The Old İzmir settlement , 10 kilometers away from the city center is located within the boundaries of
Bayraklı township. The settlement which is also known as
Tepekule was first inhabited in 3000 BC. Later the city was invaded by the Aiolos in 1100 BC and by the Ions in 950 BC. The eighth century BC is rather important for the city of
Smyrna.
Homeros, the author of the epic poem
Iliada and
Odyssey lived and wrote his epic poems here. The city which went under the rule of the
Lydians,
Persians and of
Alexander the Great proved to be a settlement in the
Hellenistic period as well. If we look at the remains of the old
İzmir we see that the most important remnant is the
Temple of Athena. The temple which is the oldest temple of the world known was built in 725-700 BC. The temple was expanded with the addition of a terrace in 600 BC and in 547 BC it was covered with a monumental door and taken under protection against
Persian attacks. Looking at the city in general it can be seen that there is a grid form settlement. Houses built in
Megaron style stand in the forefront of the city which attracts attention with different types of houses dating back to different centuries.
