I do not wish to fuel the flames of rivalry between Izmir and Karsiyaka, but it is nevertheless true that Homer is supposed to have been born at Bayrakli, which lies in the latter. Here is to be found an ancient ruined tomb said to belong to King Tantalus of Phrygia, according to myth the son of Zeus and Pluto (not the god of the underworld, but the daughter of Hermantes). The same myth relates that Zeus fell out with his son and hurled him to his death in a ravine on Mount Yamanlar, at the foot of which today is the district of Karsiyaka. The crater lake of Karagöl on the summit of this mountain may be the original site of this ravine. Tantalus was the only mortal admitted to the table of the gods, but paid heavily for the privilege. Excavations at Tepekule in Bayrakli began in the 1950s, revealing the traces of an ancient settlement dating back to 3000 BC. The former name of Karsiyaka was Cordelio, and many legends are told concerning the origin of this name.

The best known and most widely accepted is that it was named after the renowned crusader king Richard Coeur de Lion (the Lionheart). Although Richard himself never set foot in the place, the name is supposed to have been given by a loyal band of his soldiers who set up camp in the forest here, and decided that this beautiful spot on the Aegean coast was worthy of bearing the name of their beloved leader. Over the centuries the name was corrupted by a series of mispronunciations and creative guesses into Cordelio. The modern name Karsiyaka presents no such difficulties, but means merely 'Opposite Shore' in Turkish, since it lies on the other side of the bay from Izmir proper. Karsiyaka is the twin town on the other side of this stretch of water which glistens on moonlit nights. This name has been used by the Turks since 1081, when Izmir was conquered by the Seljuk admiral Emir Çaka Bey. The first Turkish settlement in the region was Siraliköy at the foot of Mount Yamanlar, which dates from the 15th century.

Bostanli, a neighbourhood of Karsiyaka formerly known as Papa Scala or Papas Village, grew up around the harbour where melons and watermelons grown in Menemen were loaded onto ships. One of the most prominent figures in the growth of Karsiyaka during the 19th century was Çömezzade Haci Mehmed Efendi. The establishment of municipalities was initiated by the large European colonies in the port cities of the eastern Mediterranean and these administrative bodies responsible for urban planning and infrastructure soon spread elsewhere. Çömezzade Haci Mehmed Efendi became the first mayor of Karsiyaka, and as part of his plan for the district he built Sogukkuyu Mosque in 1874.

New building along the shore of the bay and along the route of the railway eventually linked Karsiyaka to Izmir, and the district as we know it today began to emerge. Only a handful of historic houses now remain on the waterfront at Karsiyaka, but despite all the changes, strolling through the narrow side streets, along the broad main roads lined by pines, or along the waterfront, you will not find it difficult to understand why the settlers of antiquity and the crusaders found it so pleasant. Izmir car registration plates begin with the number 35, and the inhabitants of Karsiyaka refer to themselves as '35 and a half' in a gentle hint at their superiority. Karsiyaka Sports Club, one of the first in Turkey, was established in 1912, and is supported by local people with the same passion they feel for their district. The reasons for this feeling are hard to pin down, but lie more in the atmosphere of the place.