İzmit () is a municipality and the capital

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 ...

Kocaeli Province Kocaeli Province (, ) is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey and one of only three not to have the same official name as its capital, İzmit, which is thus also sometim ...

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 480 km², and its population is 376,056 (2022). The capital of Kocaeli Province, it is located at the Gulf of İzmit in 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 ...

, about east of

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

, on the northwestern part of

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

(including rural areas) had a population of 2,079,072 inhabitants in 2022, of whom approximately 1.2 million lived in the largely urban İzmit City metro area made up of Kartepe, Başiskele, Körfez, Gölcük, Derince and Sapanca (in Sakarya Province). Unlike other provinces in Turkey, apart from Istanbul, the whole province is included within the municipality of the metropolitan center. İzmit was known as

Nicomedia Nicomedia (; , ''Nikomedeia''; modern İzmit) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek city located in what is now Turkey. In 286, Nicomedia became the eastern and most senior capital city of the Roman Empire (chosen by the emperor Diocletian who rul ...

() and Ólbia () in antiquity, and was the eastern and most senior capital city of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

between 286 and 324, during the

Tetrarchy The Tetrarchy was the system instituted by Roman emperor Diocletian in 293 AD to govern the ancient Roman Empire by dividing it between two emperors, the ''augusti'', and their junior colleagues and designated successors, the ''caesares''. I ...

introduced by

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

. Following

Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

's victory over co-emperor

Licinius Valerius Licinianus Licinius (; Ancient Greek, Greek: Λικίνιος; c. 265 – 325) was Roman emperor from 308 to 324. For most of his reign, he was the colleague and rival of Constantine I, with whom he co-authored the Edict of Milan that ...

at the Battle of Chrysopolis in 324, Nicomedia served as an interim capital city for Constantine between 324 and 330, when he rebuilt and expanded the nearby city of

Byzantium Byzantium () or Byzantion () was an ancient Greek city in classical antiquity that became known as Constantinople in late antiquity and Istanbul today. The Greek name ''Byzantion'' and its Latinization ''Byzantium'' continued to be used as a n ...

as the new Roman capital; formally dedicating it in 330 with the name '' Nova Roma'', before he soon renamed it as '' Constantinopolis'' (modern

). Constantine died at a royal villa near Nicomedia in 337. During the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, 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 Centr ...

, İzmit was the capital of the

Sanjak of Kocaeli The Sanjak of Kocaeli was a second-level Ottoman province ('' sanjak'' or '' liva'') with capital at Iznikmid/Izmid (Byzantine Nicomedia, modern Izmit). History Kocaeli derives its name from Akça Khodja, an Ottoman Turkish warleader who be ...

Name

"''İzmit''" derives from the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

name of the city,

(), prefixed with εἰς 'to' or 'into' (similarly to İstanbul). Names used in English prior to official Turkish Latinization include ''Ismid'', ''Iskimid'', and ''Isnikmid''.

Geography

The geographical location of İzmit is between 40°-41° N and 29°-31° E, surrounded by the Gulf of İzmit at south,

and the

at west, the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea 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 bound ...

at north, and Sakarya at east. The city is mostly built on hill slopes because of the cramped area, while flat plains surround the gulf, near the sea. This topographic structure divided the city into two parts. The first was created on flat plains, where the city center is located. The railway and highway networks pass from this area which is close to the Sea of Marmara. The second part was built on hills, with many historic houses from the Ottoman period in the old quarters.

History

In Antiquity, the city in Greek was called Astacus or Olbia (founded 712 BC). After being destroyed, it was rebuilt and founded by

Nicomedes I of Bithynia Nicomedes I (; lived c. 300 BC – c. 255 BC, reigned 278 BC – c. 255 BC), second king of Bithynia, was the eldest son of Zipoetes I, whom he succeeded on the throne in 278 BC. Life He began his reign by killing two of his brothers, but ...

in 264 BC under the name of

. It remained one of the most important cities in northwestern

Asia Minor Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

. Carthaginian general and statesman

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

came to Nicomedia in his final years and committed suicide in nearby Libyssa (modern Gebze), in a date between 183 and 181 BC. The historian Arrian was born in Nicomedia, which was the metropolis of Bithynia under the

(see also

Nicaea Nicaea (also spelled Nicæa or Nicea, ; ), also known as Nikaia (, Attic: , Koine: ), was an ancient Greek city in the north-western Anatolian region of Bithynia. It was the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea (the first and seve ...

