The First Economic Congress, also known as the Izmir Economic Congress, which took place on February 17, 1923, is a historic milestone in shaping Turkey's economic future. Led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 1135 delegates gathered in the Banka-Han building in Izmir to address the economic challenges of the newly established Turkiye.

Over time, the building that hosted this significant congress became unusable, but it has been faithfully reconstructed by the Izmir Governorship. As part of the building, our 2.4x20-meter Iznik tile panel at the entrance narrates, in a miniature style, Turkiye's struggle for independence and the achievements of the Republic obtained up to the present day. On the left side of the panel, the enemies of the Turkish soldier who valiantly fought on seven fronts during World War I are depicted with a seven-headed dragon figure. On the right side, a colorful phoenix, reborn from its ashes, symbolizes the Turkish people rising from their ashes.