Hiking to Kadifekale Castle through the Slums of Izmir, Turkey

19/03/2018 by Piia | Ticket to Adventures 17 Comments

Definitely the highlight of Izmir! Locals advised me to stay away from Kadifekale. They said Kadifekale is too dangerous. They did not tell me why or maybe they did but it was completely lost in translation as not many locals in Izmir speak English. So I was left wondering why? Why should I avoid Kadifekale? The first things that crossed my mind were: Drugs? Guns? Criminal activity? Mafia? I did do some research and found a few articles stating that in Kadifekale (shady neighbourhood on the slopes of Kadifekale hill, down from Kadifekale castle) you will get killed or stabbed, or at least most likely you will get robbed, as this is the most dangerous and poorest area of Izmir. I also found that it is not advised to go to Kadifekale alone, let alone as a solo female. People claimed that if you decide to go, you should travel by car. And it is not a smart idea to travel on foot in this dodgy neighbourhood at any time of the day. Seriously?

As always, everything is relative. And people are very different. Some are very shy and sensitive. Whereas I am … Well, not the total opposite but somewhere in between. I consider myself a sensible and level-headed person, a curious and adventurous female with a strong desire for wanderlust. I have been travelling the world solo since the age of 18, so over the years I have learned a lot about the world and myself.And to be honest, I don’t really worry too much about things like this. I always watch my back, take care of my belongings, behave like I know what I am doing (even if I don’t have the slightest clue), never carry any valuables with me or wear jewellery or designer clothes looking like a million bucks when exploring shady places like this. I use my common sense, trust my gut and follow my intuition. This of course is not always enough and things can happen.

Anyways, I had been exploring the best of Izmir for 2 days, and when roaming the streets of Izmir I caught a glimpse of a gigantic Turkish flag flying in the distance from the top of Kadifekale. Every day the flag billowed in the breeze, reminding me that there is more in this city to be discovered.On my last day in Izmir I got up early, skipped breakfast and put on my running shoes. Conquering Kadifekale hill was on my agenda before heading to Cesme to enjoy some beach life.

Leaving my hotel in Basmane at the base of the hill the streets were very quiet and walking empty streets felt so weird as normally there is so much traffic, hustle and bustle everywhere. But then I recalled it was Sunday, so most of the city was still asleep and so were some of those homeless old men who I caught sleeping on the street. A few creepy looking guys were up sitting on random chairs and smoking cigarettes. They gave me some aggressive stares. The atmosphere was a bit spooky and I was feeling a bit jumpy. Nevertheless I wanted to stick to my plan and continued my journey.

Soon the streets turned steeper and houses more colourful and more tightly packed. It was a captivating walk through a labyrinth of narrow alleyways, colourful run down houses, and thousands of steps and stairs. The neighbourhood was partly trash-strewn, some houses were totally abandoned, some were just about to fall down.But this district is home to thousands and thousands of people. The atmosphere on the winding streets on the slopes of Kadifekale was different from what I had just experienced down in Basmane. The neighbourhood was slowly waking up, old ladies were sweeping and washing the floor outside their house, parents sitting on the stairs while their children were running around in the streets, some small kids giggling and whispering, others just looking at me with a happy smile on their face. I was quite apparently a source of amusement for the children here.Just before reaching Kadifekale castle the atmosphere changed again. Suddenly I was surrounded by nothing but abandoned houses. Left were skeletons of houses and huge mounts of trash and building material from destroyed houses. I have no idea what had happened here or what was the future of this area.I walked uphill at a quiet pace, occasionally stopping to catch my breath, have a drink of water and marvel at the city view over Izmir.The scariest moment of my adventure through the peculiar slums of Kadifekale was when a large homeless dog started following me. Another dog soon joined in, and then a third one. I am not very good with dogs so I walked faster up the steep hill with my heart racing hard. At some point I saw a gang of seven large dogs behind me. I was just about to lose it but knew I had to stay focused and keep my cool. I continued my hike pretending I had never even seen the dogs, and soon the leader dog deviated and our paths parted. Phew, what a relief.

Once I made it up to the top of Kadifekale castle I felt like a winner standing next to the billowing red Turkish flag that I had earlier spotted from all corners of coastal Izmir. I conquered Kadifekale! The view over the Gulf of Izmir, high-rise office blocks, luxury hotels, and the harbour were majestic. The world below, Izmir city centre and upscale Alsancak, is a completely different world to the slums of Kadifekale I had just hiked through. In Kadifekale castle itself, there is not much to see apart from the castle gates, walls and some ruins.Overall I felt fairly comfortable exploring the slums of Kadifekale, I did not feel threatened at all. This adventure was definitely the highlight of my visit to Izmir! Even though I had a nice experience, this might have turned out completely different in the evening, who knows. I surely would not come here alone after dark. My recommendation is to go early in the morning to avoid the heat and dodgy experiences in the slums.

How to get to Kadifekale Castle?

The most comfortable way to get to Kadifekale is by taxi or bus 33 from Konak. By foot Kadifekale Castle is only a couple of kilometres from Basmane and Alsancak.

Kadifekale Castle | 5271. Sk. 9-11, 35270 Konak, Izmir