Simav District is a

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 ...

of the

Kütahya Province Kütahya Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province in the Aegean Region, Aegean region of Turkey. Its area is 11,634 km2, and its population is 580,701 (2022). In 1990, Kütahya had a population of 578,000. The neighboring provinces a ...

of Turkey. Its seat is the town of

Simav Simav is a town in Kütahya Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is the seat of Simav District.İlçe Belediyesi
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 22 May 2023. Its area is 1,515 km², and its population is 61,265 (2022).

Composition

There are 7

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in Simav District: * Akdağ *

Çitgöl Çitgöl is a town (''belde'') in the Simav District, Kütahya Province Kütahya Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province in the Aegean Region, Aegean region of Turkey. Its area is 11,634 km2, and its population is 580,701 (2022). I ...

Demirci Demirci is a municipality and district of Manisa Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,321 km2, and its population is 36,620 (2022). The town lies at an elevation of . History From 1867 until 1922, Demirci was part of the Aidin Vilayet of the Ott ...

Güney Güney is a municipality and district of Denizli Province, Turkey. Its area is 362 km2, and its population is 9,448 (2022). Güney district area neighbors those of four other districts of the same province from east to west, clockwise Buldan, ...

* Kuşu *

Naşa Naşa is a town (''belde'') in the Simav District, Kütahya Province Kütahya Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province in the Aegean Region, Aegean region of Turkey. Its area is 11,634 km2, and its population is 580,701 (2022). In 19 ...

Simav Simav is a town in Kütahya Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is the seat of Simav District.villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

in Simav District:Köy
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 22 May 2023. * Ahlatlıçeşme * Ahmetli * Akpınar * Aksaz * Aşağıdolaylar * Bademli * Bahtıllı * Başkonak * Beciler * Bedirler * Beyce * Boğazköy * Çakırlar * Çamlık * Çınarlıdere * Çulhalar * Dereköy * Dereyüzüdere * Efir * Eğdemir * Eğirler * Esenbağ * Evciler * Gılmanlar * Gökçeler * Gölköy * Gümüşsu * Güzelyurt * Hacıhüseyinefendi * Hasanören * Hıdırdivanı * Hisarbey * Ihlamur * İmranlar * İnkaya * İnlice * Kalkan * Kapıkaya * Karacahisar * Karacaören * Karakoca * Karapınar * Kayaışık * Kayalıdere * Kestel * Kiçir * Kızılcık * Köseler * Koyunoba * Külcü * Küplüce * Kurduman * Kusumlar * Maden * Mamak * Örencik * Örenli * Ortacı * Pulluca * Samat * Sarıçam * Sarıkaya * Sarkatlar * Şenköy * Söğüt * Sudöşeği * Sünnetçiler * Taşköy * Taşlık * Toklar * Yağıllar * Yağmurlar * Yassıeynihan * Yavu * Yaykın * Yemişli * Yeniköy * Yeniler * Yeşilçam * Yeşildere * Yeşilköy * Yeşilyayla * Yukarıdolaylar

Geography

The Simav plain covers an area of 70 km². To the south of the plain is Simav Mountain, which reaches a height of 1,780 m. A steep

escarpment An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that forms as a result of faulting or erosion and separates two relatively level areas having different elevations. Due to the similarity, the term '' scarp'' may mistakenly be incorrectly used inte ...

marks the transition from the plain to the mountain. To the north of the plain is the Akdağ mountain, which is not as tall as Simav Mountain. The

Simav River The Simav () or Susurluk RiverTurkish General Directorate of State Water Works (DSİ)." Archive accessed 3 Sept. 2011. (''Susurluk Çayı'') is a river in Anatolian Turkey. Its course is 321 km long and its basin comprises 22,400 km2. It was the c ...

runs along the north side of the plain. Lake Simav also used to be in the plain, but it was drained in 1959. The Simav geothermal field is located in the northeastern part of the Simav plain, about 4 km north of Simav. There are 14 major

hot spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...

