Akçakoca
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Akçakoca is a
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in
Düzce Province Düzce Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province in northwestern Turkey. The province is on the coastline of the Black Sea and is traversed by the main highway between Istanbul and Ankara. The primary town is Düzce, located in the center of t ...
, in the West Black Sea Region of
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 ...
, located about 200 km 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 ...
. It is the seat of Akçakoca District.İlçe Belediyesi
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
Its population is 27,878 (2022). The town was named after a Turkish chieftain of the 14th century CE who captured the area for 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 ...
, and sports a statue in his honor. The town features a modern mosque of unusual design. Tourist attractions include beaches and a small ruined Genoese castle. It is the regional center of
hazelnut The hazelnut is the fruit of the hazel tree and therefore includes any of the nuts deriving from species of the genus '' Corylus'', especially the nuts of the species ''Corylus avellana''. They are also known as cobnuts or filberts according to ...
cultivation.


Name

In the classical period the town ''Dia'' or ''Diospolis'' was located at the site of present Akçakoca. After the Turkish conquest, the town was named ''Akçaşehir'', which was changed to Akçakoca in 1934.


Population

Akçakoca's estimated population of about 30,000 increases during the summer months, due to tourism activities and cottage owners. Due to war, specifically the one between the Ottomans and Russia in 1877–1878, a wide range of people, most of whom had roots in the Pontic region (Lazes, Georgians, and Abkhazians), emigrated from their native lands to settle in Akçakoca.


History


Latin-Nicea Empires Period and Genoese

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 ...
, European armies conquered Constantinople in 1204, founding 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 ...
for a short period. Because of this situation, the Genoese established commercial bases on the Western Black Sea coasts for their interests, which included a Genoese castle in Akçakoca. This castle helped to protect trade routes in the area and was used for commercial activities itself. When the Nicea Empire reconquered Constaninople in 1261, Akçakoca, which was under the auspices of the Nicea Empire, came under Byzantine rule again. Turkic people seem to have been living in Akçakoca since 1243, after
Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
pressure and defeat. From
Kastamonu Kastamonu, formerly Kastamone/Castamone () and Kastamon/Castamon (), is a city in northern Turkey. It is the seat of Kastamonu Province and Kastamonu District.
, the Oghuz tribes of Kınık and Üçok migrated westward, some of them came to Akçakoca and settled. The
Oghuz Turks The Oghuz Turks ( Middle Turkic: , ) were a western Turkic people who spoke the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family. In the 8th century, they formed a tribal confederation conventionally named the Oghuz Yabgu State in Central Asia ...
then plundered Genoese trade centers and Greek villages, upon which the Genoese and
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 ...
complained to the
Byzantine Emperor The foundation of Constantinople in 330 AD marks the conventional start of the Eastern Roman Empire, which Fall of Constantinople, fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 AD. Only the emperors who were recognized as legitimate rulers and exercised s ...
, who responded to the complaints and brought and settled
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
Cumans The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cumania, Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Ru ...
,
Pechenegs The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks, , Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: , , , , , , ka, პაჭანიკი, , , ; sh-Latn-Cyrl, Pečenezi, separator=/, Печенези, also known as Pecheneg Turks were a semi-nomadic Turkic peopl ...
, Uzes from
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...
to protect the region against the Turkmens. Oguz from the
Kayı tribe Kayı can refer to: * Kayı (tribe) * Kayı, Çorum * Kayı, İdil * Kayı, Ilgaz * Kayı, Kemer * Kayı, Mecitözü * Kayı, Oğuzlar {{dis ...
settled here.


The Seljuks and Ottoman

Before the crusades, The Seljuk Sultanate of Rum controlled the region around Akçakoca. There is no evidence that a military action was taken by the Ottomans to conquer Akçakoca from the Byzantines. According to some historians, the Turk population submitted to Ottoman rule without military action. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Akçakoca was part of the Kastamonu Vilayet of 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 ...
.


Republic

After the foundation of Turkish Republic, it was renamed Akçakoca. The first governor was Ali Zarifi (Okay). Due to the 1999 Düzce and Marmara earthquakes, Düzce had been declared a province by the government, and the town was included in the new province as a district.


