From Izmir; Sardes and Izmir Jewish Heritage Tour

Although the name of the 3 thousand-year-old settlement is called Sart, many of us pronounce it Sardes. The Royal mounds (Bintepeler), located 7 kilometres north, were also a symbol of the wealth and power of the Lydians. These extracted gold powders from the area were processed in gold processing houses. Sardes was also among the leading cities of the ancient world. The city was impeccable in urban planning and was surrounded by the largest defensive wall outside Mesopotamia. The structures of this important and rich Lydian City are shops, library, Colonnaded Street, Synagogue, Gymnasium, bathhouse, Temple Of Artemis and Golden purification houses. We may never have predicted that we would encounter majestic ruins in the ancient city of Sardes. But although it is the Gymnasium that fascinates the visitors, it can be said that the synagogue and the Temple of Artemis also take their place among the structures that deserve such praise.

The Temple of Artemis, one of the largest and best-preserved temples in the world. Originally dedicated to the goddess Artemis, the building looks to the west like in Ephesus and Magnesia. The two pillars of the temple have survived until today without any damage. Only the main building (cella) of the temple, which was started to be built in the Hellenistic period, was completed at that time. The interior columns were removed and the 8.5-meter tall statues of the emperors and their wives were placed in the east main room. In the same period, the construction of outer columns was started but could not be finished. Although the temple of Artemis, where rituals and ceremonies were held, was used for 800 years, it was never completed. The church, made of rubble stone and brick next to the temple, was built in the 4th century after the abandonment of the Artemis temple and was used as a Christian place of worship until the beginning of the 600's.

The crown of Izmir: Kadifekale. After a long period of silence, the castle, which became invisible in the 20th century, surrounded by buildings, has the distinction of being the calmest and most beautiful place in Izmir with the partial repairs and landscaping works carried out in recent years. Kadifekale, which was established at a point that dominates the gulf in the centre of Izmir, was built by Lysimachos, one of his generals, on the instructions of Alexander the Great in the 3rd century BC. Established at an altitude of 186 meters above sea level, Kadifekale is located on an area of 6 kilometres. The north and east walls and five towers of the castle, whose east and south walls were completely destroyed, survived. The height of the towers is 20-35 meters. There is a large arched cistern from the Byzantine Period and the remains of a mosque in the castle.

There was a hydraulic boiler room on the left of the hall at the entrance of Mithatpasha Street, and the engine room on the left of the Halil Rifat Pasha Street exit of the elevator, which is built with a double cabin and whose mechanism on the left operates with water vapour and the mechanism on the right works with electrical energy. At the arrival point of the elevator, there is a wooden balcony carried by iron brackets, and the cast-iron railings of the balcony are decorated with the most beautiful motifs of the period. the elevator was built to facilitate transport between the two streets, one made for this purpose in Turkey, is among the few examples in the world. The Historical Elevator, which was donated to Izmir Municipality in 1983, was restored in 1985 and both cabins were arranged with electricity. The elevator, which served urban transportation until 1992, was brought into urban tourism after the second restoration carried out by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in 1992

"Havra (Synagogue) street is a lively street from the first light of the morning to the dark of the evening. It is also the one who brings together the freshest of vegetables and fruits that decorate Izmir's tables with Izmir residents, shedding light on the history and culture of Jews, one of the building blocks of urban identity, is Havra street.
Every Jewish group that comes to Izmir from Spain and Portugal built a synagogue for itself. The result is a landscape unlike anywhere else in the world today. Dozens of synagogues standing side by side, back to back. In addition to these, private synagogues formed by a room in houses; Places of worship up to fifty in total. What would you say to take a nostalgic trip by throwing ourselves into these narrow streets, most of which are not standing today, some of those who are standing still give their last breath, and some of which are very valuable cultural treasures of Izmir?

At the same time, the historical street bearing the name of Dario Moreno, a famous Turkish musician and cinema artist of Jewish origin, has a distinct charm in this aspect when integrated with the historical elevator. The street where the famous singer lived with his 4 siblings and his mother in the 1940s was named "Dario Moreno Street" with the decision of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in 1992, and the house of Moreno in the historical Dario Moreno Street, where the old Italian style gum houses are located, was organized as a museum.

Beth-Israel is the favourite of Izmir's Jews. It is considered the most beautiful synagogue not only in Izmir but also in the whole near east, with its magnificence, beauty and the effect of carrying new European trends. It is more magnificent and different from Havra (synagogue) Street in every aspect. Especially the most beautiful places of this synagogue are Teva and Ehal. The seats of the synagogue are lined up like a theatre hall. The most interesting thing is that, as seen in many synagogues, hidden seats are made for children to sit on the back of the seats and can be opened when desired. The most interesting thing about this synagogue is that it is on the east wall of the Holy Ehal, that is, not in the direction of Jerusalem, but on the south wall. The reason is the shape of the plot. In some parts of prayers, people turn to the left, which is the east wall, and worship is done. (There is no guarantee to be able to get inside!)