Darıca ( el, Δάριτζα, from the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

τὰ Ῥίτζιον) is a town and district of

Kocaeli Province Kocaeli Province ( tr, Kocaeli ili, ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province of Turkey and one of only three not to have the same official name as its capital, İzmit, which is thus also sometimes called Kocaeli. The province is the successor of the ...

in the Marmara 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 ...

. It was ceded from

Gebze Gebze (,) is a district in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. It is situated 65 km (30 mi) southeast of Istanbul, on the Gulf of Izmit, the eastern arm of the Sea of Marmara. Gebze is the largest district per population size in the province as o ...

district in 2008. The current mayor is Şükrü Karabacak, former head coach of the Turkish athletics team. Darica takes its name from Darıca Castle which is situated in the centre of town and was constructed during the Roman period, between 297 BC and 74BC. Darıca has a population of approximately 150,000 and exhibits the third highest population density within the Kocaeli Province. In a contemporary context, the town plays host to an array of different cultures, however, prior to the 1920s, a vast majority of the population were of Greek origin. ite a source The town is located from Turkey's largest city of

İstanbul 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, ...

and sits from

Sabiha Gokcen Airport Sabiha is an Arabic word () meaning "Morning" and a female given name. In Urdu it (خوبصورت، گوری چٹی) refers to beautiful, and blonde hair. People with the name include: People Given name *Sabiha Sultan (1894–1971), Ottoman princes ...

, away from the Atatürk International Airport (which is used for cargo and general aviation flights), and from

Istanbul Airport Istanbul Airport ( tr, İstanbul Havalimanı, ) is the main international airport serving Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in the Arnavutköy (district), Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city. All scheduled Commercial aviation, ...

Arnavutköy Arnavutköy ( Albanian village; el, Μέγα Ρεύμα, Mega Revma) is a neighbourhood in Istanbul, Turkey renowned for its wooden Ottoman mansions and seafood restaurants, as well as for the campus of the prestigious Robert College with its h ...

. Darica is in close proximity to large-scale transit infrastructure including the D-100 highway and the Turkish State Railway station for Kocaeli. Further, the district contains numerous social areas, plays host to a number of festivals and hosts the Faruk Yalçın Zoo in the Marmara Region.

Darica Coast

Bayramoglu is a peninsular area on the gulf near Darica and is known for its predominantly natural environment, garnering a reputation as the modern holiday centre in the Marmara Region. The area's endowment of modern recreation facilities and a small beach are combined with the traditionally warm climate to make it an attractive destination to domestic and international travellers. There are cafeterias, restaurants, picnic areas, children's play groups along the beach as well as designated areas for fishing. Dudayev Park is a suburban part of Darica in which families spend time within play areas, cafes, and walking areas. The area features an amphitheatre which is situated on the same land where the 'Fusion of Cultures and Cities' festival was held. During the festival, approximately 300,000 people descended on the park. Denize Sevgi Parkı features walking paths, cafes, restaurants, children's play groups and recreational areas within which residents play sport. From this area, there is also access to the sea. Sancaktepe has the highest hill of Darıca. On 200 acres of land, with 15,000 trees planted, there are picnic areas, walking paths and a cafe. The Sancaktepe Landscape design received two awards across the country. Historic houses. Darıca was established 378 BC. It hosts many historic structures like houses, castle and a lighthouse. The lighthouse was built in 1896. Faruk Yalçın Zoo and Botanical Park (previously the Bogaziçi Zoo and Botanical Park) is built into 200,000 m² area in Darıca and contains 3000 animals. The Park houses 300 kinds of animals and 500 kinds of plants.

References

External links

darica.bel.tr
- Darıca Belediyesi resmi internet sitesi - {{DEFAULTSORT:Darica Districts of Kocaeli Province Former Greek towns in Turkey