Climate

Akçakoca 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'').


Economy


Tourism

After the 1950s, touristic activities in summer seasons attained an important place in Akçakoca's economy. The construction of tourism facilities and new transportation improvements further influenced tourism in the late-1970's.


Water sports

Numerous water sports such as sailing, swimming, water skiing, sunbathing, fishing, scuba diving, are performed in Akçakoca. Sailing and diving have become more prominent in the last few years. In 2010, sailing races have been held as part of the 14th Akçakoca Festival. Furthermore, the first Marine and Sailing Club in the town was opened in town in 2012.


Heavy industry

Akçakoca has one large factory, which produces large pipes for a variety of purposes. It has great importance both Akçakoca and Ereğli. Akçakoca also has only natural gas platform over the Black Sea. There are four platforms which three of them are small and one is big.


Fishing

Fishing is traditional job in Akçakoca. Anchovies, nonita, bluefish, whiting, red mullet, clams, jack mackerel, sea bass, salmon, trout, and turbot are some of fish that can be found.


Government

One governor's office and one municipality building can be found in Akçakoca. It has one state hospital, one rest home and a small tourism office for tourists.


Construction

There is an attractive mosque what built in 2004. Akçakoca Central Mosque was built in a similar fashion to Faisal Mosque in Pakistan. The mosque was designed by Ergün Subaşı. This highly irregular mosque was placed above 160 concrete poles driven into the ground. The dome height is 31 meters and covered by 32 tons of copper plates. And the chandelier that resembles the dome in reverse weigh around 1300 kg. The rocket like minarets are at 58 meters in height.


Culture


Festivals

There is a traditional festival every July. During the festival, scheduled buses from neighbor towns and cities, such as Ereğli, Düzce, Zonguldak, Bolu and Adapazarı carrypeople to Akçakoca.


Languages

Some native languages are nearly forgotten, but there are some towns and people who speak Georgian, Laz and Circassian. Native Turk people of Akçakoca are Manav Turks.
Akcakoca ethnic cultural inventory


Dances and Music

Because of the presence of many residents originally from the eastern Black Sea littoral, 'Horon', played with the Pontic lyra/kemençe are popular here.


Damage to Historical and Natural Heritage

Tourism activities in Akçakoca rely on short summer tourism, also depending on beach tourism, also referred to as sea-sand-sun tourism. Prior to 1945, Akçakoca had a wider and longer coastline. The beach extended from Cuhallı to the rocks on the western side (today there is a five-star hotel called Skytower) and continued until the castle beach below Geonavise Castle. However, road construction, cafes, restaurants, hotels, and residential buildings have made the beach narrower and shorter on the Cuhallı side. In the center of Akçakoca, there used to be a large and beautiful beach, which was part of Cuhallı Beach, but now there is a harbor for fishermen. Many locals attribute the construction of the harbor, formed by piling concrete and rocks, to the discomfort felt by conservative elements towards people swimming and walking in swimsuits and shorts. In Akçakoca, there are many wooden houses in neighborhoods such as Yukarı Mahalle, Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, and Orhangazi. The government has declared these areas as protected sites. As a result, no one can claim ownership of these houses, not even their owners can intervene for repairs and use. Most of these houses are collapsing, and some are damaged by fire because it is illegal to make any changes in the area. However, the government has yet to take action regarding these houses and areas. Consequently, they are quietly awaiting their fate.


Gallery

File:Melen Nehri.JPG, Melen Creek File:Akçakoca - panoramio.jpg File:Regenboog Akçakoca Turkije 2 januari 2010 - panoramio.jpg File:Akcakoca Sonbahar.JPG, Autumn in Akçakoca File:Fakıllı Mağarası, Akçakoca.jpg, Fakıllı Cave File:Akcakoca 7857.jpg File:Akcakoca 7841.jpg File:Akcakoca 7821.jpg File:Akcakoca Merkez Cami 7805.jpg File:Akcakoca Merkez Cami 7814.jpg, Akcakoca Merkez Camii


References


External links


Municipality's official website

Pictures of Akçakoca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akcakoca Populated places in Düzce Province Black Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Fishing communities in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Akçakoca District District municipalities in Turkey