Houses.... houses.../1

Smyrna was burned in 1922. Only some of the houses in Northern Pounta survived. The "apartmentization" of the 70's tore down most of the old Greek houses that were the character of the city. Only a few survived. The Greek Consulate building, a house that Mustafa Kemal stayed back in his day (a museum now) and 2 more survived on the seaside. However just 50 yards inside, a whole small quarter of Greek houses survive as bars, cafes or restaurants. They remind the visitors of the jolly days of fun and excitement of their time in "Palia Ellada" (Old Greece).

Seaside promenade of Smyrna. The 2 low buildings in the middle are Greek and German Consulate buildings, abandoned since the last earthquake, waiting for all powerful but inapt European Union to renovate them.

A gorgeous Greek house on the corner of two cobweb streets stand as a reminder of its glorious days, renovated but vacant.

Very stylish Greek house serving as a bar where many popular rock groups are featured live.

Famous old street of residential homes, now named after Turkish female martyrs of the war is reserved for entertainment of all varieties. Bars, nargile houses, cafes and restaurants galore.

Renovations move on to side streets. Here old houses are being restored to become bars in 2008. (These pictures are taken by the author in April, 2008. New pictures of the same area will be published here soon)