Laskaris Palace

Welcome to the Kız Kulesi or Laskaris Palace, a unique Byzantine summer palace located in the Kemalpaşa district of Izmir. Built during the reign of Emperor I. Theodoros Laskaris, this palace is significant for being one of the few imperial palaces constructed outside of Istanbul. It is also known to have been used by the Seljuk Dynasty and Turkish Beyliks during their respective periods. The restoration work on the palace began in December 2011, and it has since become a popular tourist destination. The palace's layout resembles that of the tekfur palace in Istanbul, with a rectangular plan measuring 11.50 x 25.50 meters in length along the north-south axis. The exterior walls of the ground floor are made up of large, slightly rounded cut stones. Inside the ground floor, there are eight pillars, four on the east wall and four on the west wall. The narrow and elongated windows on the ground floor were designed for protection purposes. The ground floor is filled with rubble from the other three floors, which have since collapsed. The first and second floors' facades remain standing, but there are no traces of the uppermost floor or roof. The wooden beams visible on the walls indicate that the first and second floors had wooden floors. On the east facade of the ground floor, there is a massive entrance door in the center, measuring 2.50 meters wide and made of large cut stones. The ground floor is constructed using carved stone blocks without any mortar between them. Visitors can explore the palace's history and architecture while enjoying the beautiful surroundings of Kemalpaşa. Don't forget to take plenty of photos and immerse yourself in the rich cultural heritage of Turkey.

Location: Kemalpaşa

Inception: 13 Century

Source: Wikimedia