Izmir, seagulls, and ruins.

Time: October 2024 Destination: Izmir/Ephesus, Turkey Recommendation: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 🇹🇷 The first stop in the land of the crescent and star, Izmir has a history of 8,500 years. Located on the eastern side of the Aegean Sea, it faces 🇬🇷 across the sea, with a long coastline and a long history and ancient monuments. Izmir is not a big city, and if you stay by the sea, it's good for a city walk. The clock tower and the big elevator are within walking distance. It's quiet but boring. Turkey is mountainous, and many houses are built on the hills, which is a bit like Kashgar. Flags are everywhere. On the second day, we went to Ephesus. Turkey's infrastructure is relatively backward, and the train took nearly two hours to travel a few dozen kilometers. The ancient city of Ephesus is worth a special visit. It was founded by the Athenians in the 10th century BC and is the largest Greco-Roman city in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World (unfortunately, it is currently under renovation). Although it is now in ruins, you can still imagine its former glory through the existing opera house, city hall, temples, murals, and carvings. Overall, if you're not that interested in history and culture, there's no need to visit Izmir.