TURKEY /

About Izmit

This large and heavily industrialized city is located east of Istanbul at the tip of the Gulf of Izmit. Not to be confused with Izmir, the reputed birthplace of Homer, Izmit has historically been one of the most important cities in northwest Asia Minor, and has been Greek, Roman, and Turkish. Some of its major historical sites include the remains of an ancient Acropolis, parts of the Temple of Augustus and Roman city walls and aqueducts.

Attractions around Izmit

Ephesus

See the most entire classical metropolis in Europe, of which only 18 percent has been excavated and renovated. Ephesus was the ancient Roman capital of Asia Minor, with a population of more than 250,000, and was the site of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. Recent discoveries include a gladiator’s cemetery and the remains of a Roman-era synagogue. Some of its most notable remains include the Vedius Gymnasium, the city’s stadium, the Grand Theater and the Marble Way.