). In 286 AD, Roman emperor

made Nicomedia the eastern capital city of the Roman Empire, when he introduced the

system. Nicomedia remained as the eastern (and most senior) capital of the Roman Empire until

was defeated by

in 324. Constantine mainly resided in Nicomedia as his interim capital city for the next six years; until in 330 he declared the nearby

as ''Nova Roma'', which eventually became known as

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

(modern

). Constantine died at an imperial villa in the vicinity of Nicomedia on 22 May 337. Owing to its position at the convergence of the Asiatic roads leading to the new capital, Nicomedia retained its importance even after the foundation of Constantinople. In 451, the local bishopric was promoted to a

Metropolitan see Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ...

under the jurisdiction of the

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...

. Nicomedia remained under

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

rule until the late 11th century, when it was captured by

Seljuk Turks The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; , ''Saljuqian'',) alternatively spelled as Saljuqids or Seljuk Turks, was an Oghuz Turks, Oghuz Turkic, Sunni Muslim dynasty that gradually became Persianate society, Persianate and contributed to Turco-Persi ...

. However, the city soon returned to Byzantine sovereignty as a consequence of the successes of the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

. After the sack of Constantinople in 1204, during the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

, the city of Nicomedia, with most of the Bithynia province, became a part of the

Latin Empire The Latin Empire, also referred to as the Latin Empire of Constantinople, was a feudal Crusader state founded by the leaders of the Fourth Crusade on lands captured from the Byzantine Empire. The Latin Empire was intended to replace the Byzantin ...

. It was recaptured by the Byzantines around 1235 and stayed within Byzantine borders until the first half of the 14th century. The city was conquered by the

Ottoman Turks The Ottoman Turks () were a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group in Anatolia. Originally from Central Asia, they migrated to Anatolia in the 13th century and founded the Ottoman Empire, in which they remained socio-politically dominant for the e ...

in 1337. In the early 20th century, it remained the seat of a

pasha Pasha (; ; ) was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman political and military system, typically granted to governors, generals, dignitary, dignitaries, and others. ''Pasha'' was also one of the highest titles in the 20th-century Kingdom of ...

, a Greek metropolitan, and an

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

archbishop. İzmit was occupied by the United Kingdom on 6 July 1920, during the

Turkish War of Independence , strength1 = May 1919: 35,000November 1920: 86,000Turkish General Staff, ''Türk İstiklal Harbinde Batı Cephesi'', Edition II, Part 2, Ankara 1999, p. 225August 1922: 271,000Celâl Erikan, Rıdvan Akın: ''Kurtuluş Savaşı tarih ...

. The British left it to

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

on 27 October 1920. İzmit was re-taken by the Turks on 28 June 1921.''Ionian Vision: Greece in Asia Minor, 1919-1922'', Michael Llewellyn-Smith, page 215, 1998 As of 1920, the British reported that the city had a population of about 13,000. In 1920–1921 atrocities were committed in the city and its surroundings during the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922) against the Greek civilian population. An Allied report (on 1 June 1921) stated that a large number of excesses were committed by both sides during the last year, while the Turkish atrocities in the Izmit peninsula "have been more considerable and ferocious than those on the part of the Greeks". The 7.6 earthquake of 17 August 1999 devastated the region with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The shock killed more than 17,000 people and left half a million homeless. It took several years for the city to recover from this disaster, and traces of the earthquake remain visible.

Main sights

There are numerous tourist attractions in the city center and its adjacent region, such as: * remains of the ancient Acropolis, Agora, Amphitheater, Nymphaeum, Necropolis * the

Demeter In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Demeter (; Attic Greek, Attic: ''Dēmḗtēr'' ; Doric Greek, Doric: ''Dāmā́tēr'') is the Twelve Olympians, Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over cro ...

