Cesme - Archaeology Museum
One of the historical and cultural values of Cesme District worth seeing is the Cesme Fort. The Cesme Fort was constructed in 1508, during the period of Beyazit II.
Cesme Archeology museum is located on the fort, which stands in good shape due to various restoration works. The Cesme museum was opened to the public for the first time in 1965, as a gun museum. The guns were brought from Istanbul Topkapi Museum and kept in the museum up to the year 1984. As a result of heavy oxidisation resulting from excessive humidity, the guns in the museum were transferred to Izmir Archeology and Odemis Museums.
The hall which had formerly been used as a gun museum, was then re-arranged for the exhibition of various works obtained from the excavations made in Ildiri (Erythrai) archaic city. Sculptures of Gods and Goddesses made of clay, busts, marble sculptures, silver and bronze coins, golden frames and amphorae are being exhibited.
The most important of the visible ruins in Ildiri (Erythrai), is the city walls. Besides this, other important ruins include an acropolis and a theatre to the north of it, and the villa buildings found in the excavations. An Athena temple belonging to the Archaic Period, a church constructed in Byzantine period, Roman villas and mosaics, the baths constructed in the late Roman - Byzantine Period, are the other spots worth visiting.
The military and civil buildings which were found from the excavations carried out in Ildiri (Erythrai) archaic city, are open to visitors with no extra charge.
