Central station of İzmir
Basmane is at the heart of the tourist experience for many İzmir visitors. Its centrepiece is the grand Basmane station, dating back to 1866, which is served not just by main-line trains but also by the Metro and İzban which makes getting around very easy. The station is within five minutes’ walk of hotels to suit all budgets, from the flophouses of Oteller Sokak to the smarter offerings of Fevzi Paşa Bulvarı.
Visitors to Basmane should certainly take a turn along picturesque old Anafartalar Caddesi, a road that loops round the bazaar from Konak before tripping its way east towards Basmane Station. The bazaar is full of cruise passengers checking out the bargains but you may well have Anafartalar and Basmane to yourself. Here once grand houses are now stuffed with ultra-cheap hotels for long-stay residents down on their luck while cafes with two or three tables rub shoulders with greengrocers and hardware shops.
On a side street off the eastern end of Anafartalar a small but enjoyable Women’s Museum is housed in one of the old mansions.
On one corner along Anafartarlar stands the densely carved Dönertaş Sebili (1814), one of the most impressive public water dispensaries to be seen outside İstanbul; in another the ruins of Romano-Byzantine villas that appear to have been destroyed during seventh-century Arab incursions are still being uncovered.
The remains of the Roman Agora, with an impressive water distribution system, lie just off Anafartalar Caddesi although perversely they cannot be entered from the street – you must walk round to the back and pay a fee to enter.
The southern end of Anafartalar where it starts to run through the Kemeraltı bazaar was once the Jewish quarter, with a number of old synagogues, especially on Havra Sokağı (Synagogue St). Some are in an abject condition although a restoration project is in progress. https://jewisheritage.org/the-izmir-route-of-jewish-heritage
Sleeping
Transport info
The station at Basmane is linked to the Metro and the İzban. There are also main-line train stations to places like Tire and Selçuk.
Bus no 302 runs from Basmane to the Otogar. Catch it on Gaziler Caddesi that runs beside the station on the right-hand side as you face it; the stop is on the opposite side of the road.
Nearby areas