Temple * the

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

Üçtepeler Mound King Tombs * Roman city walls, aqueducts and

cisterns A cistern (; , ; ) is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster. Cisterns are disti ...

* parts of the Temple of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

* parts of the Palace and Arsenal of

* the

fortress at the core of the Roman city walls * Orhan Gazi Mosque (1333) * the 14th century Süleyman Paşa Hamam * the 16th century Imaret Mosque and Pertev Paşa Mosque (1580), designed by the Ottoman chief architect Mimar Sinan * Pertev Paşa Fountain (1571) * the 16th century Mehmed Bey Hamam * Saatçi Ali Efendi Mansion (1776) * Tüysüz Fountain (1782) * the early 19th century Fevziye Mosque * Kapanca Sokağı Fountain and Canfeda Kethüda Kadın Fountain (1827) * Sırrı Paşa Mansion (mid-19th century) * Kasr-ı Hümayun Palace * French Theological School * Redif Barracks (1863) * İzmit Clock Tower (1901) * Kocaeli Museum * SEKA Paper Museum * Fethiye Street

Economy

İzmit has a history as a port city. As of 1913, the Turkish government had been working to privatize the port. At that time,

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

built a temporary dock, bringing a small export business to the area. The British described the port as having little business as of 1920. During the sanjak period of İzmit, the forested regions of the area were devastated by

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

. The wood in the region of İzmit was used to produce

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ca ...

, primarily. During the 1920s, the area was also known for manufacturing

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

. Factories were rare during that time, so most linen was handmade. It was described as being "coarse" and as being in high demand in Turkey as of 1920. İzmit was the home of two

Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces () is the main branch of the Turkish Armed Forces responsible for Army, land-based military operations. The army was formed on November 8, 1920, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Significant campaigns since the ...

and

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

uniform A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...

factories. One made fez hats and the other made cloth. The area made

carpet A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of Pile (textile), pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fiber, synthetic fibres such as polyprop ...

and embroidery, made by mainly Christian women. İzmit has a large

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...

and major paper and cement factories.

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...

has a plant here in a joint venture with Otosan, assembling the Transit/Tourneo (including the new V362 Transit/Tourneo Custom since late 2012) and Transit/Tourneo Connect vans. After Ford's Southampton Assembly Plant's closure scheduled for July 2013 was completed, and the launch of the new Otosan only V363 Transit in 2014, İzmit became the sole producer of Ford Transit vans for Europe. It is also a transportation hub, being on the main highway and railway lines between Istanbul and

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

and having a major

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

. In the past few years the province has developed into a growth point for the Turkish

automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, Maintenance, repairing, and Custom car, modification of motor ve ...

, receiving investments from Ford, Hyundai,

Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...

and

Isuzu , commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines ...

. Tyre and rubber products are produced to world-class standard ( Goodyear,

Pirelli Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is an Italian multinational tyre manufacturer based in the city of Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Borsa Italiana since 1922, is the 5th-largest tyre manufacturer, and is focused on the consumer pro ...

, Lassa and Bridgestone). As of today, Kocaeli province has attracted more than 1200 industrial investments, 108 of which have been established with international capital. Turkey's largest enterprise, the Tüpraş Petroleum Refinery Plant, is in Kocaeli, containing altogether 27% of the national chemical products industry, including petrochemical products. Eighteen of the 100 largest enterprises of Turkey are in Kocaeli and contribute to around 17%-18% of the national tax revenues. ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'' affiliated ''

Foreign Direct Investment A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an ownership stake in a company, made by a foreign investor, company, or government from another country. More specifically, it describes a controlling ownership an asset in one country by an entity based i ...

