Ünye (''Oinòe'', Οἰνόη in ancient Greek) is a large town and district of

Ordu Province Ordu Province ( tr, ) is a province of Turkey, located on the Black Sea coast. Its adjacent provinces are Samsun to the northwest, Tokat to the southwest, Sivas to the south, and Giresun to the east. Its license-plate code is 52. The capi ...

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, Rom ...

region 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 Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

, 76 km west of the city of

Ordu Ordu () or Altınordu is a port city on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, historically also known as Cotyora or Kotyora ( pnt, Κοτύωρα), and the capital of Ordu Province with a population of 229,214 in the city center. Name Kotyora, the ori ...

. In 2009 it had 74,806 inhabitants. İrfan Akar is the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ünye, which is one of the important trade centers of the Black Sea region. Osman Sarıkahraman is the President of the Unye Chamber of Agriculture.

Geography

Ünye has a little port, in a bay on one of the flatter areas of the

coast. The climate is typical of the Black Sea region, warm and wet, although because the hinterland is flatter than most of the coastline Ünye has less rainfall. Agriculture is the basis of the local economy, in particular hazelnut growing, hazelnut trading and hazelnut processing. The town is very quiet in late-July and August when most people are in the countryside for the hazelnut harvest. The town of Ünye provides high schools, higher education and other services to the surrounding countryside, and other industry includes a large cement factory, flour mills, local handicrafts and the port. The town has grown in recent decades, acquiring the multi-storey concrete blocks spreading along the coast, typical of so many Turkish towns. There are cafes and internet cafes popular with students. The cuisine includes the local pizza called ''

pide The International and State Defense Police ( pt, Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado; PIDE) was a Portuguese security agency that existed during the '' Estado Novo'' regime of António de Oliveira Salazar. Formally, the main roles of th ...

''. With its quiet spots for picnics and walking and its excellent beaches Ünye is one of the nicest holiday towns on the eastern

coast. Affordable pensions and camping facilities as well as 2- or 3-star hotels can be found in the summer season. There are summer festivals and concerts in July.

Etymology

The town's name has evolved from the Greek ''Oinoe'' through ''Oinaion'', ''Unieh'', ''Unie'' and ''Unia'' to the current ''Ünye''.

History

The history of Ünye goes back to the Hittite period in the 15th century BC, followed by the Kashkas,

Scythians The Scythians or Scyths, and sometimes also referred to as the Classical Scythians and the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern * : "In modern scholarship the name 'Sakas' is reserved for the ancient tribes of northern and eastern Centra ...

, Milesians,

Persians The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. ...

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

and Ancient Roman/

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 ...

eras. During Greco-Roman times, it was called Oenoe and was a port town of

, at the mouth of the river

Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for future works, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabili ...

. It was also ruled by

Danishmends The Danishmendids or Danishmends ( fa, دودمان دانشمند; tr, Dânişmendliler) was a Turkish beylik that ruled in north-central and eastern Anatolia from 1071/1075 to 1178. The dynasty centered originally around Sivas, Tokat, and N ...

between 1086-1098, 1141-1144 and 1150-1157, Sultanate of Rum between 1188-1204, 1214-1228 and 1230-1243, Empire of Trebizond in 1204-1214, 1228-1230, 1243-1297 and 1302-1346 and Emirate of Hacıemiroğlu between 1297-1302 and 1346-1461. During the 1290s, the Ünye fortress was built by the Trebizond emperor Ioanni (II.). In the year 1806 the Laz attacked Ünye. This led to the town being evacuated under the guidance of Bishop Meletios and resetting in Sinope.Pontic History Timeline 1774 - 1923
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Main sights

* The 18th-century town hall. * Çamlık - picnic area in a wood overlooking the sea * Çakırtepe - a hilltop view of the town * Ünye Castle (dating back to the Pontus era). * Uzunkum - the longest beach on the Black Sea

Notable natives

* Fahrettin Çiloğlu, writer and translator * Ferhan Şensoy, actor and writer * Gulsen, artist * Refaiddin Şahin State Minister-MP, has attracted government spending to Ünye * Tamer Karan, singer * Osman Doğan, Ünye Tarihi uzmanı * İrfan Dağdelen, Ünye Tarihi uzmanı * Sabri Bacacı, Ünye Tarihi uzmanı

References

External links

Municipal Official Site

District Official Site

News & City Portal

Historical Information Page

Places to be Visited

City Football Club (Ünyespor)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Unye Populated places in Ordu Province Black Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Fishing communities in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Districts of Ordu Province