Gönen
Encyclopedia
Gönen is a district of Balıkesir Province
of Turkey
, located in the southern part of Marmara Sea. The town is mostly known for its therapeutic hot springs
, leather
processing and rice
production. The mayor is Hüseyin Yakar (AKP
).
in the northeast, Biga and Yenice
in the west, Marmara Sea and Gulf of Erdek
and Balya
in the south. Elevation is 33 m from sea level.
After the acquisition of Gönen by Ottoman Empire
, the name Gönen was used. The etymological
source of that name is still disputed. Widely accepted possibilities are:
Also, some sources indicate that there was a nomadic tribe of the "Yörükan community" bearing the name "Gönen","Gönan" or "Gönenlü". The tribe was loosely based around Adana
and Maraş
.
's Seyahatname
(In which he collected the notes of his journeys), Gönen was used by the governors of Bursa as a summer holiday location, where they enjoyed the therapeutic uses of the hot springs
.
On 18 March 1953, Gönen suffered a devastating 7.3
earthquake
which left 50 dead in Gönen and hundreds of buildings damaged. a previous devastating earthquake had occurred here in 1440 AD.
There are regular bus routes to and from Istanbul
, Ankara
and İzmir
. Sea and train routes are available by transfer in Bandırma
. Using available high speed ferry services, it takes 2 hours to reach Istanbul. The only train route available is to İzmir
, but this is mostly used for cargo, rather than passenger transportation. Local air service is available through Bursa
. International flights are handled through İstanbul
and İzmir
.
Balikesir Province
Balıkesir Province is a province in midwestern Turkey, having coastlines on both the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean. Its adjacent provinces are Çanakkale to the west, İzmir to the southwest, Manisa to the south, Kütahya to the southeast, and Bursa to the east. The provincial capital is Balıkesir City...
of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, located in the southern part of Marmara Sea. The town is mostly known for its therapeutic hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
, leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
processing and rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
production. The mayor is Hüseyin Yakar (AKP
Justice and Development Party (Turkey)
The Justice and Development Party , abbreviated JDP in English and AK PARTİ or AKP in Turkish, is a centre-right political party in Turkey. The party is the largest in Turkey, with 327 members of parliament...
).
Location
The town is surrounded by BandırmaBandirma
Bandırma is a city in northwestern Turkey with 113,385 inhabitants on the Sea of Marmara. Also, Bandırma is a district of Balıkesir....
in the northeast, Biga and Yenice
Yenice, Çanakkale
Yenice is a town and district of Çanakkale Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. According to the 2000 census, population of the district is 35,796 of which 6,903 live in the town of Yenice...
in the west, Marmara Sea and Gulf of Erdek
Erdek
Erdek is a town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The population is 20,693 .Located on the north coast of Gulf of Erdek at the south of the Sea of Marmara, Erdek is known as a friendly holiday destination that is popular among domestic tourists...
and Balya
Balya
Balya is a town and district of Balıkesir Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The mayor is Dündar Cengiz . It is located on the ancient greek city Pericharaxis....
in the south. Elevation is 33 m from sea level.
Names and etymology
The oldest known name of the town is Asepsus. This was also the name of the brook, that flows next to the city center. Research shows that the subsequent name was Artemea, a derivation of ArtemisArtemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
After the acquisition of Gönen by Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, the name Gönen was used. The etymological
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
source of that name is still disputed. Widely accepted possibilities are:
- Non-Turkish possibilities:
- Ka-wana : A word meaning "Sheepland/Sheep Country" in Luwian
- Germenon : A word meaning "Hot SpringHot springA hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
" - Giunan : A word meaning "Greek" (Yion,in ancient GreekAncient GreekAncient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
),becoming "Giunen" and then "Gonen" in Turkish
- Possible meanings in TurkishTurkish languageTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
:- A small pond that dries in summer, small pond, placid water
- Humidity, wet, well-watered.
Also, some sources indicate that there was a nomadic tribe of the "Yörükan community" bearing the name "Gönen","Gönan" or "Gönenlü". The tribe was loosely based around Adana
Adana
Adana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
and Maraş
Maras
In ancient Latvia, Māras or Māras diena was a festival, celebrated on August 15, held in honor of Māra, the Latvian goddess. It marked the midpoint between Jāņi and Miķeļi...
.
History
According to Evliya ÇelebiEvliya Çelebi
Evliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
's Seyahatname
Seyahatname
Seyâhatnâme is a Persian term, also used in Ottoman Turkish, which means "book of travels", denoting a literary form and tradition whose examples can be found throughout centuries in the Middle Ages around the Islamic world, starting with the Arab travellers of the Umayyad period.An outstanding...
(In which he collected the notes of his journeys), Gönen was used by the governors of Bursa as a summer holiday location, where they enjoyed the therapeutic uses of the hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
.
On 18 March 1953, Gönen suffered a devastating 7.3
earthquake1953 Western Turkey earthquake
The 1953 Yenice-Gönen earthquake occurred at 21:06 local time The 1953 Yenice-Gönen earthquake occurred at 21:06 local time The 1953 Yenice-Gönen earthquake occurred at 21:06 local time (19:06 UTC on March 18, in the province of Çanakkale and Balıkesir in the Marmara Region at western Turkey. It...
which left 50 dead in Gönen and hundreds of buildings damaged. a previous devastating earthquake had occurred here in 1440 AD.
Demographics
According to, the census that took place in 2010, the population is 43,802. This data includes, the town center and nearby villages within the virtual borderline drawn by branches of Gonen Brook. The total population, including Sarıköy and all 89 villages, is 73407. The population distribution is mostly linear, as most villages are located in between the borders of the valley. However, population density noticeably decreases in more steep areas.Transport
|
There are regular bus routes to and from Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
. Sea and train routes are available by transfer in Bandırma
Bandirma
Bandırma is a city in northwestern Turkey with 113,385 inhabitants on the Sea of Marmara. Also, Bandırma is a district of Balıkesir....
. Using available high speed ferry services, it takes 2 hours to reach Istanbul. The only train route available is to İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, but this is mostly used for cargo, rather than passenger transportation. Local air service is available through Bursa
Bursa, Turkey
Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey and the seat of Bursa Province. The metropolitan area in the entire Bursa province had a population of 2.6 million as of 2010, making the city fourth most populous in Turkey. The city is equally one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the...
. International flights are handled through İstanbul
Atatürk International Airport
Atatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
and İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
.
External links
- Gönen Kaplıcaları A.Ş. Info about thermal properties of hot springsHot SpringsHot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...