The Agora North Street runs parallel to the northern edge of the Basilica. There are two entrance gates that provide access to the Basilica from...
During the Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine Empires, Smyrna Agora was utilized in line with what it was originally built for. Come the Ottoman Empire,...
This excavation house is a prime example of the 19th Century Turkish civil architecture. The house upon which it sits was expropriated and restored by...
Aristeides, a famous 2nd Century orator and writer, once stated that Smyrna was home to many baths, and that it was too difficult to decide...
South of the Agora Roman Bath sits an Ottoman building – the function of which remains unknown – on 1,000 m2 patch of space. Recent...
Dating back to the second half of the 19th century, the building consists of a courtyard and buildings on both sides. The south wing of...
Faustina Avenue stretches from Faustina Gate to the port. The northern side of it leads to the mosaic building. At one point, there used to...
Bouleuterion Avenue used to run along western side of the mosaic building, and the connected Faustina with North Avenue as well. One could also use...
The Smyrna City Council was where all the administrative decisions about the city’s future were made. It sits along the northern parcel of a building...
Faustina Gate is located where Faustina Avenue (which starts from the port) meets Smyrna Agora. It is a double-arched monumental gate, the northern arch of...
Excavation History
The first archaeological excavations were carried out on Smyrna Agora between 1933 and 1941 in partnership with the İzmir Museum Directorate and the İzmir Historical Society. They focused on the Basilica (preserved in situ), and gradually extended to include the West and East Stoas.
In 1944, archaeologist R. Duyuran published a brief report on what he had found that year at the site. R. Naumann and S. Kantar published a much more comprehensive study in 1950.
Excavation work did not resume until 1997 (nearly half a century later), this time under the İzmir Museum Directorate.
Prof. Akın Ersoy picked up the shovel in 2007. He and his team are still working on both the agora and theatre.
Smyrna Agora Experience Center is built within the scope of “Heritage Alive” project realized by Conservation and Development of City Values Association of İzmir.
Kültürel Miras Yaşıyor projesi Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı tarafından Avrupa Birliği’nin mali desteği ile gerçekleştirilen “Ortak Kültür Mirası: Türkiye ve AB Arasında Koruma ve Diyalog-II (CCH-II) Hibe Programı” çerçevesinde hayata geçirilmektedir.
You can view the many artefacts that have been unearthed during the archaeological excavations in and around İzmir/Ancient Smyrna, both at the İzmir Archaeological Museum and the İzmir Museum of History & Art.
You can view the many artefacts that have been unearthed during the archaeological excavations in and around İzmir.
Download our brochure for illustrated map of Smyrna Agora, including places you may want to visit.
Watch the documentary to learn all about Smyrna Agora.
