Exploring the Lost City of Smyrna 🇹🇷 Izmir, Türkiye

Exploring Izmir, Türkiye 🇹🇷 | Muslim Travel Vlog, Roman Ruins & Unexpected First Impressions. In today’s Türkiye vlog, we left Bursa and started our journey to Izmir — one of the most unique cities I’ve visited in Turkey so far. As a British Muslim traveling through Türkiye, I wanted to show you the real experience of navigating local travel, finding halal food, and discovering Islamic and historical gems along the way. We started the day by catching a local bus to the coach station in Bursa. After a confusing situation trying to find our Izmir bus (with no one speaking English), we eventually made it on board — although I wasn’t totally convinced it was the right one! The coach was modern but cramped, and my stomach was already feeling rough from too many Turkish kebabs. Halfway through the journey, our bus got stopped by police and passports were checked. It definitely added to the stress of the trip, but we eventually arrived in Izmir. The city felt modern but rough around the edges — a total contrast to Bursa. I had booked a cheap hotel for just £30 a night called the Royal Hotel Izmir, and even though the reviews weren’t great, I was shocked by how nice it actually looked. It was way better than expected. After getting some stomach medication (thanks to too much Turkish food!), we went to try some meat pide, which was super salty, cheesy, and absolutely delicious. Then we explored the Agora Roman Ruins of Izmir, located in the most random part of the city. Despite the odd surroundings, the ruins were incredibly well preserved — over 2000 years old — and it was amazing to see ancient history up close. At one point, I found a stray dog trapped in a hole at the ruins and told security. That moment really stuck with me. We wrapped up the day with a walk to the coast, but the city felt unusually quiet and empty — I wasn’t sure why. This video is part of my daily Türkiye travel vlog series where I show the Islamic side of Turkey, share halal travel tips, and explore cities through the eyes of a revert Muslim. Whether you’re planning to travel to Izmir or just curious what it’s really like, I hope this gives you a genuine, unfiltered look. — 📍 Keywords to rank: Izmir vlog, Türkiye vlog, British Muslim, Muslim travel vlog, halal food in Turkey, Roman ruins in Izmir, Izmir Turkey travel, Bursa to Izmir, daily travel vlog, Turkey 2025, Ottoman Empire history, Muslim lifestyle vlog 📲 Follow me on social media for more: TikTok: @Islam.Lewis Instagram: @IslamLewis 🏨 Hotel in this video: Royal Hotel Izmir