About
🏛️ Bayraklı-Tepekule / Ancient Smyrna – The Birthplace of İzmir
Located in the heart of modern İzmir,
Bayraklı-Tepekule is home to the ancient city of Smyrna —
the very first settlement that would evolve into today’s vibrant metropolis.
This open-air archaeological site invites visitors to step back over 3,000 years
and explore the deep cultural roots of Western Anatolia.
🏺 A Settlement Since the 11th Century BC
📍 Smyrna was founded on the Bayraklı Mound in northeast İzmir,
originally surrounded by the sea on its western and southern sides — a natural peninsula in ancient times.
🔍 The first scientific excavations were conducted between 1948 and 1951
by a team led by Prof. Ekrem Akurgal and Prof. John M. Cook.
Findings revealed that Smyrna was founded as an Aeolian city around 1100 BC,
with its architectural peak between 700–550 BC.
🏛️ A Model City of the Archaic Period
During its golden age, ancient Smyrna featured:
🏠 Multi-roomed houses with private bathrooms🧱 Well-planned defensive city walls🏛️ Sacred temples⛲ A public fountain🧭 A grid-based geometric urban layoutThese elements make Smyrna a perfect model of an Archaic Western Anatolian city,
especially notable for its early city planning and infrastructure.
Despite frequent Lydian attacks, particularly under King
