The Agora of Smyrna was the market square of Ancient Smyrna, the city we now call Izmir. Its ruins lie in the city center, in the Konak district, at the foot of Kadifekale hill. Most of what stands is Roman, but the digs also find traces of the Ottoman neighborhood around it.
Ceramic artifacts from the Ottoman period were also found in the new excavations in the Agora, the ancient ruins in the city center, whose area expanded with the expropriation and demolition of the surrounding buildings. Ceramic plates and cups brought from Europe, used on Ottoman tables between the 17th and 19th centuries, were found during the excavations of the Ancient Agora of Smyrna in Izmir. From the writings on the ceramics we found, we can see that Armenian, Turkish and Jewish families lived together.
Roman and Ottoman Layers of the Agora of Smyrna
The biggest Roman building is the North Stoa, a long covered hall also known as the Basilica. It is about 165 meters long and 28 meters wide. At the west entrance stands the Faustina Gate, and a portrait of Faustina, the wife of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, is carved on its arch.
Ruins in the middle of a living city are never alone. People kept living on this ground after Romans, so a dig goes through the later layers first. An Ottoman graveyard is part of the site too. That is probably how plates and cups of Ottoman times ended up among the Roman stones.
If you walk from the Clock Tower through Kemeraltı Bazaar, the lanes lead you straight to agora. I wrote about the other stops of the center in my post on the city center of Izmir.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Smyrna called today?
Smyrna is called Izmir today, and the old city lies under the center of the modern one. It was also one of the Seven Churches of Revelation, which I cover in my post on the Church of Smyrna.
Is the Agora of Smyrna the same as Old Smyrna?
No. The agora belongs to the later city in the center of Izmir, and its ruins are mostly Roman. Old Smyrna was the earlier Greek city at Bayraklı, on the other side of the bay from the city center.
