İzmir

History

Origins

İzmir is the modern form Turkish name Smyrna , city known since the Antiquité (like İznik for Nicée). The form Smyrna was preferred a long time in French with the Turkish form which was essential only on the 20th century. No Gentilé formed on Izmir is announced.

Smyrna was founded towards 3000 before J. - C. by the “Leleg”, on the site of Tepekule close to current the Bayraklı. Its name would come from that of an Amazon queen. Between 2000 and 1200 av. J. - C. it belonged to the kingdom hittite then, following the collapse of the State hittite vis-a-vis the attacks of the Phrygie NS, it was occupied by Éoliens emigrated of Greece towards Anatolia with, then by Ioniens.

Independence with the conquest by Rome

Smyrna lived its apogee during the Ionian period. It was invaded in 600 av. J. - C. by the king of Lydie Alyatte, then by the Perses in 546 av. J. - C.. Devastated, the city did not occupy any more a big role during the traditional Period ({{Ve}} and fourth century BC).

It is Alexandre Large the or one of its successors (Antigone One-eyed the or Lysimaque) who restored the city at the 4th front century J. - C. In 302 av. J. - C., it passed under the domination of Lysimaque, former general of Alexandre the Large one, after his victory over Antigone the One-eyed one, then under the domination of the Séleucides then, for one short period, under that of the kingdom of Pergame (fine of the {{IIIe}} ‑ beginning of second century BC). Séleucides tried to take again the control of the Ionie where Smyrna was located. Smyrna fought at the sides of the Attalides, Pergame and Rome. In 189 - 188 av. J. - C., Séleucides were driven out of Ionie and minor Asia. Smyrna accepted territories to have fought at the sides of Rome. Its engagement enabled him to profit from an independence protected by the Roman city. The city accepted several Roman politicians in exile.

From 89 to 85 before Jesus-Christ, Smyrna, like the whole of the cities of minor Asia, supported the king of the Pont (Mithridate VI Eupator) in its war against Rome. Sylla, general Roman, undertook the conquest of minor Asia. He took Smyrna and obliged each inhabitant of the city to ravel naked in full winter. At the time of the peace of Dardanos (85 av. J. - C.), which concludes the war between Rome and Mithridate VI, Smyrna, like the majority of the free cities of Asia and Égée then entered the Roman province of Asia.

Since the 3rd front century J. - C., Smyrna always gave the impression of a prosperous city. Artistically, it is characterized by its Grotesque S. the grotesque ones are figurines out of terra cotta whose characteristic is to exaggerate a physical defect often related to the disease. It seems that these representations did not have only one artistic goal or of entertainment. Smyrna had a famous school of medicine in the Antiquité. It is probable that certain as these sculptures served to illustrate diseases like the Hydrocèle (accumulation of abnormal liquid or gas in a Testicule). A collection of these objects is visible with the Musée of Louvre.

Medieval İzmir

Smyrna saw being born one from the seven original churches of Christendom. Become a province of Byzance after the division of the Roman Empire, it was invaded by the king of the Huns Attila in 440, then by the Arab in 695, before turning over in the bosom of Byzance. In 1081 it was conquered by the Turks Seldjoukides, before the Byzantine , benefitting from the progression of the Croisés in Anatolia, did not reconquer in 1097 the occupied territories by the Turks on the coasts of the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by the Turks in 1222 and was rebuilt by Jean Ducas which built Kadifekale (the “velvet citadel”).

In 1320 it was conquered by Mehmet Bey, emir of Aydın. His/her son Umur Bey lost the citadel of the port ( Liman Kalesi ) to the profit of the Chevaliers of Rhodos the October 28th 1334. Until 1402 the Crusaders and the Turks kept their respective positions, the Crusaders in the Citadel of the port and the Turks in the “velvet citadel” ( Kadifekale ), until Tamerlan destroys the Citadel of the port in December 1402.

Othoman Izmir

The economic and cultural importance of İzmir increased gradually during the 500 years when it belonged to the Ottoman Empire, starting from 1426.

Izmir is also the birthplace of Sabbataï Tsevi.

The fire of Smyrna

Allotted to the Greece after the First World War at the time of the Treated of Sevres, because of its settlement mainly hellénophone, it is occupied by the Greek army starting from the May 15th 1919. After the military collapse of the latter during the summer 1922, the city is taken by the forces of Atatürk the September 9th 1922 at the end of the Guerre of independence.

