İzmit

Turkey

Also known as: Kocaeli, Nicomedia, Nicomedia

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Also called:: Kocaeli

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İzmit, city, northwestern Turkey. It lies near the head of İzmit Gulf of the Sea of Marmara. The city spreads across several hills and over a narrow plain that contains its commercial and industrial sections.

Originally a Megarian city founded in the 8th century bce and called Astacus (or Olbia), it achieved its greatest fame as Nicomedia, built about 264 bce by Nicomedes I of Bithynia to replace the destroyed old city. It served as the capital of the kingdom of Bithynia and later, under the Romans, was often the residence of emperors. It became the eastern capital of the Roman Empire under Diocletian.

After a period of decline under the Byzantines, it fell to the Ottomans in 1326. Historical monuments in the city include the remains of the ancient walls and a Byzantine fortress; a 16th-century mosque was built by the renowned Ottoman court architect Sinan. On August 17, 1999, the city was near the epicentre of a devastating earthquake, which killed more than 17,000 people, injured more than 40,000, and destroyed or seriously damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings.

Tower Bridge over the Thames River in London, England. Opened in 1894. Remains an Important Traffic Route with 40,000 Crossings Every Day.

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İzmit’s growth in modern times resulted mainly from its rapid industrialization and its position on the main road and rail line between Istanbul and Ankara. It is the centre of the Turkish paper industry, meeting about half of the country’s requirements. It also has a large oil refinery. Other industries include cement, phosphate, textiles, petrochemicals, and tires. The port of İzmit handles both domestic and international shipping. The city is connected by road with major towns. Pop. (2000) 195,699; (2013 est.) 302,960.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Michele Metych.

Kocaeli

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Kocaeli

province, Turkey

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Kocaeli, il (province), northwestern Turkey. It is bounded to the north by the Black Sea and to the west by the Sea of Marmara. The province is drained by the lower course of the Sakarya River. İzmit, lying on the Gulf of İzmit, is the capital and chief city.

Kocaeli was once part of the kingdom of Bithynia (3rd century bce), and the Carthaginian general Hannibal was buried there (at modern Gebze) in 183 bce. The area was taken from the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Turks in the 14th century. İzmit serves as the main outlet for the agricultural (chiefly sugar beets and tobacco), forest, and industrial (mainly cement, paper products, textiles, and petroleum) products of the province. Area 1,400 square miles (3,626 square km). Pop. (2000) 742,690; (2013 est.) 1,634,691.