The city of Izmir (Smyrna) was built on a small island that was northeast of the Bay. In the following years, the alluvium carried by the rain, coming from the Sipylos mountain, he created Today’s Bornova and that small island became a hill. Today, on this hill stands the vineyard belonging to Tekel Vine Beer Company.
Excavations show that the first settlements in Izmir date back to the 7000 BC Although it is estimated that the story of Old Smyrna in Bayrakli goes even further beyond 3000 B.C., foundlings only go back to 3000 B.C. From these excavations, we came to the information that the first houses had been built at 3-5 meters on the edge of the sea. The first settlement had developed in this part in the Early Bronze Age.
During the Iron Age, the houses of Izmir (Smyrna) were (small or large, not mattered) built as one-room buildings. the house more ancient that was found dates from the year 925 B.C. and 900 B.S. This house was found well protected (2.45 x 4 m.), walls of mud puddled (adobe), roof of reeds.
The people of ancient Izmir had tried to protect their city with a wall of puddled clay 850 B.S. It can be said that from this date, Old Izmir had gained a state identity. Furthermore, although it is not certain, it is estimated that a gentleman supreme called "Basileus" he was controlling the city. The Lords with their families that handled the immigrations and the Notables formed the Nobility. The population of downtown was about 1000 people. A greater number of people he lived outside the city, in the villages. In these villages, people take care of the agriculture (olive cultivation, vineyard cultivation, citrus cultivation, …), crafts and fishing.
The Temple of Athena was the most sacred structure of the time. The remains of this temple that reach our days, date back to 725-700 B.C. The years between 650-545 B.S. they were the brilliant era of Smyrna. This period that lasted more or less 100 years formed the strongest era of the Ion Empire. In this period, Smyrna was not only successful in agriculture, but also made great achievements in Mediterranean trade.
All of this enrichment began with the proliferation of the 650 B.S. Also in relation to those times, during the excavations carried out still today scripts are found about the gifts that were offered to the goddess Athena. temple of Athena 650-580 B.S. It is the oldest architectural work belonging to the Period Eastern Hellenistic. With respect to that period, the column headings more ancient and beautiful till today are in Izmir.
In the 7th century, Smyrna was planned on a grid. The streets and avenues stretched from north to south and east to west, and most of the houses faced south.
This plan of the city that would take the name of; hippodamos; at 5 B.S. it had already been known in the Near East. The Bayraklı city plan is the first example of this in the western world. The oldest parquet street of the Ionian Empire is located in ancient Izmir in Bayraklı. The oldest work of civil architecture from the Hellenistic period is a source of stone that was built in the 7th century and is also found in the ancient izmir The Crypt of Tantalos, which is located on the Yamanlar mountain, is also a fine example of a monumental script.
