Karşıyaka Vapur İskelesi

Karşıyaka Ferry Terminal stands on the northern shore of the Gulf of İzmir, at the point where Kemalpaşa Caddesi, the district's shopping axis, reaches the sea. The terminal on Cemal Gürsel Caddesi, which runs parallel to the water, lies within the Tuna neighbourhood and is considered the heart of Karşıyaka. The district takes its name from lying directly opposite the city centre of İzmir; 19th-century Western sources call the place Kordelio. The story of the terminal also begins with this position facing the city: ferry services in the gulf started in 1884 with the Hamidiye company, and the first pier in Karşıyaka was a small wooden structure. According to Karşıyaka Municipality, after the railway arrived in 1865, the Hamidiye steamers calling at this wooden pier accelerated the growth of the district; Levantine and foreign merchants built waterside mansions and villas along the shore. The Hamidiye Steamship Company had been founded in İzmir in 1883 and operated the gulf lines until 1915. The wooden pier served until 1937; it was replaced first by a concrete pier and, in 1962, by a second concrete pier. Turkish Wikipedia writes that the terminal in use today was built in 1992 and its operation was transferred to İZDENİZ, a company of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. The English article, however, dates the building to the 1940s and 1950s and gives 1992 as the year of the transfer, so the sources differ on the age of the structure. What is certain is this: gulf ferry services were run by Turkish Maritime Enterprises between 1983 and 2000, and by İZDENİZ since 2000. The two-storey concrete terminal carries the word KARŞIYAKA in large letters on its street facade and a clock at roof level, with the ferry berths on the sea side. Ferries sail from here towards Konak, Pasaport, Alsancak, Göztepe and Üçkuyular; the Konak line is the most frequent. Frequency and times change with the season, so check the current timetable and fares on the official İZDENİZ website. The crossing is short but the view is long: as the ferry from Karşıyaka cuts across the gulf, the tall buildings of Bayraklı appear on the left, with the slope of Kadifekale and the Konak shore straight ahead. Choose the open deck especially in the late afternoon, when the sun drops towards the western end of the gulf. The terminal is not only a transport node but the district's meeting place; it also appears as an event venue in the culture and arts calendar of the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. In terms of transport the terminal is an interchange. The Karşıyaka İskele stop of the T1 tram line is right in front of it; ESHOT bus stops and a Bisim bike-share station are also nearby. The terminal has disabled access and infrastructure for bicycles. Those using İZBAN can get off at Karşıyaka station and walk the full length of the bazaar to the terminal; this walk of roughly one kilometre passes between the shops of Kemalpaşa Caddesi. Immediately east of the terminal lies Anayasa Meydanı. The Monument to Atatürk, His Mother and Women's Rights in the square was opened on 26 October 1973; between 2017 and 2018 the sea was filled in and the square was enlarged from 8,000 to 15,000 square metres. The square hosts most of the district's open-air events. Walking east along the shore brings you to the Zübeyde Hanım Memorial Tomb, walking west takes you to Bostanlı; the coastal path is laid out for walking, running and cycling. Kemalpaşa Caddesi, which begins right behind the terminal, is the Karşıyaka Bazaar and the busiest pedestrian axis of the district. The Latife Hanım Mansion Memorial House is also within the district, a short ride from the terminal. The right way to start exploring Karşıyaka is to arrive by ferry: the boat you board at Konak or Pasaport drops you straight into the centre of the district. When you leave the terminal, first stop by Anayasa Meydanı, then head into the bazaar. For the return in the evening, plan around the time of the last ferry and find a place on the side facing the western shore of the gulf as the sun sets. The best photograph is the angle in which the terminal building appears in front of the Bayraklı skyline as the ferry approaches the pier. In the winter months the wind on the gulf can be harsh; dress accordingly if you are going out onto the open deck. On summer evenings, on the other hand, the area around the terminal and the square stay crowded until late at night.