Karsiyaka
General Information
District: Izmir, State: Aegean Region, Turkey
Area: 102.4 km²
Languages Spoken: Turkish
Long Distance Code: (+90) 0232
Best Time to Visit: May to August
International Access: Izmir Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB)Description
Karsiyaka's overall level of education is recognized as being of the highest in Turkey and besides being an active venue of commerce, culturl and educational actitivies and tourism, Karsiyaka also boasts of an advanced urban culture of its own, centered around the cherished home team Karsiyaka SK, which commands a large and passionate fan base. History and sights of interest Traces of the earliest phases of the timeline of İzmir, such as "The Tomb of Tantalus" and "Old Smyrna" are located at a stone's throw from Karsiyaka, in the very recently constituted metropolitan district of Bayrakli, which was formerly within the boundaries of the district of Karsiyaka. Karsiyaka was described in frequent terms of admiration by travellers who visited İzmir, and they could not help mention in detail the dense forests of Mount Yamanlar, reaching as far as the coast, and the beautiful gardens and orchards which garnished the shoreline and along the beds of its four streams, namely Ahirkuyu, Serinkuyu, Laka and Bornova. Named Karsiyaka (literally "the opposite shore") in Turkish since the 11th century, the locality was alternatively called Cordelio or Cordelieu or Kordelyo in European or Greek sources until the beginning of the 20th century. These names were supposed to make reference to Richard the Lionheart (Coeur de Lion), who is not attested to have come to these waters in person, but it was usually claimed that the area was named in the 1190s by a contingent of Crusaders of the Third Crusade who had accosted here and had named it in honor of Europe's most famed soldier of the time. This explanation of the name is disputed, some sources taking as point of departure the mention of the name (in the form "Kordeleon") in Byzantine documents of the 14th century and questioning whether the name Cordelio is the continuation of a more ancient settlement yet unexplored, as is most of ancient Aeolia. Still very leafy and lush generally despite intensive construction of medium- to high-rise apartments and office buildings in recent decades, Karsiyaka grew in size after the entry into service of İzmir-Menemen railroad in 1865, and the start of urban ferry services in 1874 by a British company under an Ottoman imperial lease accorded by Abdülhamid II and named "Hamidiye" for this reason. A second shipping company put two other ferries in service starting 1880, followed in 1884 by a third company. Very rapidly, it became fashionable for European and Levantine inhabitants of İzmir, concentrated in Bornova and Buca until then, to build or purchase houses in Karsiyaka particularly for the dowry of their daughters, which contributed to the growing popularity among the rich of the gulf's northern shores. In pace with its resort-like atmosphere, Karsiyaka saw a number of beautiful Ottoman konaks or Levantine mansions erected within its boundaries, especially along the shoreline and serving as secondary residence. Luxury multi-storey residences at immediate seaside quickly rose next to modest inner quartiers around the train station where the working class was concentrated and the Turkish village of Sogukkuyu The commuting movements and the way of life of İzmir's inhabitants were profoundly changed since then with Karsiyaka becoming part of the urban fabric. By the time of the 1891 census, Karsiyaka had already acquired the appearance of a large township with 832 houses and a permanent population of 1080. A sizable Turkish population had been was also made to settle in Karsiyaka's Sogukkuyu some time before that date and that area is still distinguished by its rustic houses in the middle of the urban zone. In the meantime, the former village of Papa Scala or Papazkale or Papazköyü or Papaz İskelesi (Priest's quay) to the west came to be known as Bostanli, in reference to melons and watermelons from Menemen which were discharged and loaded on ships here . The three most important reminders of the Levantine heritage still intact in Karsiyaka are the Alliotti, Van Der Zee and Löhner houses. The first was built by a prominent Levantine family of Italian origins in 1914 and was exchanged in the 1920s against property belonging to Durmus Yasar, the founder of Yasar Holding. The mansion is known today under Yasar's name and serves as a vocational training center. The two others are recently restored and the first floor of the Van Der Zee mansion has been put by the municipality to the service of the public in the form of a café (Eski Ev Cafe). There is also a 1904-built Catholic Church (Saint Helen church) that served a community of about 200 families and which is recently restored. Edouard Balladur, the former Prime Minister of France, notably, was baptized there. There are also more modest but still lovely little houses, characterized by their engaged front doors and narrow lines, termed as "Sakiz houses", and which are very typical of the region surrounding İzmir. Karsiyaka is also where Zübeyde Hanim, Atatürk's mother, spent her last days in end-1922 and January 1923, and is where she is buried. The house she died, which belonged to the family of Latife Ussaki, Mustafa Kemal Pasha's wife, is restored and it is located right in the center of the urban zone, near the main commercial street, Karsiyaka's famous Carsi.Location
Karsiyaka is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. It is part of the Greater Metropolitan Area of İzmir, in other words a metropolitan district, the second largest after Konak in terms of population, and it is almost entirely urbanized at the rate of 99,9 per cent, with corresponding high levels of development in terms of lifestyle and services. Karsiyaka extends for twelve kilometers along the northern and eastern coastline of the tip of the Gulf of İzmir. Its center is at a distance of 20 km (12 mi) to the north from the traditional center of entire İzmir, that is Konak Square in Konak at the opposite coast, and İzmir's central areas are of quicker and easier access from Karsiyaka by ferry, in fifteen minutes to half an hour to various quays located along the Gulf's southern coastline, rather than by land by going round the gulf's outlying coastline. Karsiyaka's district area neighbors the district areas of Menemen to the north, Bornova to the east and Cigli to the west, the last two also being among İzmir's metropolitan districts.Climate
Karsiyaka bears the general charactristics of the Mediterranean climate zone. It is rainy in winter and hot in summer. As it is the case for İzmir's entire coastline, Karsiyaka benefits on a daily basis from the famous north-west wind called "imbat", beca