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The Aegean Region |
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| The Aegean Region is a unique region in Turkey opening to the sea extensively. It covers 11% of Turkey’s lands with an approximate area of 79,000 km². In this region where 8,938,781 people reside according to the 2000 census, 5.49 million people live in urban areas and the remaining 3.44 million in rural areas. The population growth rate is below the average in Turkey with 16.29‰. |
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| The Aegean Region ranks second after the Marmara Region in terms of industrialization. Textiles, food and automotive industries being in the lead, machinery, spare parts and other industrial organizations are concentrated in İzmir while the cooking oil industry is concentrated around Edremit and Ayvalık. There are sugar plants in Uşak, Kütahya and Afyon, and nitrate factories in Kütahya. Cotton textile industry is widespread in İzmir, Uşak, Aydın, Nazilli and especially Denizli. Denizli is the most important textiles and export center of the region. Meanwhile, the Aegean inland, particularly Uşak, Kula, Gördes, Simav and Demirci are famous for hand-woven carpets. |
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| Afyon is renowned for its marble and marble production facilities. The Çamaltı salt flat in İzmir bay is the most |
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Aizoni
- KÜTAHYA |
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significant salt production center in Turkey. The region makes a considerable contribution to the electric power production in Turkey through the thermal power plants in Soma, Tunçbilek and Yatağan, and hydroelectric power plants in Kemer and Demirköprü. There is also a large petroleum refinery in Aliağa in the vicinity of İzmir. |
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| The famous historian Herodotus of Bodrum had described the region as “Having the most beautiful skies and the best climate in the world”. The region is rich by nature as well as historical assets. The antique theaters, temples, agoras and castles have turned the Aegean into a region where mythology comes to life. |
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 İzmir, Pearl of the Aegean: “Beautiful İzmir”, the birthplace of the noted epic bard Homer, is a momentous tourism, arts, culture, trade and industrial center. |
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| The very first settlement in İzmir is Bayraklı (3,000 B.C.). The city came under the influence of the Hittite state after 1,500 B.C.; and Alexander the Great constructed a citadel which still exists in Kadifekale and rearranged the city on the slopes of Kadifekale in the 4th century B.C. The city gained prominence during Roman times and came under the Ottoman rule after Byzantine domination. İzmir, liberated from Greek occupation on September 9, 1922 with the National War of Independence, shortly became the third largest city in Turkey. |
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| The Kültürpark (Culture Park) is in the central quarters of the city. The popular International İzmir Fair is held in this area annually. The city is also known for the International İzmir Festival, one of the most praised festivals in Turkey. |
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| Çeşme is among İzmir’s most beautiful and Turkey’s most popular holiday resorts. The Urla quay and Çeşmealtı are known for their beautiful beaches and islands. Balıklıova is noted for its fresh fish; Mordoğan and Karaburun for their untouched shores and beaches as well as a nature where narcissuses and hyacinths grow in the mountains in wintertime. |
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The magnificent Çeşme Citadel was constructed by the Ottomans in the 16th century. The Süleyman the Magnificent Caravanserai nearby the citadel is restored and |
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