Karabük is a town and the capital district of

Karabük Province Karabük Province ( tr, Karabük ili ) is a landlocked province in the northern part of Anatolia (northern central Turkey), located about north of Ankara, away from Zonguldak and away from Kastamonu. In 2010 it had a population of 227,610. The ...

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, Roma ...

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 The Filyos River is a river in northern Turkey. The longest branch of the Filyos is formed near Karabük by several tributaries. It flows to the west through a deep canyon past Yenice. Just north of Devrek, it is joined by major branches flo ...

formed by the merge of Araç and Soğanlı rivers.

Name

There are no known records of the origin of its name; in 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 Amasra (from Greek Amastris Ἄμαστρις, ''gen''. Ἀμάστριδος) is a small Black Sea port town in the Bartın Province, Turkey, formerly known as Amastris. The town today is much appreciated for its beaches and natural setting, ...

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 Safranbolu () is a town and district of Karabük Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is about 9 km north of the city of Karabük, north of Ankara and about 100 km south of the Black Sea coast. The town's historic names in Gr ...

. There was also a small train station on the

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 ...

–

Zonguldak Zonguldak () is a city and the capital of Zonguldak Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It was established in 1849 as a port town for the nearby coal mines in Ereğli and the coal trade remains its main economic activity. According to the ...

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. Hadrianapolis (now

Eskipazar Eskipazar is a town and district of Karabük Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. According to the 2000 census, the population of the district was 16,365, of whom 8,457 lived in the town of Eskipazar. The district covers an area of , and the ...

), 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 A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

: ''Cfa'') or a relatively warm

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

(

Trewartha Trewartha and Andrewartha are Cornish family names (and placename, Dexter). There are places called Trewartha in the parishes of Merther, St Agnes, St Neot and Veryan. According to the ''Handbook of Cornish Names'' by G. Pawley White, "Trew ...

: ''Do'') with hot, humid summers and chilly, wet winters.

Economy

Karabük has its own resources of

dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...

and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, while coal and manganese is brought from Zonguldak and iron ore from

Divriği Divriği (formerly Tephrike, Greek: Τεφρική) is a small town and district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The town lies on gentle slope on the south bank of the Çaltısuyu river, a tributary of the Karasu river. The Great Mosque and Hospit ...

. This allows a varied, yet basic industry in Karabük, including a

coking plant Coke is a grey, hard, and porous coal-based fuel with a high carbon content and few impurities, made by heating coal or oil in the absence of air—a destructive distillation process. It is an important industrial product, used mainly in iron ...

, 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 Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

producers in Turkey, namely

Kardemir Kardemir is a Turkish steel producer. The name is a contraction of the Turkish language ''Karabük Demir Çelik Fabrikaları'', which means "Karabük Iron and Steel Works". History Its main plant is located at Karabük in the Black Sea region of ...

(''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 Cities in Turkey Populated places in Karabük Province Districts of Karabük Province