İzmir Asansör

The Asansör was built in 1907 by Nesim Levi, a Jewish merchant, to solve a practical problem: the Karataş quarter is split by a cliff about fifty metres high, and residents of the upper streets had to climb 155 steps to get home. He put in a lift - originally hydraulic, later electric - and gave it to the neighbourhood. It has been in public use ever since, restored in the 1980s and again later, and it is still free to ride. At the top is a terrace with a restaurant and café looking out over the roofs of Karataş, the gulf and the mountains on the far side, and it is a standard sunset spot. The street leading to it is named after Dario Moreno, the singer who lived in the quarter, and is lined with restored houses and small shops. Karataş was historically the Jewish quarter of İzmir, and the synagogues and the old fabric of the district are still there.

The main sights

• The lift tower - the 1907 structure against the cliff.
• The terrace view - Karataş roofs, the gulf and the mountains.
• Dario Moreno street - the restored lane leading to it.
• The Karataş quarter - the historic Jewish district below.

When to go

April to June and September to October, in the late afternoon for the sunset over the gulf. The terrace fills at that hour.

Good to know

The lift itself takes seconds - the view is the visit. The terrace restaurant charges accordingly and queues at sunset. Getting there means a bus or taxi from the centre.

Nearby

Konak Square and the clock tower are north; the Kemeraltı bazaar is behind them.