Izmir's central square, called Konak Meydani, is located at the the southern end of Ataturk Street. It is quite long and stretches straight out to the Izmir Bay. Most of the square is occupied by the central bus station, so it's always crowded. On the territory of Konak Square there are boat docks, administrative buildings, cultural centres and hospitals. The nearby shopping districts offer numerous shops, souvenir shops and lively restaurants. In recent years, the square has been landscaped and, together with the surrounding pedestrianised streets, has been turned into the city's main tourist area.
In the heart of Konak Square stands the 25-metre high Clock Tower, one of the most important symbols of the city. The clock tower, also called Saat Kulesi, was built in 1901 by the French architect Raymond Charles Pere as a as a gift to the city from Sultan Abdulhamid. The large clock adorning the tower is a gift of the German Emperor Wilhelm II. The tower is late Ottoman in style and strangely does not contain any inscriptions.
Next to the governor's mansion on the square is a small octagonal mosque called Yahli, which means "coastal" in Turkish. The mosque was built in 1754 at the expense of Ayşe Hanım, the wife of the wealthy Izmir landowner Katipzade Mehmed Pasha. It is small but graceful and is decorated with colourful ceramic tiles from Kütahya. The mosque is tiled with turquoise tiles.
Not far from the square is the Museum of Fine Arts. In its halls are exhibited works by contemporary Turkish artists. There is also beautiful Archaeological Museum, which preserves the ancient history of Izmir. In its basement contains ancient sarcophagi, skilful bas-reliefs and a few beautiful sculptures, including statues of Demeter and Poseidon. On the southern side of Konak Square is the Aegean University Cultural Centre, a complex of buildings of unusual architectural style, which includes music academy, an opera house, exhibition halls and the Museum of Modern Art.
Konak Square has for many years been the most popular meeting place for local residents.