s in this region: 10 in the area around

and

and 4 in the Eynal area. (There are also many minor hot springs; the overall total is 89: 34 in the Eynal area and 55 in the Çitgöl-Naşa area.) The waters in these springs are

carbonated Carbonation is the chemical reaction of carbon dioxide to give carbonates, bicarbonates, and carbonic acid. In chemistry, the term is sometimes used in place of carboxylation, which refers to the formation of carboxylic acids. In inorganic che ...

and, like most geothermal water in Anatolia, have

sodium bicarbonate Sodium bicarbonate ( IUPAC name: sodium hydrogencarbonate), commonly known as baking soda or bicarbonate of soda (or simply “bicarb” especially in the UK) is a chemical compound with the formula NaHCO3. It is a salt composed of a sodium cat ...

as the predominant dissolved compound. The hot springs in the Simav area are also fairly rich in

sulfate The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ...

, which is mostly derived from

alunite Alunite is a hydroxylated aluminium potassium sulfate mineral, formula potassium, Kaluminium, Al3(sulfur, Soxygen, O4)2(Ohydrogen, H)6. It was first observed in the 15th century at Tolfa, near Rome, where it was mined for the manufacture of alum ...

in the area around

Şaphane Şaphane, formerly Abşeker, is a town in Kütahya Province in the Aegean region of Turkey. It is the seat of Şaphane District.leach the sulfate out of the rocks and introduce them into the water system.

Geology

Geologically speaking, the Simav plain forms a

graben In geology, a graben () is a depression (geology), depressed block of the Crust (geology), crust of a planet or moon, bordered by parallel normal faults. Etymology ''Graben'' is a loan word from German language, German, meaning 'ditch' or 't ...

relative to the Simav Mountain and Akdağ horsts. The lowest rock strata consist of

Paleozoic The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...

metamorphic rock Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock ( protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...

s, which are exposed in many outcrops in the mountains. In the graben, these metamorphic rocks are overlain by younger

sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...

s. At least in the mountains, the metamorphic rocks are overlain by lower

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...

rocks, including

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

carbonates. Above this is a layer of "volcanic rocks and lake sediments" from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

era. This layer is exposed in the mountains both north and south of the plain; it was also deposited in the graben as well. Several younger formations are above these rocks.

Extensional tectonics Extensional tectonics is concerned with the structures formed by, and the Tectonics, tectonic processes associated with, the stretching of a planetary body's Crust (geology), crust or lithosphere. Deformation styles The types of structure and the ...

after the Miocene – probably during the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58pull-apart basin In geology, a basin is a region where subsidence generates accommodation space for the deposition of sediments. A pull-apart basin is a structural basin where two overlapping (en echelon) strike-slip faults or a fault bend create an area of crust ...

. Finally, today's plain is covered by a thick layer of

alluvium Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...

, several hundred meters deep. The escarpment between the plain and Simav Mountain follows the Simav fault, which runs for about 80 km from east to west from Düvertepe to Şaphane. The Simav fault is very deep – it has a

slip Slip or The Slip may refer to: * Slip (clothing), an underdress or underskirt Music * The Slip (band), a rock band * ''Slip'' (album), a 1993 album by the band Quicksand * ''The Slip'' (album) (2008), a.k.a. Halo 27, the seventh studio al ...

of over 1,000 m – and this allows heat to rise from deeper in the earth's crust, which forms the hot springs in the area. While the Simav fault marks the southern edge of the graben, there are also a couple of extensional faults in the northern part of the graben, such as the Eynal and Naşa faults.

Economy

The economy of Simav district includes geothermal tourism around the springs at Simav, Çitgöl, and Naşa; greenhouse cultivation; animal husbandry; lumbering; and mining. The manufacturing and service sectors are not as robust.

