Konak Square

Konak Square is the heart of İzmir, the point where the city's main waterfront axis meets its commercial and civic core. The Clock Tower, the Konak Mosque, City Hall, and the ferry terminal all converge here, making it the busiest and most symbolically loaded public space in the city.

The square is the starting point for exploring both the Kemeraltı bazaar (a short walk east) and the waterfront promenade (north). The ferry terminal here connects the city centre to the Karşıyaka district across the bay — the 20-minute crossing is one of the cheapest and most pleasant urban ferry rides in Turkey.

things to do sight konak
A story
On 9 September 1922, İzmir was liberated from Greek occupation by the Turkish forces of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, ending the Greek–Turkish War. The ceremony of liberation took place in Konak Square, which has been the symbolic centre of the city ever since. The First Bullet Monument nearby commemorates Hasan Tahsin, a journalist who fired the first shot against the Greek landing in May 1919 — and was killed for it.