Kadifekale — the Velvet Castle — crowns the hill above central İzmir, its Byzantine and Ottoman walls clearly visible from the city below. The site has been fortified since at least the Hellenistic period, when the ancient city of Smyrna was established here on the orders of Alexander the Great. The current walls incorporate layers from multiple periods: Hellenistic blocks, Byzantine additions, Genoese towers, and Ottoman repairs.
The hill provides the best panoramic views in İzmir — the city spreading in every direction, the Gulf of İzmir curving to the west, and on clear days the Aegean islands on the horizon. The walk up through the residential neighborhood below the castle is itself interesting; this is one of the older inhabited parts of the city, with narrow streets and traditional houses. Reach Kadifekale by minibus from Konak Square.