Agriculture

Overall, agriculture and animal husbandry employ more people than any other sector in Simav district.

Greenhouse A greenhouse is a structure that is designed to regulate the temperature and humidity of the environment inside. There are different types of greenhouses, but they all have large areas covered with transparent materials that let sunlight pass an ...

-based agriculture takes place over about 510

decare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), that is, square metres (), and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. A ...

s in Simav district, of which about 360 are heated (using geothermal energy) and 150 are unheated. They produce annually 12,000 to 15,000 tons of tomatoes, 200 tons of cucumbers, 50 tons of strawberries and 30 tons of peppers. Tomatoes grown here are exported to places like

Bursa Bursa () is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the Marmara Region, Bursa is one of the industrial centers of the country. Most of ...

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from 'old' and 'city') is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 821 315 (Odunpazari + Tebebasi), with a metropolitan population of 921 630. The city is l ...

, and

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 ...

Cherries A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus ''Prunus'', and is a fleshy drupe (stone fruit). Commercial cherries are obtained from cultivars of several species, such as the sweet ''Prunus avium'' and the sour ''Prunus cerasus''. The name ...

and

sour cherries ''Prunus cerasus'' (sour cherry, tart cherry, or dwarf cherry) is an Old World species of ''Prunus'' in the subgenus '' Cerasus'' (cherries). It has two main groups of cultivars: the dark-red Morello cherry and the lighter-red Amarelle cherry. ...

are produced in some 15 villages in Simav District. The villages of Pulluca, Yağmurlar and Çakırtı are the biggest producers in the district. The district's average annual production is 10,000 tons of cherries and 5,000 tons of sour cherries. The Simav chestnut is designated as a

geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...

within Turkey. Chestnut cultivation takes place over a large forested area on the northern foothills of Mt. Simav. This area (which is also south of the Simav-Balıkesir-İzmir highway) is about 25 to 30 km long, from east to west, and about 3 to 4 km deep. It extends from Nadarçam, in the district center, to the village of Yeniköy. Chestnut trees grow naturally in this area. A project of grafting the naturally growing chestnut trees began in the 1960s and, as of 2019, about 95% of the trees have been grafted. There are about 1,500 tons of chestnuts produced annually in the district, although the amount varies from year to year based on rainfall and climate conditions.

Animal husbandry

Animal husbandry is an important source of income for villagers in the district. As of 2019 there are about 38,000 cattle in the district, or about 20% of the province total; and about 80,000 small ruminants (55,000 sheep and 25,000 goats), or about 17% of the province total. Simav district also has one of the largest livestock markets in the region; it is held on Tuesdays and draws business from various provinces such as Bursa, Istanbul, Balıkesir,

Afyon Afyonkarahisar (, 'poppy, opium', ''kara'' 'black', ''hisar'' 'fortress') is a major city in western Turkey. It is the administrative centre of Afyonkarahisar Province and Afyonkarahisar District. Its population is 251,799 (2021). Afyon is in the ...

Uşak Uşak () is a city in the interior part of the Aegean Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Uşak Province and Uşak District.

Timber and mining

There are 20 sawmills in the district as of 2019. There are also 38 mines in the district, which include clay, sand, and gravel extractions.

Manufacturing

Although the manufacturing sector is not as prominent in Simav district, there are several large factories in the district. One of the largest is Kazcıoğlu Otomotiv, which employs 208 people as of 2019 and produces 100,000 kg of pressure-resistant pipes of various sizes, 30,000 kg of pressure-resistant hose, and 615 kg of zinc electroplating annually for use in the automotive sector. Another important factory is Küpeliler Endustri's

oriented strand board Oriented strand board (OSB) is a type of engineered wood, formed by adding adhesives and then compressing layers of wood strands (flakes) in specific orientations. It was invented by Armin Elmendorf in California in 1963. OSB may have a rough and ...

factory in Simav town, which employs 95 people as of 2019. This is sold under the brand Westboard OSB and is mainly used to supply the construction and packaging sectors. As of 2022, there were plans to expand the plant with a new press, making it the first of its kind in Turkey to use continuous pressing. Many textile factories were also established in the district in the 1980s.

