Gulf of Izmir, Izmir, Turkey June 1996 The seaport city of Izmir (just right of the center of the image), the third largest city in Turkey, and the country’s most important port in Asia, can be seen in this north-looking view. Izmir is an important commercial and industrial center, whose manufacturers include paper, metal goods, dyes, textiles, processed food, and tobacco. The city is located in one of the richest agricultural regions in Turkey. The expanding city ascends the gentle slopes that encircle it. It is a major transportation hub with lines extending outward to all sections of the country. Izmir was nearly destroyed by fire in September 1922. Izmir was badly damaged by earthquakes in 1928 and again in 1939. The Gulf of Izmir, an arm of the Aegean Sea, extends westward or left from near the center of the image to the left center of the image.