![Gulf of Izmit, Turkey](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Gulf_of_Izmit%2C_Turkey.JPG)
The Sea of Marmara,; grc, Προποντίς, Προποντίδα, Propontís, Propontída also known as the Marmara Sea, is an
inland sea
An inland sea (also known as an epeiric sea or an epicontinental sea) is a continental body of water which is very large and is either completely surrounded by dry land or connected to an ocean by a river, strait, or "arm of the sea". An inland se ...
located entirely within the borders 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 connects 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 ...
to the
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...
via the
Bosporus
The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern T ...
and
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...
straits, separating the country's
European
European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to:
In general
* ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe
** Ethnic groups in Europe
** Demographics of Europe
** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...
and
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
sides. The Sea of Marmara is a small sea with an area of , and dimensions of . Its greatest depth is .
Name
The Sea of Marmara is named after the largest island to its south side which is called
Marmara Island
Marmara Island ( ) is a Turkish island in the Sea of Marmara. With an area of it is the largest island in the Sea of Marmara and is the second largest island of Turkey after Gökçeada (older name in Turkish: ; el, Ίμβρος, links=no ''Im ...
because it is rich in
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...
(
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
(''mármaron'') "marble)."
In
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
it was known as the Propontis, which is derived from the Greek words ''pro-'' (before) and ''pontos'' (sea) and reflects the fact that the Ancient Greeks used to sail through it to reach 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 ...
that they called Pontos.
Mythology
In
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 ...
, a storm on the Propontis brought the
Argonauts
The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, '' Argo'', ...
back to an island they had left, precipitating a battle in which either
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
or
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 ...
killed
King Cyzicus, who mistook them for his
Pelasgia
Pelasgia ( el, Πελασγία, land of the Pelasgians) in historical geography may be an earlier toponym of
*
*Greece (Hellas)
*Arcadia
*the Peloponnese
* Larissa Cremaste a city in Phthiotis, southern Thessaly,Strabo, Geographica 9. 5. 13,19 ...
n enemies.
Geography and hydrology
The surface
salinity
Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensionless and equal ...
of the Marmara averages about 22 parts per thousand, which is slightly more than that of 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 ...
, but only about two-thirds that of most
ocean
The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wo ...
s. The water is much more saline at the bottom of the sea, averaging a salinity of around 38 parts per thousand, similar to that of the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
. This high-density saline water does not migrate to the surface as is also the case with the Black Sea,. Water from the
Susurluk,
Biga
Biga may refer to:
Places
* Biga, Çanakkale, a town and district of Çanakkale Province in Turkey
* Sanjak of Biga, an Ottoman province
* Biga Çayı, a river in Çanakkale Province
* Biga Peninsula, a peninsula in Turkey, in the northwest part ...
(Granicus), and
Gönen
Gönen is a district of Balıkesir Province of Turkey, in the southern part of Marmara Sea. The town is mostly known for its therapeutic hot springs, leather processing and rice production.
Location
The town is surrounded by Bandırma in the no ...
Rivers also reduces the salinity of the sea, though with less effect than on the Black Sea. With little land in
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
draining southward, almost all of these rivers flow from
Anatolia
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
.
The sea's south coast is heavily indented and includes the
Gulf of İzmit
Gulf of İzmit (Turkish language, Turkish: ''İzmit Körfezi''), also referred to as Izmit Bay, is a bay at the easternmost edge of the Sea of Marmara, in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. The gulf takes its name from the city of İzmit. Other cities a ...
( tr, İzmit Körfezi), the
Gulf of Gemlik
The Gulf of Gemlik ( tr, Gemlik Körfezi) is an inlet of the Sea of Marmara in the Marmara Region, Turkey, Marmara region of Turkey. The gulf is located in the southwestern part of the sea. Mudanya, Gemlik and Armutlu, Yalova, Armutlu are the majo ...
( tr, Gemlik Körfezi), the
Gulf of Bandırma ( tr, Bandırma Körfezi), and the
Gulf of Erdek
Erdek Gulf is a gulf of Marmara Sea, Turkey. It is administratively a part of Balıkesir Province.
In fact, the gulf is named after Erdek, an ilçe (district) of the Balıkesir Province which is situated at the north coast of the gulf .