In the last weeks of the war, the Othoman Greeks of the interior take refuge in mass in Smyrna, at the rate/rhythm of more than 20 000 per day: they are more 200 000 the September 8th when the last Greek forces leave the city. It remains then in the port only foreign ships (English, French, Italian and American). The first Turkish troops arrive the September 9th in the city, and the exactions start: until September 13rd, the city is delivered to plunderings and the murders against the populations Greek and Armenian. The métropolite of Smyrna, Chrysostomos, which had refused to embark with the Greek official last, is lynched on the great place, within sight of the French sentinels of the consulate which have order not to intervene by preoccupation with a neutrality. The European ships with broad refuse the refugees who try to accost them and the attempts of the American consul Horton to organize the evacuation are repudiated by its government.

The September 13rd, a fire bursts in the Armenian district. It extends quickly to all the city and escapes any control: in one week, it destroys almost all the city and makes close to 100 000 dead. The origin of this disaster is strongly disputed: the Greeks and the Armenians charge the responsibility for it to the plunderers Turkish, while the Turks show the Greeks to be themselves delivered to a ground policy burned to prevent that their goods do not fall to the hands from the Turks. In fact, this type of practice is attested in Ionie at that time, and a French board of inquiry takes again this explanation. It should nevertheless be noticed that on September 13rd the Armenian district was kept by the Turkish troops and that the Armenians could not circulate freely: it is one of the points underlined by Horton, eyewitness who shows by name the Turkish army of the destruction of Smyrna in his work published in 1926, The Blight off Asia . This testimony was confirmed by historical studies such as Smyrna 1922: The Destruction off has City of Mr. Housepian Dobkin (1988).

The September 24th, the Greek fleet returns to Smyrna and evacuates until October 1st, 180 000 refugees, is a prelude to of the exchange of Muslim populations and Christian women which takes place between Turkey and Greece the following year.

It remains in Smyrna, of the traces and the bonds of the presence of a French-speaking community. Thus Edouard Balladur, former French Prime Minister, was born with Smyrna in 1929. The Saint-Joseph college, established by the Brothers of the Christian Schools in 1880, continues its mission.

Administration

İzmir is the prefecture (valilik) of the province (it) of the same name.

Cantons (ilçe) of İzmir: Balçova, Çiğli, Gaziemir, Karşıyaka, Konak, Aliağa, Bayındır, Bergama, Beydağ, Bornova, Buca, Çeşme, Dikili, Foça, Karaburun, Kemalpaşa, Kınık, Kiraz, Menderes, Menemen, Narlıbahçe, Ödemiş, Seferihisar, Selçuk, Car, Torbalı, Urla.

Geography and economy

Climate

İzmir profits from a Mediterranean Climat, with a hot summer and relatively dryness (points of 45° in July), and a winter soft, with minima of 6° (average of 10°).

Between April and October it rains very little, but there can be storms violent one, with floods.

Demography

3rd town of Turkey by the population after Ankara and Istanbul.
3.370.866 inhabitants (estimate 2000)

Economy

Port on the Aegean Sea.

Transport

There is a line of Métro in service, and two others in construction.

Archbishop's palace

Archdiocese of Izmir
Cathedral of Midsummer's Day d' Izmir

Famous characters

Sabbataï Tsevi, born in 1626.
Charles de Peyssonnel, general consul of France at the XVIIIe century.
Auguste de Jaba, diplomatic orientalist (1801 - 1894).
Manolis Kalomiris, Greek type-setter, born in 1883.
Giorgos Seferis, Greek poet, born the March 13rd 1900.
Henri Filipacchi, French editor, born in 1900.
Aristote Onassis, the most famous Greek ship-owner of the 20th century, born it (January 15th 1906 - March 15th 1975).
Dario Moreno, Turkish singer, born the April 3rd 1921.
Edouard Balladur, French politician, born the May 2nd 1929.
Andre Tubeuf, French philosopher, born in 1930.
Magali Christmas, actress and French singer, born the June 27th 1932.
Sezen Aksu, Turkish singer, born the July 13rd 1954.

See too

Levantine
parish Our-Lady-of-Floods

External bonds

Official site of the municipality of İzmir
Official site of the prefecture of İzmir
Site of the French Arts center of Izmir
Guide Izmir

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