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Çarşamba, 10 Haziran 2009 |
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There has been a settlement in Izmir, formally Smyrna, since 3000 BC.
The Trojans were the 1st inhabitants and according to excavations, the
city was founded in an area known today as Tepekule in the Bayrakli
district, which lies to the east of the Gulf of Izmir. Izmir is also
credited with being the birthplace of the legendary poet Homer, who is
believed to have lived there in the 8th century BC.
The city went through a few invasions,
destructions and reconstructions until Alexandra the Great began the
construction of a castle on the top of Mt. Pagos (Kadifekale) somewhere
around 330 BC.
After Alexandra, around 290 BC, the
Pergamons took over the city, which by then had expanded outside the
castle walls and centered itself in the harbor region, before they
handed over to the Romans around the 1st century BC.
Despite burning the odd Bishop (Bishop
Polycarpe 166 AD) suffering a major earthquake (178 AD) and putting off
a siege by Attila the Hun (440 AD) The Romans managed to hold onto the
city which was reputed to be "The most beautiful city in Asia" and also
became the Capital city for the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) until
the Selcuks arrived in 1076 AD.
By this time Izmir had become quite
cosmopolitan and was a commercially important port, as a result,
everybody it seemed wanted a slice of the action and Izmir went through
a turbulent period. In1098 the Byzantines came back, 1320 the Selcuks
returned, in 1334 the Crusaders took their turn, 1402 brought the Turks
(who are credited with naming the city Izmir) then in 1426 came the
Ottomans who carried on all the way until after the 2nd world war 1919
when the Greeks tried their hand. This did not last for long though
because on September the 9th 1922 during the Turkish National war of
Independence Mustafa Kemal Ataturk took the city back and Izmir became
one of the cornerstones of the current Turkish Republic.
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