Gaziemir


Gaziemir is a district of İzmir Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is one of the metropolitan districts of Greater İzmir and is situated to the south of central İzmir on the road to İzmir. İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport and the export processing industrial park of Aegean Free Zone; which is also home to the third space camp in the world, Space Camp Turkey, are situated within the boundaries of the district. Adnan Menderes Airport is located in Gaziemir.

History

Gaziemir was founded in the 14th century by Umur Beg of the dynasty of the Beylik of Aydin, who had brought and settled Yörük clans from Konya to the region. The first mention in Ottoman records dates from 1530 and the settlement was named Seydiköy in honor of a Yörük chief, Seydi Ahmed, whose tomb still stands. The town's evolution can be traced fairly smoothly through the centuries by means of regular references in Ottoman sources. After the 17th century, in line with the general pace of development in fertile western Anatolian valleys based on olive/figs/raisin/cotton exports and the ensuing population movements from the Aegean Islands, Seydiköy was largely settled by Greeks who came to constitute a large majority as of the second half of the 19th century.
The Greek population was exchanged after the Greco-Turkish War in the frame of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey, and was replaced by Turkish immigrants from Kavala region as well as from Bulgaria. Seydiköy became a municipality in 1926 and was renamed Gaziemir in 1965 in reference to the original founder, Gazi Umur Bey. In 1992, Gaziemir became a district that also includes the municipality of Sarnıç which was formerly a part of Konak district.

Gaziemir today

Always a hub of crafts and industry both for İzmir and nationally, Gaziemir today has a highly developed industrial basis, with modern residential areas surrounding production and sales centers. The furniture industry is particularly developed. Companies established within the Aegean Free Zone generally focus on export processing, while the presence of such Turkish or international outlets as Migros Türk, Kipa and Metro AG Optimum Outlet subsidiaries makes Gaziemir one the important retail centers of İzmir.

Economy

The airline IZair is headquartered in Gaziemir, on the grounds of Izmir Airport.