Izmir Panorama Tour

Izmir Panorama Tour

Enjoy a panoramic tour of Turkey's third largest city and visit the Ancient Agora and Izmir Archaeological Museum. Izmir is set on a steep hill overlooking the Bay of Izmir. This city is full of history dating back to the 3rd century BC. The ancient name is Smyrna and has always been a trading center and famous for its port.

From the port we will drive through this very modern city with many traces of its ancient past. In the center of the city we visit the remains of the ancient Agora. The Agora was built in approximately 178 BC during the Hellenistic period after the conquests of Alexander the Great. The Agora is today mostly in ruins. What little is left remains because of Faustina, wife of Marcus Aurelius, who had the agora rebuilt after an earthquake devastated the original in 178 AD.

The agora was excavated by German and Turkish archaeologists between 1932 and 1941. Surrounded on the west and north by colonnades, the agora once had a large altar dedicated to Zeus in the center.
A substantial part of the western colonnade is still standing. Look for a portrait of Faustina, the wife of Marcus Aurelius, on an arch in the colonnade. Also visible at the site are various capitals, remnants of three of the four main gates, some recognizable stalls, architectural fragments bearing medieval coats of arms and a stone slab that may have been used as a gaming board.

From here, we continue to the Archeological Museum that houses many artifacts found in the Agora. The Museum exhibits an impressive collection of ancient and Roman artifacts recovered from area excavations. These include a chronological exhibit of pottery, ceramics, and glass, as well as funerary objects and the reconstruction of a 3rd-millennium-B.C. tomb. Larger stone and marble statues take up the lower floor, including statues of Poseidon, Demeter, and Artemis taken from the altar of Zeus in the Agora, and a river god that ornamented a fountain at Ephesus.

Upon leaving the museum, we will take a panoramic orientation drive through the city before returning to the port.

Notes: A minimum participation is required to operate all Yachting Land Adventures and some have limited capacity. All adventures and prices in the SeaDream Yachting Land Adventures program are subject to change. Final tour details and prices will be announced onboard.

Port: Izmir

Duration: 3 hours

Current Price: 89 USD