The Agora at Izmir

The word "Agora" is of Greek origin, and translates roughly to "marketplace," an open space in a town where people gather, especially as a marketplace in ancient Greece. Located in a section of Izmir, Turkey called "Konak," you will find the remains of a marketplace built by order of Alexander the Great, probably in the 2nd century BC.

The Agora was initially excavated by a joint German and Turkish team during the period of 1932 to 1941. It is one of the only surviving pre-Ottoman monuments, although what remains is said to be of the reconstruction by the Romans after a devastating earthquake. You will find Corinthian columns, vaulted chambers, and hundreds of Ottoman graveyards in the eastern section.

The Agora, as discovered in 1932, measured approximately 262 x 394 feet. There stood a two story stoa (a covered walkway of ancient Greece, usually having a row of columns on one side with a wall on the other) decorated with two rows of columns on the eastern and western facades. The northern side of the Agora was approximately 92 feet wide. Beneath the columns to the north are numerous stylobates (basement supporting columns of masonry, a continuous raised platform of masonry supporting a row of columns) upholding the arches. On the western portico a section 236 feet long with gates has been discovered. The Agora was apparently a three-story structure with a central courtyard paved in marble. As it existed in 1961, the top story is absent.

The Agora was destroyed by an earthquake in 178 AD, but was reconstructed by Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome from 161 to 180 AD. There has apparently been found portraits on the western arches of Marcus Aurelius and of his wife Faustina (who was said to have played a major role in the reconstruction) that would give credence to this story. It has also been attributed to ancient authors that an alter dedicated to Zeus stood in the middle of the Agora in 150AD. As you view and study these artifacts, you will see a mixture of Roman, Greek, and Ottoman cultural influences. Gods (Zeus, Poseidon, etc.) from both Roman and Greek cultures were to be found at the Agora.

As you click on each of the thumbnail images located on the following photo pages available from the above menu, and as we update each photo with a re-scanned image, an image of approximately 700x465 pixels will appear. The photos dated 1961 were taken by George L Smith, while living and working in Turkey. A special aerial photo view of the Agora at Izmir, provided by Ms. Funda Yaka of Izmir and located at the top of this page, will present an image that is 1240x617 pixels. Other photos donated by Ms. Yaka were taken around July of 205. Newer browsers try to automatically fit an image to the current browser size. You can often enlarge oversized (but minimized by the browser) images to its full size by clicking on the image and then either selecting a magnification icon located on the image or some other means to enlarge the image. To return to the page having the thumbnail images you're interested in, click on your browser's "Back" or "Return" button. You will find additional navigation buttons along the top and bottom of some pages where appropriate to help you navigate to the next, previous, or home page.

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since Dec 2004