The Making of an Eastern Mediterranean Gateway City: Izmir in the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

In the mid- to late nineteenth century, the Ottoman port-city of Izmir underwent a transformation more rapid than at any other time in all its long history. In this period, much of the urban and rural landscape people inhabited today in Western Anatolia was created: a large port-city with modern facilities, the remarkably fertile farmlands, and the major transportation linkages that connect the city with the interior. There have been studies focusing on the spectacular growth of Ottoman Izmir with reference to external trade; however, the complex interplay between city and country have been underestimated. This article discusses the role and significance of social, economic, and ecological changes that took place in the Western Anatolian countryside for the drastic urban transformations the city underwent in the late nineteenth century. It proposes the gateway city model to understand Izmir’s growth and prosperity in tandem with Western Anatolia in this period.