Gulf at the Marmara Sea, Turkey
Gulf of İzmit and the city of İzmit Gulf of İzmit (Turkish : İzmit Körfezi ), also referred to as Izmit Bay , is a bay at the easternmost edge of the Sea of Marmara , in Kocaeli Province , Turkey . The gulf takes its name from the city of İzmit . