Bornova

A "square", more in the form of crossroads in a roundabout, slightly past the entry into Bornova coming from Manisa and which continues towards İzmir center, is the focal point of motor vehicle traffic in Bornova, with Ege University campus and large department stores extending to its south and residential areas served by smaller streets to the north.

Bornova center is served by a railway connection since 1867, initially by a branch line of İzmir-Kasaba (Turgutlu) railway completed during the same decade.

Bornova is currently the eastern terminus of İzmir's subway rapid transit line whose extension continues, and access to and from the city center, as well as between various localities of İzmir is relatively easy with either public or private transport.

Since İzmir's central bus terminal, the huge İZOTAŞ in Altındağ quarter where an estimated fifty thousand people arrive or depart each day, as well as the road junctions connecting İzmir and the regions to its south, to Istanbul, Ankara and the rest of Turkey, are located within the boundaries of Bornova, intercity connections are made relatively easy.

Bornova has 80 primary schools and 102 kindergartens. At secondary-level education, there are 19 high schools and 22 professional schools. The figures for the student and teacher's corps are shown in the table. The average student per teacher ratio is (22,1%), with primary education the most congested at 25,5%.

Higher-level educational institutions are assembled under the structure of Ege University, which brings together 11 faculties, 7 institutes, 6 higher education centers and 7 higher professional schools and 25 research centers. The university had 42,693 students and 2,895 academic staff in 2007.

In adult education, the state-managed Public Training Center and Professional Training Centers offer courses in various practical fields with a total of ~100 trainers, and 12,356 people including participants in literacy courses received courses in these establishments in 2006. Illiteracy is an issue almost exclusively restricted to new migrants into Bornova, and especially to women among these. There are also a number of private initiatives in the same field, such as the 29 companies offering driver's license courses.

The total of district's commercial enterprises numbering 28,016, the figure reached by accumulating the total production, retail, wholesale units and connected offices neighbors around forty five thousand, which results in the picture of a very active district.

855 Bornova companies are registered exporters and a total amount of $596,224,735 US Dollars could be estimated for 2006 as exports which were made by Bornova district companies. 83 companies with foreign capital participation operate in Bornova and the recorded amount of foreign direct investments between 1997-2007 was $71,928,267 US Dollars. International companies which operate with sizable Bornova bases, BMC, Tuborg, Efes Pilsen, and CMS Tyres can be cited. The textile and clothing wholesalers are concentrated in MTK industrial and marketing zone, built exclusively for these industries.

Bornova's vast plain has been a preferred location for more than a century for İzmir's industrial base. The choice of Bornova by numerous official institutions as their regional headquarters, combined with the services industry, with medical and legal services especially standing out, as well as other professions, all contribute to the pace of the district. Agricultural production is comparatively very modest in added value.

One of the two largest shopping malls of İzmir, Forum Bornova, extending over 67,000 square meters, is located in Bornova. It includes an IKEA store, a Tesco Kipa superstore, seven movie theaters, and other leisure and entertainment facilities. Bornova's other shopping mall, Park Bornova, was, at 33,000 square meters, İzmir's largest at the time of its opening and the first to fit the description of a modern shopping mall in the city. It is still İzmir's largest outlet center and boasts of its own movie theaters, 8-lane indoor bowling and an entertainment center (Smart Play) with various games.

Bornova's open market days or bazaars (held every Wednesday and Sunday) are also well known in the region and a surprising variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, clothing, kitchenware and crafted products can be found by joining the youthful crowd of the market.

There are three theater buildings in Bornova, the one located inside the town's central park, Uğur Mumcu Theater being the most popular. The one museum located within Bornova is Ege University's large Natural History Museum, integrated into the university structure and it is the second largest in Turkey in its field after that MTA in Ankara. There are five libraries with a collection of books numbering 32,378 in total (excepting Ege University library) and three congress centers, all three privately managed within the structure of Bornova's single large hotel.

279 parks in all, almost all with playgrounds for children, are scattered across Bornova. The Pınarbaşı Racing Circuit for go-kart and motorcycle racing is situated in Pınarbaşı, Bornova, which is Turkey's second longest, covering an area of 25 hectares, 7 swimming pools, 8 tennis courts, 2 indoor sports halls, 4 soccer fields and 54 basketball fields compose Bornova's sports infrastructure. 8,591 licensed sports persons inhabit the district.

Five newspapers are published in Bornova and two radio stations are in activity. The total number of cable TV subscriptions is 27,066. 412 civil associations are registered in Bornova and the total number of their members is 36,525. There are about a hundred mosques and three churches, including the abandoned, but still in reasonably good condition, Greek Orthodox Church in Doğanlar neighborhood.[14]

A large recreational area which bears Homer's name, to whom İzmir lays one of the strongest claims, is in the phase of construction in a 3,5 km long valley to the northeast of Bornova center, and it is already very popular among residents although, located at some distance from the poet's native river Meles, the choice of the name may be historically disputable for pedantics. There is also a Roman bridge on part of the River Nif which crosses Bornova district area. The mountain passage at the locality called Belkahve where, coming from the east, one sees İzmir for the very first time and in a very impressive panorama, is within Bornova district and is now arranged into a park and picnic area in memory of one such impressed incomer in 1922, Atatürk. Efforts are also made to preserve, restore and promote the village of Yakaköy with many old houses and fountains in Turkish style.