'' magazine nominated Kocaeli (the province of which İzmit is the capital) among the 25

European Regions Europe is often divided into regions and subregions based on geographical, cultural or historical factors. Since there is no universal agreement on Europe's regional composition, the placement of individual countries may vary based on criteria ...

of the Future for 2006–2007. The city was chosen along with

Adana Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana Province, Adana province, and has a population of 1 81 ...

for Turkey, which scored the highest points for cost effectiveness against Kocaeli's wider infrastructure, while Adana and Kocaeli tied on points for human resources and quality of life. The famous Turkish traditional sweet Pişmaniye is a product of İzmit and the

Composition

There are 102 neighbourhoods in İzmit District: * 28 Haziran * Akarca * Akçakoca * Akmeşe Atatürk * Akmeşe Cumhuriyet * Akpınar * Alikahya Atatürk * Alikahya Cumhuriyet * Alikahya Fatih * Ambarcı * Arızlı * Arpalıkihsaniye * Ayazma * Bağlıca * Balören * Bayraktar * Bekirdere * Biberoglu * Böğürgen * Bulduk * Çağırğan * Çavuşoğlu * Çayırköy * Cedid * Çubuklubala * Çubukluosmaniye * Çukurbağ * Dağköy * Doğan * Düğmeciler * Durhasan * Emirhan * Erenler * Eseler * Fethiye * Fevziçakmak * Gedikli * Gökçeören * Gülbahçe Kadriye * Gültepe * Gündoğdu * Güvercinlik * Hacı Hasan * Hacıhızır * Hakaniye * Hasancıklar * Hatip * İzmit Cumhuriyet * İzmit Fatih * Kabaoğlu * Kadıköy * Karaabdülbaki * Karabaş * Karadenizliler * Kaynarca * Kemalpaşa * Kısalar * Kocatepe * Körfez * Kozluca * Kozluk * Kulfallı * Kulmahmut * Kurtdere * Kuruçeşme Fatih * M.Ali Paşa * Malta * Mecidiye * Merkez * Nebihoca * Ömerağa * Orhan * Orhaniye * Ortaburun * Şahinler * Sanayi * Sapakpınar * Sarışeyh * Sekbanlı * Sepetçi * Serdar * Şirintepe * Süleymaniye * Sultaniye * Süverler * Tavşantepe * Tepecik * Tepeköy * Terzibayırı * Topçular * Turgut * Tüysüzler * Veliahmet * Yahya Kaptan * Yassıbağ * Yenice * Yenidoğan * Yenimahalle * Yenişehir * Yeşilova * Zabıtan * Zeytinburnu

Transport

Located along the commercially-active

and Marmara Sea shorelines, Kocaeli boasts 5 ports and 35 industrial docks, making it an important communications center, as well as

's farthest inland contact point and a gateway to global markets. The main transportation routes, the D100 highway and the Trans European Motorway which connects Europe with Asia, along with railway lines, form an intercontinental passage network. İzmit Central railway station is one of the busiest in Turkey, built in 1977 to replace the original station. Kocaeli neighbours one of the world's largest metropolitan centers,

. Its vicinity to Istanbul's two international airports ( Sabiha Gökçen International Airport and Atatürk International Airport) which are away, respectively, from İzmit's city center, provides national and international connections. On 1 March 1958, , a small passenger ferry sailing between İzmit and Değirmendere sank due to lodos weather. 272 people died including 38 students and seven crew. 37 passengers and two crew survived the disaster.

Public transport

Rail First opened in 1873 and then sold to Chemins de fer Ottomans d'Anatolie until its reacqusition in 1927, İzmit railway station near the D.100 highway connects Ankara–Istanbul high-speed railway, the fastest and highest-volume rail line in Turkey. Tram Operated by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality, Akçaray is operational since 2017. The second line was opened in 2019 and the whole system of 16 stations has over 8 million annual ridership.

Population

Education

Kocaeli University (KOU) was established in the city in 1992. The university has more than 50,000 students. It has established a department of international relations that monitors Bologna developments closely and oversees KOU's participation in the Erasmus and Leonardo da Vinci student mobility schemes. With membership in the European University Association, KOU is aiming for greater international recognition of its academic work. The university, while focusing on technical and engineering subjects, offers an extensive selection of courses in social sciences and arts as well. Some steps toward certification by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) are being taken by the Faculty of Engineering, such as adaptation of course content in engineering majors.

