Karabük is a town and the capital district of Karabük Province in the Black Sea Region, Black Sea region of Turkey. According to the 2009 census, population of the city is 108 167. The district covers an area of , and the town lies at an elevation of . Karabük was built in the 1930s as the seat of the iron and steel industry of Turkey, and thus is prone to the hazardous effects of air pollution. Karabük lies in a location near Filyos River formed by the merge of Araç and Soğanlı rivers.

Name

There are no known records of the origin of its name; in Turkish language, Turkish ''kara'' means "black" or "land" and ''bük'' means "bush" or "blackberry bush" ("bramble"). So ''Karabük'' means "blackbush".

History

Karabük is situated on an important trade route between Amasra on the coast and central Anatolia. The history of the city goes back to the early years of the Turkish Republic, when it was a small sub-village formed by 13 houses in the Öğlebeli village of Safranbolu. There was also a small train station on the Ankara–Zonguldak route. The town started to develop with the industrialization of the country. One of the first steel factories of the Republic was built here in 1939, after which it grew rapidly and incorporated Öğlebeli village as a quarter. Karabük became a municipality and then a township in the Safranbolu district in 1941. It became a district center in 1953 and a provincial center in 1995. Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia, Hadrianapolis (now Eskipazar), is an ancient city from the Roman Empire of the 4th century, located about 3 km from Karabük. There are many fountains, churches, and Roman baths. Although most of it is recently excavated, illegal excavations which have been going on for many years and have damaged Eskipazar's chances of becoming a major tourist attraction.

Climate

Karabük has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification, Köppen: ''Cfa'') or a relatively warm oceanic climate (Trewartha climate classification, Trewartha: ''Do'') with hot, humid summers and chilly, wet winters.

Economy

Karabük has its own resources of Dolomite (rock), dolomite and limestone, while coal and manganese is brought from Zonguldak and iron ore from Divriği. This allows a varied, yet basic industry in Karabük, including a coking plant, blast furnaces, a foundry and tube works. There are also chemical plants that produce sulfuric acid and phosphates. Nearby are the Zonguldak coal fields. One of the major steel producers in Turkey, namely Kardemir (''Karabük Iron and Steel Works''), is located in Karabük.

Gallery

File:Karabük at station 8006.jpg, Karabük station File:Karabük_at_station_8007.jpg, Karabük station File:Karabük general view 8041.jpg, Karabük general view File:Karabük general view 8044.jpg, Karabük general view File:Karabük otogar 8318.jpg, Karabük otogar File:Kaymakamlar Museum - 2014.10 - panoramio.jpg, Kaymakamlar Museum File:Karabük labourers monument 7994.jpg, Karabük labourers monument File:Karabük Atatürk monument 8320.jpg, Karabük Atatürk monument File:Karabük at railroad 7992.jpg, Karabük at railroad File:Karabük view 8033.jpg, Karabük view

Notes

References

External links

District governor's official web site

Karabük Haber Sitesi

Karabük Internet Magazine

University Of Karabük

Karabük Municipality

University Of Karabük
{{DEFAULTSORT:Karabuk Karabük, Cities in Turkey Populated places in Karabük Province Districts of Karabük Province