Traces of the earliest phases of the
timeline of İzmir, such as "The Tomb of
Tantalus" and "
Old Smyrna" are located at a stone's throw from Karşıyaka, in the very recently constituted metropolitan district of
Bayraklı, which was formerly within the boundaries of the district of Karşıyaka. Karşıyaka was described in frequent terms of admiration by travellers who visited İzmir, and they could not help but mention in detail the dense forests of Mount Yamanlar, reaching as far as the coast, and the gardens and orchards which garnish the shoreline and along the beds of its four streams, namely Ahırkuyu, Serinkuyu, Laka and Bornova. Named Karşıyaka (
literally "the opposite shore") in
Turkish since the 11th century, the locality was alternatively called
Cordelio or
Cordelieu or
Kordelio (Κορδελιό) in
European or
Greek sources until the beginning of the 20th century. These names were supposed to make reference to
Richard the Lionheart (
Coeur de Lion), who is not attested to have come to these waters in person, but it was usually claimed that the area was named in the 1190s by a contingent of
Crusaders of the
Third Crusade who was accosted here and had named it in honour of
Europe's most famed soldier of the time. This explanation of the name is disputed, some sources taking as point of departure the mention of the name (
in the form "Kordeleon") in
Byzantine documents of the 14th century and questioning whether the name Cordelio is the continuation of a more ancient settlement yet unexplored, as is most of ancient
Aeolia. in Karşıyaka Still very leafy and lush generally despite intensive construction of medium- to
high-rise apartments and office buildings in recent decades, Karşıyaka grew in size after the entry into service of İzmir-Menemen railroad in 1865, and the start of urban ferry services in 1874 by a
British company under an Ottoman imperial lease accorded by
Abdülhamid II and named "Hamidiye" for this reason. A second shipping company put two other ferries in service starting 1880, followed in 1884 by a third company. Very rapidly, it became fashionable for European and
Levantine inhabitants of İzmir, concentrated in Bornova and
Buca until then, to build or purchase houses in Karşıyaka particularly for the dowry of their daughters, which contributed to the growing popularity among the rich of the gulf's northern shores. In pace with its resort-like atmosphere, Karşıyaka saw a number of
Ottoman konaks or
Levantine mansions erected within its boundaries, especially along the shoreline and serving as secondary residence. Luxury multi-storey residences at immediate seaside quickly rose next to modest inner quartiers around the train station where the working class was concentrated and the Turkish village of Soğukkuyu The commuting movements and the way of life of İzmir's inhabitants were profoundly changed since then with Karşıyaka becoming part of the urban fabric. By the time of the 1891 census, Karşıyaka had already acquired the appearance of a large township with 832 houses and a permanent population of 1080. A sizable Turkish population settled in Karşıyaka's Soğukkuyu some time before that date and that area is still distinguished by its rustic houses in the middle of the urban zone. In the meantime, the former village of Papa Scala or Papazkale or Papazköyü or Papaz İskelesi (''Priest's quay'') to the west came to be known as Bostanlı, in reference to
melons and
watermelons from Menemen which were discharged and loaded on ships here. (
Atatürk's wife) in Karşıyaka, prior to its restoration (2006) The four most important reminders of the Levantine heritage still intact in Karşıyaka are the Alliotti, Penetti, Van Der Zee, and Löhner houses. The first was built by a prominent Levantine family of
Italian origins in 1914 and was exchanged in the 1920s against property belonging to Durmuş Yaşar, the founder of Yaşar Holding. The mansion is known today under Yaşar's name and serves as a vocational training centre. The last two have recently been restored; the first floor of the Van Der Zee mansion has been put to public use by the municipality in the form of a
café (
Eski Ev Cafe). , a
Cretan-Turk within the vanguard of the 14th Cavalry Division which liberated Karşıyaka on 9 September 1922. There is also a 1904-built
Catholic Church (
Saint Helen church) that served a community of about 200 families and which is recently restored.
Edouard Balladur, the former
Prime Minister of France, notably, was baptised there. There are also more modest but still lovely little houses, characterised by their engaged front doors and narrow lines, termed as "
Sakız houses", and which are highly typical of the region surrounding İzmir. Karşıyaka is also where
Zübeyde Hanım,
Atatürk's mother, spent her last days in end-1922 and January 1923, and is where she is buried. The house she died, which belonged to the family of
Latife Uşşaki, Mustafa Kemal Pasha's wife, is restored and it is located right in the centre of the urban zone, near the main commercial street, Karşıyaka's famous
Çarşı. Atatürk's feelings and words about Karşıyaka: İzmir‘in Karşıyakalıları ... Sizi derin muhabbetle selamlarım ... Ben bütün İzmir’i ve bütün İzmirlileri severim. Güzel İzmir’in temiz kalpli insanlarının da beni sevdiklerine eminim. Yanlız bir rastlantı beni Karşıyaka’ya daha fazla bağlamıştır. Karşıyakalılar, annem sinenizde, sizin topraklarınızda yatıyor. Karşıyakalılar, İzmir’i gördüğüm gün öncelikle Karşıyaka’yı ve orada sizin Türk topraklarınızda yatan anamın mezarını gördüm. ==Administration==