Konak is the administrative and symbolic centre of İzmir, anchored by the famous Konak Square with its Clock Tower, ferry terminal, and City Hall. The district encompasses the square itself, the Kemeraltı bazaar to the east, the Archaeological and Ethnography museums to the south, and the beginning of the Kordon promenade to the north.
Most visitors to İzmir will pass through Konak repeatedly — it is the natural hub of the metro and bus system, the departure point for ferries across the bay, and the place where the Kemeraltı bazaar empties out into the open air. The square itself is best experienced on foot at different times of day: busy with commuters in the morning, full of families in the early evening, and strangely quiet after midnight when the cats take over.