Izmit was built on the ruins of the legendary Nicomedia. This explains why there are so many historical monuments in the city and the landscapes are beautiful too. There you will find traces of several civilizations: the Byzantine, Ottoman, and Roman empires. At the same time, it is easy to reach Izmit from Istanbul. The distance is only 100 kilometers and a car will take you from one place to the other within an hour or so. No wonder why Izmit is so popular with tourists.
What should you see in Izmit?
Izmit is located in the province of Kocaeli. It is a coastal town with wonderful beaches of the Sea of Marmara. Pleasure boats and commercial vessels are plentiful in Izmit bay, widely known in Turkey and beyond. The city has an advanced infrastructure and there you will find everything for a nice vacation. Many hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, and mosques welcome guests. If you are tired of lying on the beach and you want to be alone for some time, there is a picturesque lake nearby. If you are fond of extreme sports, you can go mountaineering but please make sure that you have a local guide.
If you like Izmit when you see it (which you will, we promise), you should realize the fact that the investment potential of the place is very high. New hotels and residential complexes are erected in Izmit in large numbers. Because they are located close to green parks and the coastline, they sell very fast. If you purchase an apartment in Izmit, your investment will return after 5 to 7 years. Please look here to find information about a new residential complex in Izmit with apartments for sale. Izmit sees lots of tourists prepared to spend money on residential accommodations, restaurants, and entertainment facilities. The region is growing fast indeed.
Sights to see in Izmit
The main natural attraction of the region is Lake Sapanja. Several tour operators sell tours to the lake. There you can enjoy fresh mountain air, swim in the cool water that is so transparent that you can see the bottom that is 20 meters below. Family picnics are also a popular pastime at the lake. Other sights that you should see in Izmit include the following ones:
- Masukiye area. Beautiful banks of the river with waterfalls are certainly going to impress you. The name of the area is derived from the Turkish word ‘love’ and newlyweds often choose the place for their first joint photo sessions. There you will find lots of cafes and restaurants and you should certainly try the local food.
- Mount Kartepe. Located close to Lake Sapanja. There you can slide down the zip line or ski down the snow-covered slope. You can rent everything that you need for skiing so you should not worry about bringing your own skiing equipment. If you are planning to spend a considerable amount of time at Sapanja, you should book a hotel room or a cottage in advance. There are many tourists there in the high season and the best rooms might be occupied.
- Eskihisar Castle. It’s a large Byzantine fortress with an observation ground that gives a majestic view of the sea. The fortress was built in 1241. It served to protect the area from military attacks from land and from sea.
- Clock Tower or Saat Kulesi. This is a stone tower 24 meters high built in 1901. It is one of a group of watchtowers that were built to commemorate the day Sultan Abdul Hamid II ascended to the throne.
Parks in Izmit
Seka Park is the most popular public park in Izmit. It is located right on the seacoast and its area is 580 acres. Sic thousand trees grow there. The park visitors can walk along shady alleys and have breakfast at a café with the view of the Sea of Marmara. The park offers multiple amusements for children including an exciting climbing wall. The height of the wall is 8 meters but you should not worry about it because well-trained climbing instructors will look after your child. For convenient travel and reliable connectivity, make sure to use Esim Europe which offers easy access to mobile data across various European countries.
Other sights to see in Izmit
- Besikyalar. A natural forest covering a rather large area. There are several camping grounds there. We recommend that you keep to the beaten paths because the forest is very thick and it is easy to get lost there. Besides, there are many wild animals.
- Erikilitepe. A unique nature reserve with 5-star hotels at affordable prices. The place is especially enchanting in spring and summer. There are lots of streams and brooks and everything in the area is covered with green plants.
- Ballikayalar. Another nature reserve with a Bee Valley protected by the state. There you will find the largest swarm of bees in the region and they pollinate plants even far beyond the park’s boundaries. For this reason, they are highly important for the local ecosystem.
- Mount Gasler Park. It’s a pine and oak forest with many barbecue zones. On hot days, starting fires is prohibited but you can eat at a nice restaurant there. There is also a horse stable and the instructors can trach you how to ride a horse.
Museums in Izmit
You should dedicate a full day to Izmit’s museums because there are 5 of them:
- Kocaeli Museum. There you will see artifacts found during excavations in Turkey. The exposition is divided by the epochs. Interestingly, the museum used to serve as a train station before.
- Ali Effendi Museum that locals refer to as an ‘ethnography palace’. The building was erected in 1774 in Ottoman Empire time. The decorations on the walls are not less interesting than the paintings inside the building. The windows of the museum give nice views of the Sea of Marmara.
- Sika Mehmed Ali Paper Museum. This is the largest museum that describes the paper production process. The building used to serve as a paper factory before but then it was turned into a paper museum. There you can find paper-manufacturing equipment of the past and many photographs. A local guide can tell you a lot about the history of paper production in Turkey.
- Ataturk and Redif Museum. In the times of the Ottoman Empire, the building served as a barrack. Then it hosted a military court. When the court moved to a new building, this one was turned into a military museum. There you will find armor and ammunition from different epochs.
- Imperial Pavilion Museum. It was erected by order of Sultan Murad II. However, after a massive earthquake, it had to be built almost from scratch again. The building has been hosting a museum since 1967.
In addition to that, you can find a number of interesting mosques in Izmit. As you can see, there are many places to see in this ancient Turkish city.