• Welcome to the İzmir Culture & Arts Factory — İzmir, Türkiye.
    The Old Tekel Cigarette Factory ... now a culture & arts center — İzmir, Türkiye.Kaystros ... the God of Rivers — İzmir, Türkiye.Archaic Period Persian silver coins — İzmir, Türkiye.The Spirit of Fun ... grotesque figures from the theater — İzmir, Türkiye.From the Archaic and Hellenistic Periods — İzmir, Türkiye.Hellenistic Period tombstone — İzmir, Türkiye.Roman Period marble sarcophagus — İzmir, Türkiye.Antinous in the form of Androklos ... Ephesus ... Roman Period — İzmir, Türkiye."Disembodied Faces" ... Hermes (left) and Janus (right) & unidentified woman's bust — İzmir, Türkiyeİzmir in bas relief ... Ottoman Period — İzmir, Türkiye.Classical Period gold necklace — İzmir, Türkiye.20th Century glass works — İzmir, Türkiye.Hellenistic Period terracotta figurines ... woman / Heracles / Eros — İzmir, Türkiye.Depiction of Atatürk's order that served to liberate İzmir on 9 Sep 1922 — İzmir, Türkiye.Untitled work by Fahir Aksoy — İzmir, Türkiye.By F. Eye ... titled "Ephesus" ... depicts the house-turned-chapel where Mary lived out her life."Magnolia & Carnations" ... by N. İsmail — İzmir, Türkiye."Bridal Procession" ... by M. Pesen — İzmir, Türkiye.Untitled ... by B. Akay — İzmir, Türkiye.

    İzmir Culture & Arts Factory

    9. september 2023, Tyrkiet ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    This is how the "Factory" we visited today is described on the website ... "The İzmir Culture and Arts Factory is a new meeting place for residents and visitors of all ages and a new generation culture and art center that will shape the cultural and artistic landscape of the city."

    Meeting up with the family, we started our day with a leisurely walk to the "Factory." Those of us who have achieved the "magic age," were given free admission tickets ... the rest purchased their "MüzeKart," which might as well have been free since admission to the "Factory" alone is TL 200 (~$7.45) and the Türkiye-wide annual museum card (for Turkish nationals only) costs TL 60 (~$2.25).

    We started off with breakfast at the Simit Sarayı ... a café on the grounds. A selection of pastries and Turkish tea got us off to a good start and gave us the energy to wander several of the buildings to enjoy the exhibits.

    The "Factory," which opened in April 2023, is housed in the buildings that were re-purposed from what was once the Tekel Cigarette Factory. The 140-year-old facility is an important part of the city's industrial heritage and I was happy to see the grounds put to good use.

    Exhibits in the museum run the gamut from archaeological finds and ethnographical pieces to paintings and sculptures. There are several libraries housed in the buildings that we did not get to today, including the Turkic World Music Special Library. Cultural and art workshops are also held on a regular basis. And there is an open-air movie theater as well.

    With so much to see, methinks multiple visits may be required to do the place justice.
    Læs mere