The famous “Elevator”, asansör in Turkish connecting two different districts of Izmir
Izmir which has successfully hosted very different cultures for ages, shares this heritage of cultural richness with its own people as well as with its visitors. The ASANSOR (elevator) is one of the most typical examples of this kind of heritage.
The Jewish citizens of Izmir who were at the forefront of all kinds of activities of the city for decades had in an important status in the economic life of Izmir which has been a port and trade City throughout time. Today there are still many families of Jewish origin happily living with their neighbors. The story of the elevator also begins with such a family.
Izmir historic elevator building was built in 1907 with the purpose of connecting the two streets with a huge difference in altitude between them, which were originally connected with stairs, at the time. 155 stairs were made as a remedy to connect both streets and enable transportation. At the time the citizens in the area called it “Karataş stairs” with the name of the neighborhood.
Another name was Devidas Stairs, the same as the name of the family sitting at the point where the stairs started. One day Mr. Devidas the elder of the family fell down the stairs and broke his foot. At the point where the stairs go down, another Jewish person called Nesim Levi used to live.
After this event, Nesim Levi decided to build an elevator here and after a while the construction was completed in 1907 and the two districts with a major altitude difference were easily accessible.
Today visitors can enjoy a gorgeous panoramic scenery viewing the whole bay and the city from the top of the stairs. Also there is a nice restaurant which is said to be among the best in town. To recap ASANSOR is certainly one of the spots visitors should not fail to see on their visit to Izmir. (25/04/2020)
