Izmir:
Izmir, historically Smyrna, is Turkey's third most populous city and the country's second largest port city after Istanbul. It is located along the outlying waters of the Gulf of Izmir, by the Aegean Sea. It is the seat of the Izmir Province, which has an area of 7350 km2.
One of the more pronounced elements of Izmir's harbor is the Clock Tower, a beautiful marble tower that rests in the middle of the Konak district, standing 25 m (82 ft) in height. It was designed by the Levantine French architect Raymond Charles Père in 1901 for the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the ascension of Abdülhamid II to the Ottoman throne in 1876.
The Kemeralti bazaar zone set up by the Ottomans, combined with the Agora, rests near the slopes of Kadifekale. Izmir has had three castles historically - Kadifekale (Pagos), the portuary Ok Kalesi (Neon Kastron, St. Peter), and Sancakkale, which remained vital to Izmir's security for centuries. Sancakkale is situated in the present-day Inciralti quarter between the Balçova and Narlidere districts, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Izmir. It is at a key point where the strait allows entry into the innermost tip of the Gulf at its narrowest, and due to shallow waters through a large part of this strait, ships have sailed close to the castle.
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