Konak, displays the works of famous Turkish painters. (Closed on Mondays)
The Seljuk Yasar Art Museum is a private museum on Cumhuriyet Bulvari with a collection of 20th-century Turkish art. (Closed on Sundays)
The Natural History Museum in Bornova acts as a natural reserve of the Aegean Region landscapes’ historical preservation. (Closed on Sundays)
The Odemis Archeological Museum is about 60 km east of Izmir and displays regional artifacts. (Closed on weekends).
The Tire Archaeological Museum is about 50 km east of Izmir. (Closed on weekends)
