This two-volume work presents in an original and visual way the "Kayi," the promenade of Smyrna, which is over three kilometers long, as a unified architectural, topographical, and historical entity. The "Kayi" was synonymous with progress, cosmopolitanism, and the prosperity of its inhabitants during the 47 years that elapsed from its completion in August 1875 until September 1922.

However, at that time, this image was destined to change violently, with the tragic outcome of the Greco-Turkish war, the recapture of Smyrna by the Turkish army, and the great fire that followed. A large portion of the buildings along the promenade was lost forever, and those that survived inevitably, with a few exceptions, became victims of the new reconstruction of the city as modern Izmir.

This publication is the result of many years of research by the authors, who utilized a wide range of available sources (bibliography, press, photographs, maps, commercial guides, etc.) in Greece and internationally. Hundreds of postcards and panoramas were studied, capturing the grand private mansions, theaters, cafes, consulates, clubs, and hotels of the "Kayi," as well as the vibrant activity of the port.

It encompasses the different aspects of public and private life in Smyrna, an important hub city that, although located in the East, breathed the air of the West for centuries. Special emphasis is placed on the history of the tenants of the "Kayi," who were members of a dynamic, multinational society.

Based on the above, each of the 200 or more recorded buildings was individually studied and designed, while the use of digital technology attempted for the first time a comprehensive reconstruction of Smyrna's waterfront, complemented by rich photographic material. Everything in Smyrna may have changed, but it continues to survive in collective memory through the study of its history.

This book offers a mental stroll through an iconic part of it, the legendary "Kayi," bringing to life through its pages the definitively lost "golden age" of Smyrna.