The midpoin ...
( tr, Erdek Körfezi).
Islands
There are two main groups of islands in the Sea of Marmara. To the north lie the
Prince Islands
The Princes' Islands ( tr, Prens Adaları; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes", el, Πριγκηπονήσια, ''Pringiponisia''), officially just Adalar ( en, Islands); alternatively the Princes' Arch ...
, an archipelago made up of the inhabited islands of
Kınaliada,
Burgazada
Burgazada, or Burgaz Adası (Burgaz for short), is the third largest of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul, Turkey. It is officially a neighbourhood of the Adalar district of Istanbul. In the past it was called Antigoni ( ...
,
Heybeliada
Heybeliada, or Heybeli Ada, is the second largest of the Prince' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbull, Turkey. It is officially a neighbourhood of the Adalar district of Istanbul. Its name, meaning 'with a saddlebag' in Turkish, in ...
,
Büyüyada and
Sedef Adası
Sedef Island, ( tr, Sedef Adası, literally "Mother-of-Pearl Island"; Greek language, Greek: Τερέβυνθος ''Terebinthos'', and in ancient times also ''Androvitha'' or ''Andircuithos'') is one of the nine islands consisting the Princes' Isla ...
and several uninhabited islands including
Sivriada
Sivriada ( el, , ''Oxeia'') also known as Hayırsızada, is one of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, near Istanbul.
The island, which has an area of 0.05 km², is officially a neighbourhood in the Adalar district of Istanbul, Turk ...
,
Yassıada
Yassıada ( Turkish: Flat Island), officially renamed Democracy and Freedom Island ( Turkish: Demokrasi ve Özğürlükler Adası) in 2013, is one of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, to the southeast of Istanbul. In Byzantine times, i ...
,
Kaşıkadası and
Tavşanadası. The inhabited islands are readily accessible by ferry from both the European and Asian shores 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 the entire archipelago forms part of the conurbation.
To the south lie the
Marmara Islands, an archipelago made up of the eponymous
Marmara Island
Marmara Island ( ) is a Turkish island in the Sea of Marmara. With an area of it is the largest island in the Sea of Marmara and is the second largest island of Turkey after Gökçeada (older name in Turkish: ; el, Ίμβρος, links=no ''Im ...
and three other inhabited islands –
Avşa
Avşa Island ( tr, Avşa Adası) or Türkeli is a Turkish island in the southern Sea of Marmara with an area of about . It was the classical and Byzantine Aphousia ( el, Ἀφουσία or Ἀφησιά) and was a place of exile during the Byzant ...
,
Paşalimanı
Paşalimanı Island ( tr, Paşalimanı Adası), formerly Halone ( gr, Ἁλώνη), is a small List of islands of Turkey, island in the southern Sea of Marmara in Turkey. The island is the fourth biggest island (21.3 km2) of Turkey and administrat ...
and
Ekinlik – as well as of seventeen largely uninhabited islands including the prison island of
Imralı whose most famous prisoner, since 1999, has been the PKK leader
Abdullah Öcalan
Abdullah Öcalan ( ; ; born 4 April 1949), also known as Apo (short for Abdullah in Turkish and Kurdish for "uncle"), is a political prisoner and founding member of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Öcalan was based in Syria from ...
. These islands lie within
Balıkesir province
Balıkesir Province ( tr, ) is a province in northwestern Turkey with coastlines on both the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea, Aegean. Its adjacent provinces are Çanakkale Province, Çanakkale to the west, İzmir Province, İzmir to the southw ...
and are most readily accessible from
Tekirdağ
Tekirdağ (; see also its other names) is a city in Turkey. It is located on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara, in the region of East Thrace. In 2019 the city's population was 204,001.
Tekirdağ town is a commercial centre with a harbour ...
in
Thrace
Thrace (; el, Θράκη, Thráki; bg, Тракия, Trakiya; tr, Trakya) or Thrake is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe, now split among Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey, which is bounded by the Balkan Mountains to t ...
or
Erdek
Erdek (formerly known as ''Artàke'', el, Αρτάκη) is a town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The population was 34,000 in 2010. Located on the Kapıdağ Peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Er ...
on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara. In high summer additional ferries travel to Avşa and Marmara Islands from the centre of İstanbul to facilitate a growing tourist trade.