Climate

İzmit has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfa,'' Trewartha: ''Cf''), which is warmer than its surroundings – largely due to its sheltered location – and noticeably wetter during summers than other locations on the northern Sea of Marmara coast further to the west. Summers are hot and often muggy, the average maximum temperature is around in July and August, while winters are cool and wet, the average minimum temperature is between in January. Precipitation is high and fairly evenly distributed the year round; it is heaviest in late fall and winter. İzmit has a record high temperature of in July 2000, which is exceptionally high for the region, and a record low of in February 1929. Snowfall is fairly common, and İzmit's snow depth record is in February 1929.

Gallery

Fevziye Cami.jpg, Fevziye Mosque Izmit clock tower saat kulesi k'yg* - panoramio.jpg, İzmit Clock Tower Izmit saat kulesi (4).JPG, İzmit Clock Tower Pertev Paşa Cami.jpg, Pertev Paşa Mosque Kasr-ı Hümayun.jpg, Kasr-ı Hümayun Demiryolu caddesi.jpg, A view from İzmit's Demiryolu Avenue Selim Sırrı Paşa Konağı (3) 02.jpg, Selim Sırrı Paşa Congress Yeni cuma camii (1) 03.jpg, Yeni Cuma Mosque İzmit Perşembe Pazarı.jpg, İzmit Perşembe Market Izmit genel.jpg, Izmit view

Historic and modern sites in and around İzmit

* Agora of İzmit * Citadel of İzmit * Temple of Augustus of İzmit * İzmit Clock Tower * İzmit Bay Bridge

Twin towns – sister cities

İzmit is twinned with: * Agios Sergios, Northern Cyprus * Buk (Busan), South Korea * Čair (Skopje), North Macedonia * Ceadîr-Lunga, Moldova *

Centar Župa Centar Župa (; ) is a village and seat in the Municipalities of North Macedonia, municipality of Centar Župa Municipality, Centar Župa, North Macedonia. The town is inhabited mainly by Turkish people, Turks. Demographics Centar Župa is a new v ...

, North Macedonia * Ilidža, Bosnia and Herzegovina *

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

, Pakistan *

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...

, Germany * Kastrychnitski (Minsk), Belarus *

Kherson Kherson (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and , , ) is a port city in southern Ukraine that serves as the administrative centre of Kherson Oblast. Located by the Black Sea and on the Dnieper, Dnieper River, Kherson is the home to a major ship-bui ...

, Ukraine *

Momchilgrad Momchilgrad ( , , Turkish language, Turkish: Mestanlı) is a town in the very south of Bulgaria, part of Kardzhali Province in the southern part of the Eastern Rhodopes. According to the 2011 census, Momchilgrad is the largest Bulgarian settlemen ...

, Bulgaria * Nəsimi (Baku), Azerbaijan *

Pohang Pohang (; ), formerly spelled Po-Hang, is the largest city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, with a List of cities in South Korea, population of 499,363 as of 2022, bordering the Sea of Japan, East Sea to the east, Yeongcheon to the w ...

, South Korea * Tiznit, Morocco *

Travnik Travnik ( cyrl, Травник) is a town and a municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the administrative center of the Central Bosnia Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, ...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Vake-Saburtalo (Tbilisi), Georgia * Vogošća, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sport

The city's main

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club is Kocaelispor, with fans all across the province. The city is also home to women's football team Derince Belediyespor. The multi-sport club Kocaeli B.B. Kağıt S.K. has several sports sections covering a wide range disciplines. Cycling is popular with local team Brisaspor and the Tour of Marmara is hosted. The city also hosted the following tournaments: * 2012 European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships * 2012–13 Turkish Cup Basketball * 2013 IIHF World Championship Division II * 2014 IIHF World U18 Championship Division III * 2014–15 EHF Champions League group stage * 2015 Boys' Youth European Volleyball Championship

Notable people

* Zareh Moskofian * Saint Pantaleon * Mihran Azaryan, Ottoman Armenian and Turkish architect who is best known for having designed and constructed the Büyükada Pier and possibly the Izmit Clock Tower.

References

External links

Official website of Kocaeli (İzmit) Metropolitan Municipality

Photos of Izmit (Nicomedia) and its environs on Pinterest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Izmit Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey Districts of Kocaeli Province Populated places in Kocaeli Province Port cities of the Sea of Marmara Populated coastal places in Turkey Places of the Greek genocide Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey