Alaçatı Pazarı & More

Saturday — April 17

Following a good night’s rest and breakfast at A&M’s this morning (conveniently, they live just one floor down from mom), we went out to take care of a few errands. Then, with Murat in the driver’s seat, we headed to Alaçatı to check out the Saturday market.

Alaçatı is about 45 miles (~72 km) west of İzmir.
(the locations of the beach house in nearby Ardıç and the town of Çeşme are also marked on the map)

Alaçatı (AH-lah-chah-tuh) was a sleepy little village way back when I was a child. I remember going there once in a while with my dad to buy “köy ekmeği” (rustic, village bread) or get the propane tank re-filled. That was about it.

The town has since become a charming resort with year-round appeal. The streets are lined with boutique hotels, boutique cafés, and boutique shops selling everything from the latest fashions to modern art — all housed in the town’s signature stone houses. People from all around the world come here for some fun in the sun. Averaging 330 windy days every year, the town has also become a windsurfers’ mecca. Those same winds, which used to operate old-fashioned windmills at one time, are now a boon for the wind farms that have sprouted up on nearby hillsides.

Looking across the roofs of Alaçatı to one of the wind farms in the area.

Alaçatı was founded around 1850, when Ottoman Greek workers from the Aegean islands were brought to the mainland to drain malaria-breeding marshes. Later, these workers settled in the area and named their village Agrilia. When the League of Nations mandated an exchange of populations after WWI, the villagers were returned to Greece and Turks from the Balkans moved into the homes that were left empty.

The source of the town’s modern day name is not known with certainty. Some say that it is based on “Alaca At” (Red Horse). The story goes that the town’s head honcho had a red horse and the locals referred to him as “Alaca Atlı” (the one with the red horse). Over time the name transformed into Alaçatı.

Having strolled the streets of this charming town on previous visits (you'll find photos of the town here and here), this time we focused our attention on the “Pazar” (market). Sensory overload — that’s the best way to describe the experience. The long and narrow street was lined with stalls on both sides, green and red umbrellas and tarps providing much needed shade. Colorful displays of seasonal fruits and vegetables; clothing and accessories ranging from socks, to underwear, to summer dresses, to t-shirts and blouses, to sunglasses, to bags and belts; hand knit shawls and embroidered placemats; glassware, chinaware, stainless steel flatware, and pots and pans in every imaginable shape and size; plastic buckets, tubs, laundry baskets, and trash bins with smiley faces; fitted sheets, flat sheets, and comforters — anything and everything available for very reasonable prices. Food vendors were positioned strategically, tempting shoppers with sweets and other goodies. Coffee houses were filled with weary shoppers enjoying refreshments. Sensory overload indeed!

It was 3:00p when we left the market, our shopping bag filled with peas, scallions, vine-ripened tomatoes, and fresh artichokes already cleaned and ready to cook.

Murat checks out the cleaned artichokes.

We decided to get a bite to eat before getting back on the road. Wanting to keep things light, we went to Köşe Kahve (literally, Corner Café) where a selection of goodies filled the glass display case. The “kıymalı börek” (baked, flaky pastry filled with minced meat) was yummy; the lavender infused lemonade was refreshing.

Köşe Kahve is one of many cafés in town.

Tempting pastries and beverages.

Our day came to a close with dinner at a seafood restaurant on Kordon, the waterfront promenade that runs the length of Alsancak. Balıkçı Hasan (Hasan, the Fisherman) offered us a mouth-watering selection of mezes (appetizers) and yummy seafood entrées. We ordered a main course to share — steamed sinarit and artichokes, cooked in a light, citrus-based sauce. (Sinarit = dentex; a white fish found in the Mediterranean.)

I’m afraid I didn’t take my camera with me, so no photos from dinner. Instead, here are a few photographs to shed light on the “boutique” portion of the blog's title. Though my friends know better, I come across the occasional misconception that Turkey is a “closed country.” Take a look at these images I took while I was wandering around Alsancak, the neighborhood where I grew up. You’ll have to agree that there’s nothing “closed” about these very European storefronts.

Next up: Step Back into Antiquity