There are also a few individual islands elsewhere in the Sea of Marmara, such as Koç Adası, off
Tuzla
Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants.
Tuzla is the economic, cultural, ed ...
, which is privately owned by the
Koç family
The Koç family is a Turkish family of business people founded by Vehbi Koç, one of the wealthiest self-made people in Turkey. His grandsons, the third generation of the Koç family, today run Turkey's largest group of companies, Koç Holding, ...
of industrialists.
Problems facing the Sea of Marmara
The
North Anatolian Fault
The North Anatolian Fault (NAF) ( tr, Kuzey Anadolu Fay Hattı) is an active right-lateral strike-slip fault in northern Anatolia, and is the transform boundary between the Eurasian Plate and the Anatolian Plate. The fault extends westward fro ...
runs under the sea and has triggered several major
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
s, such as those in
Izmit and
Düzce
Düzce is the capital city of Düzce Province, the eighty-first Province in Turkey. The population is 367,087 and in 2009 was 125,240, an increase from 61,878 in 1990.
Overview
Düzce is the eighty-first and the newest province of Turkey. ...
in the August and November 1999 respectively. The August 1999 earthquake is commonly referred to as the
Marmara Earthquake since its epicentre lay under the Sea and most of the places worst affected by the quake and ensuing tsunami lay along its shores.
During a storm on 29 December 1999, the Russian
oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crud ...
''Volgoneft'' broke in two in the Sea of Marmara, spilling more than 1,500 tonnes of
oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
into the water.
In 2021 the shores of the Sea of Marmara were disfigured by mucilage - nicknamed 'sea snot' - caused, at least in part, by the dumping of untreated waste into the water.
Extent
The
International Hydrographic Organization
The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is an intergovernmental organisation representing hydrography. , the IHO comprised 98 Member States.
A principal aim of the IHO is to ensure that the world's seas, oceans and navigable waters a ...
defines the limits of the Sea of Marmara as follows:
::''On the West''. The
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...
limit of the
Aegean Sea
The Aegean Sea ; tr, Ege Denizi (Greek language, Greek: Αιγαίο Πέλαγος: "Egéo Pélagos", Turkish language, Turkish: "Ege Denizi" or "Adalar Denizi") is an elongated embayment of the Mediterranean Sea between Europe and Asia. It ...
line joining Kum Kale (26°11'E) and Cape Helles">Cape_Helles.html" ;"title=" line joining Kum Kale (26°11'E) and Cape Helles"> line joining Kum Kale (26°11'E) and Cape Helles/nowiki>.
::''On the Northeast''. A line joining Cape Rumili with Cape Anatoli (41°13′N).
Towns and cities
Towns and cities on the coast of the Sea of Marmara include:
Gallery
File:Bosphorus aerial view.jpg, The Bosporus with Istanbul in the background
File:Marmara sea.JPG, View of Marmara Sea from Istanbul
File:Yassiada 1.jpg, Sea of Marmara approaching Yassıada
Yassıada ( Turkish: Flat Island), officially renamed Democracy and Freedom Island ( Turkish: Demokrasi ve Özğürlükler Adası) in 2013, is one of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, to the southeast of Istanbul. In Byzantine times, i ...
See also
*1509 Constantinople earthquake
*1999 İzmit earthquake
*Black Sea deluge hypothesis
*Kanal İstanbul
*Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits
*Turkish Straits
Notes
References
External links
"Sea of Marmara"
at the ''Encyclopædia Britannica
The (Latin for "British Encyclopædia") is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia. It is published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; the company has existed since the 18th century, although it has changed ownership various time ...
''
"Sea of Marmara: Where Ancient Myth and Modern Science Mix"
at SCIENCE FOCUS – SeaWiFS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sea Of Marmara
Ancient Greek geography
Marmara
Marmara
Marmara Region
Geography of Southern Europe
Geography of Western Asia
Landforms of Istanbul Province
Landforms of Balıkesir Province
Landforms of Bursa Province
Landforms of Çanakkale Province
Landforms of Kocaeli Province
Landforms of Tekirdağ Province
Landforms of Yalova Province