Highlights of Izmir: Half-Day Walking Tour

Izmir has been historically a port, a town with a strong goddess cult, later a stronghold of Christianity, with a large Jewish presence. It is not a coincidence that trade, prosperity, religious diversity and monotheism and goddess worship intermingled in Izmir. Ports are starting points of connections with other lands. Those living in port cities are open to new ideas which allows for diverse religions to coexist. Salvation which goddess religions provided opened the way for salvation offered by monotheist religions. Bishop Polycarp who chose to be burned on the stakes rather than honor the emperor as god and Sebatay Zhivi who chose to superficially convert to Islam rather than lose his life, represent two different responses to religious persecution. These and other themes we will discuss as we stroll through the Kemeraltı Bazaar, Roman Agora and the Church of Polycarp. Through comprehensive and interesting information I will share as your guide, an author, historian and scholar, formerly an academic.