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Asansör, (Elevator), Izmir, Turkey

Izmir, Turkey

Captured in a tall, Italianate, singular structure on the coast of Izmir, Turkey, is the embodiment of modern figures seeking to serve their community. The famous Asansör is a brick and tile building containing two elevators propelling upwards to a beautiful view of Izmir’s coastline. Built in 1907 in Karataş, a neighborhood in the district of Konak in Izmir, it serves as an alternative to the 155 step staircase descending from Halil Rifat Paşa to Mithatpaşa Avenue which runs parallel to the coast.1  The Asansör is a unique construction and serves a dual purpose: allowing the movement of goods up the steep coastline arriving by water from the west as well as the movement of human traffic from one nearby neighborhood to another.

Description

The Asansör is situated in the historical Jewish Quarter of Izmir, blocks away from the Beth Israel Synagogue.2 The quarter began to take shape in the early 17th century as a vital trading center within the Levant and became the adopted home of many Jewish merchants.3 Philanthropist and banker, Nesim Levi Bayraklıoğlu financed the building and using the wealth he obtained by selling hats imported from France, employed French and Italian engineers.4 At the time, the Asansör was Levi’s first contribution to the welfare of the community. In 1914, he supported the opening of a successful Jewish hospital in the neighborhood, and today it remains a hospital, with later additions of a nursery and library.5 The elevators were installed as a service to the community, offering an alternative to the steep staircase scaling the hillside.
Renovations in 1985 updated the water-operated elevators so that both would be electrically generated.6 Restored again in 1994, the street leading to the bottom floor and entrance was renamed Dario Moreno, after the famous Jewish singer and actor, commemorating him and his family who lived there. Today the foyer of the overlook is a restaurant, Tarihi Asansör or Historical Elevator, operated by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.7 The factors of the structures design and purpose highlight the shift in this period to secularism and increasing interconnection between the East and West. Indeed, the deck faces the Aegean Sea, looking towards Turkey’s neighboring nations. The design of Asansör is difficult to define. Modern in utility, collective in design, the materials it is composed of range between tile, brick, and wood. The architecture embodies the increasing connection between the Ottoman empire and Western nations.

Asansör, (Elevator), Izmir, Turkey

Izmir, Turkey

© Mapbox, © OpenStreetMap

Sources

Notes:
[1] Sisman, Cengiz, “Izmir”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. 2010. (Accessed 25 June 2018).
[2] Abuaf, Leslie, “Bet Israel Synagogue, Karataş , Izmir”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. 2010. (Accessed 26 June 2018).
[3] “Virtual Jewish World: Izmir, Turkey.” Jewish Virtual Library: A Project of AICE. 1998-2018.
[4] Sisman, “Izmir”.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Hazman, Abdülkadir, “The Tolerance Capital of Izmir; Karataş”, Kültur ve Turizm Dergisi, (Accessed June 26th, 2018).
[7] Ibid.


Bibliography:
Cengiz Sisman, “Izmir”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman
A. Stillman. 2010. (Accessed 25 June 2018).


Jewish Virtual Library, “Virtual Jewish World: Izmir, Turkey.” A Project of AICE, (1998-2018).


Leslie Abuaf, “Bet Israel Synagogue, Karataş , Izmir”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. 2010. (Accessed 26 June 2018).


Abdülkadir Hazman, “The Tolerance Capital of Izmir; Karataş”, Kültur ve Turizm Dergisi, (Accessed June 26th, 2018).


 


Photo(s) credit:


Wikipedia, Asansör, “Asansor Side View, Izmir,” and “Looking up at the Asansor Building, Izmir,” by Ergener.


Additional media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BRIi58pLFA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhgJMEvJR_U&t=29s


 


Write-up prepared by Michelle Abraamian, July 2018, Edited by Ramsey Perez, August 2021