Beyler Street

Beyler Street

Beyler is the name of all three streets; they are distinguished as first, second, third.

What Fleet Street means for London, Beyler Street is the same in Izmir. Newspapers, publishers, printing houses owned by Turks were clustered here on this street. When first established in 1912, National Library was opened in Salepcioglu Mansion on this street.

Along with local press, doctor's offices, dentists, pharmacy ware houses were also located here due to proximity to State Hospital. Bodrum Saloon in First Beyler Street was a famous gathering spot for the intelligentsia of the city, including famous Fisherman of Halicarnassus (Cevat Sakir Kabaagacli). Sema and San Cinemas soon opened on Second and Third Beyler Street respectively.

'And then came the numbered Beyler streets. First had pharmacy of Suleyman Ferit Eczacibasi at the corner, and Aktas Pharmacy right on the opposite... I remember three things from First Beyler Street; one, famous Kultur Printing House of Master Asim Kultur... two, afternoon newspaper 'Voice of the People' by Sirri Sanli, and three, Ekmekcibasi Restaurant. What made First Beyler Street unforgettable was that it was a street of doctors and opticians. Second Beyler Street, compared to the first, was a calmer and more withdrawn street with a shoemaker's shop at one end and a juice shop at the other, selling subye1, tamarind, sour cherry, and black mulberry, not to forget verjuice and pomegranate. A one-armed (newspaper) distributor would stand in front of the shoemaker's shop all the time. His voice is always in my ears: 'Anatolia, Izmir, New Century!...'' wrote Tarik Dursun K.

When State Hospital moved to Yesilyurt District, most of the doctors left the street, leaving their offices to lawyers. And after the construction of new Courthouse, same offices would this time be filled by business people from various business lines. Beyler Street is far from its glorious days, but it's still one of the most important parts of Kemeralti.