When and why should you visit the ancient cities of Izmir?

Within İzmir province lie more than half of the twelve Ionian cities, a Hellenistic capital and the centre of Rome's province of Asia. Seeing them all takes weeks; this piece is here to help you choose by interest and time.

Ephesus is for everyone. The Mediterranean's best-preserved ancient city; its streets, library, theatre and the frescoes of the Terrace Houses are the most tangible form of Roman life. If you are seeing an ancient city for the first time, start here without argument. Allow three hours; İZBAN to Selçuk takes ninety minutes. March–May and October are best; in summer, the 8:30 opening or a night visit.

Pergamon is for the history enthusiast. Less crowded than Ephesus, more dramatic; a Hellenistic royal capital on a steep hill and the world's steepest ancient theatre. Combined with the Asklepion it is also a centre of medical history. Allow a full day, two hours by bus. Spring and autumn; in summer the cable car and the wind make the Acropolis bearable.

The Agora of Smyrna is for staying in town. A Roman marketplace on the edge of Kemeraltı; the vaulted galleries of the basilica show the layer beneath the city. An hour is enough. A good summary for those without time for Ephesus, a good warm-up for those with.

Bayraklı is for the curious. The first İzmir before Kadifekale; settlement from the Bronze Age to the archaic period and the foundations of a temple of Athena. Low visual impact, high historical meaning. Thirty to forty-five minutes, reached by İZBAN, free.

Klazomenai is for olive oil. Beside Urla İskele; its most interesting feature is the reconstructed sixth-century BC olive-oil workshop. A forty-five-minute addition to a peninsula trip.

Teos is for silence. Beside Sığacık among olive groves; the Temple of Dionysus and the theatre. Visitors are next to none, and for an hour the city is yours.

Erythrai is for the view. North of Çeşme, on a hill facing Chios, with theatre and wall remains. You need a car, but from the top you forget about the car.

The comparison goes like this. One day, Ephesus. Two days, Ephesus and Pergamon. If you cannot leave the city, the Agora and the Archaeology Museum, where most of the finds are. If you are on the peninsula, Klazomenai and Teos are natural parts of the trip.

Common notes. The Müzekart works at all of them except the House of the Virgin Mary. None has shade; hat, water, sunscreen. Do not visit a site at summer midday; 8:30 in the morning and after 5 p.m. are the best hours. The Terrace Houses and the Bergama cable car charge separately. Footwear matters at every site; the marble is slippery, the stone uneven, people have come in heels, and they were not happy.

A last word. Before going to the ancient cities, give an hour to the Archaeology Museum. Seeing in place where the statues you saw there came from doubles the meaning of the trip.