Karadeniz Ereğli (or Ereğli) is a city and district in

Zonguldak Province Zonguldak Province ( tr, ) is a province along the western Black Sea coast region of Turkey. The province is 3.481 km in size and has a population of 619,703. Its adjacent provinces are Düzce to the southwest, Bolu to the south, Karabük t ...

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 ...

on 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 ...

shore. Population of the city proper is 121,237 as of 2020. The mayor of the city is Halil Posbıyık. Mehmet Yapıcı is the District Governor of Ereğli.

History

The city was a Greek city in ancient times known as ''

Heraclea Pontica __NOTOC__ Heraclea Pontica (; gr, Ἡράκλεια Ποντική, Hērakleia Pontikē), known in Byzantine and later times as Pontoheraclea ( gr, Ποντοηράκλεια, Pontohērakleia), was an ancient city on the coast of Bithynia in Asi ...

'' after the Greek mythical hero

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive ...

. The Turkish name Karadeniz Ereğli means "Black Sea Ereğli" (''kara'': "black", ''deniz'': "sea" in Turkish), which distinguishes it from other places called Ereğli (the name ''Ereğli'' derives from ''Heraclea''). It was founded by a Megarian colony, which soon subjugated the native Mariandynians and extended its power over a considerable territory. It was the birthplace of Heraclides Ponticus. According to

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

, the cave guarded by the three-headed dog

Cerberus In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the mo ...

is located near the town. For his final quest, Heracles is tasked with entering the cave and capturing Cerberus. The prosperity of the city, rudely shaken by the

Galatia Galatia (; grc, Γαλατία, ''Galatía'', "Gaul") was an ancient area in the highlands of central Anatolia, roughly corresponding to the provinces of Ankara and Eskişehir, in modern Turkey. Galatia was named after the Gauls from Thrace (c ...

ns and the

Bithynia Bithynia (; Koine Greek: , ''Bithynía'') was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Pa ...

ns, was utterly destroyed in the

Mithridatic Wars The Mithridatic Wars were three conflicts fought by Rome against the Kingdom of Pontus and its allies between 88 BC and 63 BC. They are named after Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus who initiated the hostilities after annexing the Roman provinc ...

. Then, Heraclea Pontica was part of the (Eastern) Roman Empire for more than 1000 years. The Turks ravaged the area after the

Battle of Mantzikert The Battle of Manzikert or Malazgirt was fought between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Empire on 26 August 1071 near Manzikert, theme of Iberia (modern Malazgirt in Muş Province, Turkey). The decisive defeat of the Byzantine army and t ...

in 1071.

David Komnenos David Komnenos ( el, Δαβίδ Κομνηνός) (c. 1184 – 1212) was one of the founders of the Empire of Trebizond and its joint ruler together with his brother Alexios until his death. At least two lead seals and an inscription found on a towe ...

, brother of the ruler of Trebizond

Alexios I of Trebizond Alexios I Megas Komnenos ( el, Αλέξιος Κομνηνός; c. 1182 – 1 February 1222) or Alexius I Megas Comnenus was, with his brother David, the founder of the Empire of Trebizond and its ruler from 1204 until his death in 1222. The two ...

, took Heraclea Pontica in 1205 and made it capital of his domain, called Paphlagonia; he lost it in 1214 to Theodore I Laskaris, who made it a major frontier bulwark. The Genoese had a colony there after 1261. When the Turks conquered Paphlagonia in 1360, the Genoese bought the city from the weakening Byzantine Empire. Heraclea developed as a trading centre of the Genoese, who settled there in large numbers. A ruined citadel on a height overlooking the town is a remnant of this period. The Italian name of the city was Pontarachia. The Genoese held the city until the Ottomans captured it after 1453. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Karadeniz Ereğli was part of the Kastamonu Vilayet of 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) ...

Facts

Modern Ereğli is the home of

Erdemir Ereğli Demir ve Çelik Fabrikaları T.A.Ş. is a Turkish steel producer. The name is a contraction of the Turkish language ''Ereğli Demir ve Çelik Fabrikaları'', which means "Ereğli Iron and Steel Factories". Erdemir occupies the 43rd place ...

, an important steel plant of Turkey. It has a large natural harbour, located in the lee of Baba Burnu and therefore one of the few geographically attractive places for a harbour on the western

coast of

. Ereğli is well developed due to the presence of the steel plant and fishing is a major commercial activity in the city. Because of its Black Sea beach, Ereğli is a popular tourist destination locally. The city does not have an airport (Erdemir has a small private field) or rail station, but can be reached by automobile or bus from

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

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, ...

and other places. In addition to its fishing and steel, Ereğli is also well known for its delicious Ottoman strawberry. The discoverer of the northern Turkish coalfields, Uzun Mehmet, lived in the ''Kestaneci Köyü'' ("Chestnut-seller Village") section of Ereğli. The International Love, Peace, Friendship, Culture and Art Festival is held every year in Karadeniz Ereğli.

Sports

Ereğli is an active spot in women's football. Karadeniz Ereğli Belediyespor is currently competing in National Women's Football League. Furthermore, Karadeniz Ereğli Spor won Girls' U-15 Turkey Championship in 2011. Also, local men's football clubs of Ereğli compete in amateur leagues. In 2000s, Erdemirspor had several successful professional sport teams. Men's volleyball team won three Turkish Men's Volleyball League championship titles ( 2001-02, 2003-04, and 2004-05), but was withdrawn from the league in 2007. Men's basketball team competed in Men's Basketball Super League for 7 seasons (2004-06, 2008-13), until

disestablished the team in 2013. It also won two championship titles in the lower basketball league. Besides, women's basketball team competed in the Woman's Basketball League in 2000s. Chess is also a popular sport in Ereğli. There are two chess clubs in the city, and Ereğli hosts around 10 local chess tournaments each year.

References

External links

Ereğli Municipality official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karadeniz Eregli Black Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Populated places in Zonguldak Province Fishing communities in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Districts of Zonguldak Province

History

Facts

Sports

See also

References

External links