Faustina Gate

Faustina Gate is located where Faustina Avenue (which starts from the port) meets Smyrna Agora. It is a double-arched monumental gate, the northern arch of which is still standing. The arch’s keystone contains a portrait of Empress Faustina – hence the gate’s name.

It also symbolizes a catastrophe that marked a turning point in Smyrna’s history. The city was brought to ruins by an earthquake that struck in 178 AD. When the city was rebuilt with the support from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a gate – and the portrait – was commissioned in honour of the Emperor and his wife, Faustina. Today, the other half of the arch remains buried underneath a modern road right next to it, which is believed to have the Emperor’s portrait on it.