Kadifekale is located at the top of Mount Kadifekale on Laleli Mahallesi in Izmir, just east of the city’s Konak district. Expect about ten minutes in a car from the center of town.
While Kadifekale is open all day, year-round, go during the morning since travelers say the neighborhood feels less than safe at night. Come to Izmir from June to August when the weather is pleasant and the rains are infrequent. While it does get hot during the day, at night you are rewarded with cool sea breezes. Late May/early June, come for the prestigious International Izmir Festival.
When Alexander the Great conquered the ancient city of Smyrna (now Izmir), he relocated it atop Mt Pagos (now Kadifekale). Inside the castle’s fortified walls were beautiful buildings, a glittering city that poets related to the goddess Cybele, the Great Mother of the Gods and Protector of the City, who possessed the sea at her feet and a crown in the shape of a building.