Food processing

Food processing in Simav district includes production of

halva Halva (also halvah, halwa, halua, and other spellings; ) is a type of confectionery that is widely spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, Central Asia, and South Asia. The name is used for a broad va ...

and

herbal tea Herbal teas, technically known as herbal infusions, and less commonly called tisanes (UK and US , US also ), are beverages made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water. Often herb tea, or the plai ...

Carpet manufacturing, mat weaving, and village handicrafts

Carpet manufacturing was also historically important in Simav district. It is traced back to the 1850s, when one Kozanoğlu Abdurrahman Hoca brought instructors to Simav from

Gördes Gördes is a municipality and district of Manisa Province, Turkey. Its area is 902 km2, and its population is 26,458 (2022). The town lies at an elevation of . History Gördes has been held by the Persians, Macedonians, Roman and Byzantine ...

; as a result, the carpets made at Simav were made in the Gördes style. As of 1913, some 1,120 people were employed in carpet manufacturing in Simav. By the 1920s, carpet weaving had begun to spread from Simav town into the surrounding villages, and in the 1930s Persian-style carpets began to be manufactured in Simav as well. Around the 1950s, there were about 900 plain looms and 100 Persian looms in the district, both in Simav town and in villages like Çavdır, Değirmenciler, Hüsüm, and Yeşilova (Semerköy). Mat weaving, made from reeds harvested on the shores of Lake Simav, was also historically an important source of income for some of the villages around the lake. Çitgöl was the center of this activity. Historically, the mats were exported to places like

Aydın Aydın ( ''EYE-din''; ; formerly named ''Güzelhisar; Greek: Τράλλεις)'' is a city in and the seat of Aydın Province in Turkey's Aegean Region. The city is located at the heart of the lower valley of Büyük Menderes River (ancient ...

Denizli Denizli is a city in Aegean Region, Aegean Turkey, and seat of the province of Denizli Province, Denizli. The city forms the urban part of the districts Merkezefendi and Pamukkale, Denizli, Pamukkale, with a population of 691 783 in 2024. Denizl ...

Manisa Manisa () is a city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province, lying approximately 40 km northeast of the major city of İzmir. The city forms the urban part of the districts Şehzadeler and Yunusemre, with ...

İzmir İzmir is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, third most populous city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ankara. It is on the Aegean Sea, Aegean coast of Anatolia, and is the capital of İzmir Province. In 2024, the city of İzmir had ...

, and

Balıkesir Balıkesir () is a city in the Marmara Region, Marmara region of Turkey. It is the seat of Balıkesir Province, which is also a Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality. As of 2022, the population of Balıkesir Province ...

. However, mat weaving went into a serious decline after Lake Simav was dried up in the 1960s, and the craft is almost extinct locally as of 2019. It is primarily done by women. In the village of Bahtıllı, some 20 km from Simav town, women also contribute to the family economy by hand-weaving and embroidering things like aprons, when not involved in agriculture or animal husbandry. The aprons are decorated with various floral or geometric designs, with common motifs including

carnation ''Dianthus caryophyllus'' ( ), commonly known as carnation or clove pink, is a species of ''Dianthus'' native to the Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean region. Its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive cultivation over the last 2,00 ...

s and the

tree of life The tree of life is a fundamental archetype in many of the world's mythology, mythological, religion, religious, and philosophy, philosophical traditions. It is closely related to the concept of the sacred tree.Giovino, Mariana (2007). ''The ...

. Historically, local women spun the thread themselves from raw wool fibers, but today they buy factory-spun thread instead. Local women also make fabric waist ties for commercial purposes.

References

{{Simav District Districts of Kütahya Province *