Bayraklı Höyüğü

You're standing at Bayraklı Höyüğü, the mound that holds the remains of the oldest Smyrna. Smyrna is the ancient Greek name of the city we now call İzmir. Take a look around and picture water here. This spot was once a small peninsula in the northeast corner of the Gulf of İzmir, tied to the mainland by just a narrow strip of land. Today the site lies about 700 metres inland, in the Tepekule neighbourhood. The town sat at the foot of Mount Yamanlar, on the edge of a fertile plain.