Erdek is a municipality and

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

Balıkesir Province Balıkesir Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality in northwestern Turkey with coastlines on both the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean Sea, Aegean. Its area is 14,583 km ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

. Its area is 307 km², and its population is 31,902 (2022). Located on the

Kapıdağ Peninsula Kapıdağ Peninsula () is a tied island in northwestern Anatolia extending into the Sea of Marmara in Balıkesir Province, Turkey. The peninsula forms the Gulf of Bandırma on its east and the Gulf of Erdek on its west. Kapıdağ was the classi ...

, on the north coast of the Gulf of Erdek at the south of the

Sea of Marmara The Sea of Marmara, also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, is a small inland sea entirely within the borders of Turkey. It links the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea via the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, separating Turkey's E ...

, Erdek is a popular domestic holiday destination with several hotels dating back to the 1960s. The surrounding area has a rugged geology and topography with evergreen wooded areas and large olive groves. It is dominated by Mt Dindymus (782m). Erdek district also included the islands of Koyun and

Paşalimanı Paşalimanı Island (), formerly Halone (), is an List of islands of Turkey, island in the southern Sea of Marmara in Turkey. The island is the fifth largest island of Turkey () and administratively belongs to the Erdek town of Balikesir Province ...

. In the summer ferries travel from Erdek to Avşa Adası, one of the Marmara Islands in the Sea of Marmara. The harbour overlooks tiny Zeytinlik island where there is a research station devoted to olives.

History

During the Hittite era it was known as ''Artukka''. Later it became a colony of

Miletus Miletus (Ancient Greek: Μίλητος, Mílētos) was an influential ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in present day Turkey. Renowned in antiquity for its wealth, maritime power, and ex ...

.Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, Artace
/ref> Together with other Greek cities, it took part in the

Ionian Revolt The Ionian Revolt, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris (Asia Minor), Doris, Ancient history of Cyprus, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several Greek regions of Asia Minor against Achaemenid Empire, Persian rule, lasting from 499 ...

against the

Persian Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the larg ...

, but was burnt by the Persians; it seems unlikely that it was rebuilt in ancient times since

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

does not mention it. In the Roman period it was known as Artace. During the

Ottoman period The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Euro ...

, Erdek was the centre of the

Sanjak of Karasi Karasi Sanjak, ( Turkish: ''Karesi Sancağı''; c. 1341–1922) was one of the first sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire established around 1341 and disestablished after signing the Treaty of Lausanne. Despite being established in 1341, the Sanjak fi ...

. According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82–1893, the

kaza A kaza (, "judgment" or "jurisdiction") was an administrative divisions of the Ottoman Empire, administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. It is also discussed in English under the names district, subdistrict, and juridical district. Kazas co ...

of Erdek had a total population of 33,007, consisting of 29,165

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

, 3,070 Muslims, 300

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, 18

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

and 454 foreign citizens. In the 1960s, before

Bodrum Bodrum () is a town and district of Muğla Province, Turkey. About 200 thousand people live in the district, which covers 650 km2 and includes the town. It is a port town at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Known in ancient times as Hal ...

and

Marmaris Marmaris () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Muğla Province, Turkey. Its area is 906 km2, and its population is 97,818 (2022). It is a port city and tourist resort on the Aegean Sea, Mediterranean coast, along the shorel ...

became popular vacation spots, Erdek was a fashionable holiday resort for Istanbul residents. The Pinar Oteli was the most popular place to stay then and is still in business today.

Composition

There are 28

neighbourhoods A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English) is a geographically localized community within a larger town, city, suburb or rural area, sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourh ...

in Erdek District: * Alaaddin * Aşağıyapıcı * Atatürk * Balıklı * Ballıpınar * Belkıs * Çakılköy * Çeltikçi * Doğanlar * Halitpaşa * Hamamlı * Harmanlı * İlhanköy * Karşıyaka * Kestanelik * Narlı * Ocaklar * Ormanlı * Paşalimanı * Poyrazlı * Sahil * Şahinburgaz * Tatlısu * Turan * Tuzla * Yalı * Yukarıyapıcı * Zeytinli

Twin towns — sister cities

Erdek is twinned with: *

Otranto Otranto (, , ; ; ; ; ) is a coastal town, port and ''comune'' in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy"). ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

since 2001Sister/Twin Cities of Balıkesir Province
/ref>

References

External links

Erdek OtelleriAbout Erdek
Erdek, restaurant,otel,maps,motel,information content.
Erdek Tourism
Tourism page with interactive map and panorama videos.
Erdek Oteller PansiyonlarErdek Hotel
{{Authority control Seaside resorts in Turkey Populated places in Balıkesir Province Districts of Balıkesir Province Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey Port cities of the Sea of Marmara Fishing communities in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Members of the Delian League Former Greek towns in Turkey Milesian colonies Greek colonies in Mysia

History

Composition

Twin towns — sister cities

See also

References

External links