Akçakoca is both a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and district of

Düzce Province Düzce Province ( tr, ) is a province in northwestern Turkey. It is on the coastline of the Black Sea and is traversed by the main highway between Istanbul and Ankara. The main town is Düzce. There are ancient Greek ruins in the province. Düzc ...

, in the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

region of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

, located about 200 km east of

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

. The town was named after a Turkish chieftain of the 14th century CE who captured the area for the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

, and sports a statue in his honor. The town features a modern mosque of unusual design. Tourist attractions include beaches and a small ruined Genoese castle. It is the regional center of

hazelnut The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus ''Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according t ...

cultivation.

Name

Akçakoca was known as Diapolis or Dia in the classical period. However, after the Turkish conquest, Akçaşehir became more common, before being changed to Akçakoca in 1934.

Population

Although Akçakoca's estimated population is about 40.000; it increases during summer months, due to tourism activities and cottage owners. Due to war, specifically the one between the Ottomans and Russia in 1877–1878, a wide range of people, most of whom had roots in the Pontic region (Lazes, Georgians, and Abkhazians), emigrated from their native lands to settle in Akçakoca.

History

Latin-Nicea Empires Period and Genoese

During the IV. Crusades, European armies conquered Constantinople, founding the Latin Empire for a short period. Because of this situation, the Genoese established commercial bases on the Western Black Sea coasts for their interests, which included a Genoese castle in Akçakoca. This castle helped to protect trade routes in the area and was used for commercial activities itself. When the Nicea Empire reconquered Constaninople, Akçakoca, which was under the auspices of the Nicea Empire, came under Byzantine rule again. Turkic people seem to have been living in Akçakoca since 1243, after

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...

pressure and defeat. From

Kastamonu Kastamonu is the capital district of the Kastamonu Province, Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 102,059 of which 64,606 live in the urban center of Kastamonu. (Population of the urban center in 2010 is 91,012.) The ...

, the Oghuz tribes of

Kınık Kınık is a district of İzmir Province of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western ...

and Üçok migrated westward, some of them came to Akçakoca and settled. The

Oghuz Turks The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz languages, Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, Turkic language family. In th ...

then plundered Genoese trade centers and Greek villages, upon which the Genoese and

Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...

complained to the

Byzantine Emperor This is a list of the Byzantine emperors from the foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD, which marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, to its fall to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as le ...

, the

responded to the complaints and brought and settled

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Cumans The Cumans (or Kumans), also known as Polovtsians or Polovtsy (plural only, from the Russian language, Russian Exonym and endonym, exonym ), were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confede ...

Pechenegs The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks tr, Peçenek(ler), Middle Turkic: , ro, Pecenegi, russian: Печенег(и), uk, Печеніг(и), hu, Besenyő(k), gr, Πατζινάκοι, Πετσενέγοι, Πατζινακίται, ka, პა� ...

, Uzes from

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...

to protect the region against the

Turkmens Turkmens ( tk, , , , ; historically "the Turkmen"), sometimes referred to as Turkmen Turks ( tk, , ), are a Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, living mainly in Turkmenistan, northern and northeastern regions of Iran and north-weste ...

. Oguz from the

Kayı tribe Kayı can refer to: * Kayı (tribe) The Kayı or Kayi tribe (Middle Turkic: قَيِغْ ''qayïγ'' or simply ''qayig''; tr, Kayı boyu, tk, Gaýy taýpasy) were an Oghuz Turkic people and a sub-branch of the Bozok tribal federation. In hi ...

settled here.

The Seljuks and Ottoman

Before the crusades, The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum controlled the region around Akçakoca. There is no evidence that a military action was taken by the Ottomans to conquer Akçakoca from the of the Byzantines. According to some historians, the Turk population submitted to Ottoman rule without military action. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Akçakoca was part of the Kastamonu Vilayet of the

Republic

After the foundation of Turkish Republic, it was renamed Akçakoca. The first governor was Ali Zarifi (Okay). Due to the 1999 Düzce and Marmara earthquakes, Düzce had been declared a province by the government, and the town was included in the new province as a district.

Economy

Tourism

After the 1950s, touristic activities in summer seasons attained an important place in Akçakoca's economy. The construction of tourism facilities and new transportation improvements further influenced tourism in the late-1970's.

Water sports

Numerous water sports such as sailing, swimming, water skiing, sunbathing, fishing, scuba diving, are performed in Akçakoca. Sailing and diving have become more prominent in the last few years. In 2010, sailing races have been held as part of the 14th Akçakoca Festival. Furthermore, the first Marine and Sailing Club in the town was opened in town in 2012.

Heavy industry

Akçakoca has one large factory, which produces large pipes for a variety of purposes. It has great importance both Akçakoca and Ereğli. Akçakoca also has only natural gas platform over the Black Sea. There are four platforms which three of them are small and one is big.

Fishing

Fishing is traditional job in Akçakoca. Anchovies, nonita, bluefish, whiting, red mullet, clams, jack mackerel, sea bass, salmon, trout, and turbot are some of fish that can be found.

Government

One governor's office and one municipality building can be found in Akçakoca. It has one state hospital, one rest home and a small tourism office for tourists.

Construction

There is an attractive mosque what built in 2004. Akçakoca Central Mosque was built in a similar fashion to Faisal Mosque in Pakistan. The mosque was designed by Ergün Subaşı. This highly irregular mosque was placed above 160 concrete poles driven into the ground. The dome height is 31 meters and covered by 32 tons of copper plates. And the chandelier that resembles the dome in reverse weigh around 1300 kg. The rocket like minarets are at 58 meters in height.

Culture

Festivals

There is a traditional festival every July. During the festival, scheduled buses from neighbor towns and cities, such as Ereğli, Düzce, Zonguldak, Bolu and Adapazarı carrypeople to Akçakoca.

Languages

Some native languages are nearly forgotten, but there are some towns and people who speak Georgian, Laz and Circassian. Native Turk people of Akçakoca are Manav Turks.
Akcakoca ethnic cultural inventory

Dances and Music

Because of the presence of many residents originally from the eastern Black Sea littoral, 'Horon', played with the Pontic lyra/kemençe are popular here.

Neighbourhoods

*Akkaya *Aktaş *Altunçay *Arabacı *Balatlı *Beyhanlı *Beyören *Dadalı *Davutağa *Deredibi *Dereköy *Dilaver *Doğancılar *Döngelli *Edilli *Esmahanım *Fakıllı *Göktepe *Hasançavuş *Hemşin *Kalkın *Karatavuk *Kepenç *Kirazlı *Koçar *Koçullu *Kurugöl *Kurukavak *Küpler *Kınık *Melenağzı *Nazımbey *Ortanca *Paşalar *Sarıyayla *Subaşı *Tahirli *Tepeköy *Uğurlu *Yenice *Yeşilköy *Çayağzı *Çiçekpınar

Gallery

File:Melen Nehri.JPG, Melen Creek File:Akçakoca - panoramio.jpg File:Regenboog Akçakoca Turkije 2 januari 2010 - panoramio.jpg File:Akcakoca Sonbahar.JPG, Autumn in Akçakoca File:Fakıllı Mağarası, Akçakoca.jpg, Fakıllı Cave File:Akcakoca 7857.jpg File:Akcakoca 7841.jpg File:Akcakoca 7821.jpg File:Akcakoca Merkez Cami 7805.jpg File:Akcakoca Merkez Cami 7814.jpg, Akcakoca Merkez Camii

References

External links

District governor's official website

District municipality's official website

Pictures of Akçakoca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akcakoca Populated places in Düzce Province Black Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Fishing communities in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Districts of Düzce Province Towns in Turkey