The
Festival is a member of the European Festivals Association
24th International İzmir Festival
Venues
Celsius Library, Ephesus
Located at Selcuk, Izmir, the library which was
build between AD 115 and 117 during the Roman
times is two-storied. It is estimated that it
housed 12.500 books once upon a time.
Moreover, as the building was encircled by a
second wall on the exterior, the library is very
well protected against humidity both at the
bottom and on the sides. It is observed that
there are two rows of rectangular niches one
above the other in the back and side walls. The
existence of a third niche in the building
indicates that the building was in fact
three-storied although it seems to have two
stories from the outside. Manuscripts were kept
in the form of scrolls on the upper floors
consisting of galleries. The reading room was
burnt during the earthquakes affecting the
region in the 3rd century AD, but repaired at a
later date. It is guessed that the façade also
collapsed as a consequence of an earthquake in
the medieval times.
The library has a façade with so rich
architectural decoration. The architectural
components on the façade are supported by four
pairs of columns. Behind each pair of columns is
a niche in the wall and gates and windows
between each pair. As understood from the
inscriptions on the banisters, Gaius Julius
Aquilla, who became a consul in AD 110, had the
library built as a heroon for his father Gaius
Celsus Polemeanus and left 25.000 denarii for
the upkeeping of and purchasing books for the
library. Aquila’s heirs had the library
completed (circa AD 135). The sarcophagus of
Celsus carved out of marble is still standing in
the vaulted chamber under the large central
niche. The bones of the deceased were found in a
lead coffin in the sarcophagus.
The forecourt of the building was converted into
a pool in AD 400. Large reliefs from a monument
erected in the pool in order to commemorate the
victory of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus over
the Parthians were unearthed during excavations
and are now ion display in the Vienna
Archaeological Museum.
Theatre of Asclepium
Its past going back to the 4th century BC,
Medical City Asclepium was established in
dedication to Asclepius, god of medicine in
mythology and maintained its activities as a
renowned medical centre until the 5th century
AD. The propylon of Asclepium which proves that
Bergama was an outstanding medical city in the
antiquity is called Viran Kapi (Ruined Gate) and
still standing today.
It is known that there was an inscription
reading “Death is not admitted” and of those who
were examined at the entrance, the fatally sick
patients who might not possibly recover were not
admitted in. Those patients who were admitted in
used to walk in the 650m long sacred street,
drink and wash themselves in the curative water
which is still drinkable at present and then
start to be treated. In the Asclepium where it
is understood by the findings that operations
were even performed, treatment was applied by
the use of medicine, herbs, music, mud and sun
baths. Known to have brought up such famous
physicians as Galen, Asclepium also houses the
serpent column which is the symbol of medicine.
Moreover, in Asclepium, there is a theatre
seating 3.500 spectators which is still in use
at present.
Ahmed Adnan Saygun Centre of Arts
Ahmed Adnan Saygun Centre consists of three
major parts: Town Square, Culture Platform and
Centre of Arts. At the Centre are located a hall
seating 243 spectators and exhibition spaces
spreading across three stories and
interconnected by a bridge as well as the great
hall. Architect Tevfik Tozkoparan, who is the
project owner, converted the trolleybus terminal
and maintenance workshop of the past which is
but a memory now into a centre for artistic
activities.
AASSM comes to the forefront with large
galleries which shall host plastic arts and
contemporary arts as well as the concert hall
which has been brought into being with a careful
acoustic plan. The concert hall which is the
jewel of AASSM has proven a grandiose concert
hall from the projecting stage to the
application stage. The acoustic project having
been undertaken by the British company ARUP
which is experienced in its own field, the hall
was built without overlooking any fine details
such as the structure analysed according to the
instruments to be played thereon of the platform
on which the orchestra shall play.
The pre-stage platform with an elevator in the
concert hall seating 1153 spectators reaches a
height equal to the stage at its top-most level,
thus allowing performances attended by a large
number of instrumentalists, and in case it is
lowered down to the level of the spectators, it
may allow for an additional seating capacity.
The platform which functions as an orchestra pit
when it is lowered to its lowest level allows
for the realisation of such performances as
ballet, modern dancing or opera as well.
Çeşme Castle
The most-visited historical work in Cesme, the
castle built by Beyazid II is now used as a
museum. And the Cesme castle was built by the
architect Mehmet, son of Ahmet through the
governor of Aydin Mir Haydar upon the orders of
the Ottoman Sultan Beyazid II in 1508. The
initial construction of the castle took place
just by the seaside. However, it took its
present position due to the filling in of the
sea in subsequent years.
The castle and the harbour protected the trade
and war ships against adverse weather conditions
and enemy attacks. The southern gate of the
fortress bears all the characteristics of the
Ottoman architecture. The Cesme Archaeological
Museum is located within the castle which has
reached the present ay in a very good state of
preservation.
The Museum of Cesme was first opened to visitors
as a weapons museum with the weapons brought in
from the Istanbul Topkapi Museum in 1965 and
maintained its status until 1984. As the weapons
displayed started to oxidise and deteriorate due
to excessive humidity in the hall, they were
transferred to the museums in Izmir and Odemis.
The same display hall has been re-arranged and
is now used to display the works unearthed in
the course of the excavations carried out at the
ancient town of Erythrai (Ildiri).
Sigacik Fortress
Background of the fortress which history, nature
and technology have failed to wear out goes back
to the Seljuk period. When it was destroyed by
severe earthquakes, it was repaired first by
Aydinogullari and then the Ottomans. Suleiman
the Magnificent caused Palak Mustafa Pasha to
build it by the use of the Stones brought from
the ruins of Teos when its strategic position on
the Aegean Sea was noticed by the Admiral Piri
Reis. It dates back to 1521-1522 in its present
state. Known as “Sigla” in early times, the
fortress was evaluated as a naval base rather
than for defensive purposes. The fortress has
three gates called Kusadasi, Ayasuluk and
Seferihisar. In this naval base are an outer
fortress and an inner fortress which was called
a ward where the soldiers lived their every day
life and were trained as well as two bastions
and two gates on the side facing the sea. While
the second stories of some houses rise on the
walls of the fortress, between the walls one may
observe some house walls and windows as well as
those stones brought from Teos. In the walls
facing the courtyard of the bastions are
embrasures measuring 1.20m x 50cm at 3m
intervals, but some of them are now filled in.
The houses within the fortress are built
adjacent to each other and some of them have two
stories while some have only one. Most of the
houses are made of mud bricks and a great
majority has inner courtyards. Two-storied
houses have bay windows and wooden shutters.
Stairs and doors within the houses are
completely wooden. In the northern part of the
fortress, the upper part of the arch of Barbaros
Halil Pasha is collapsed.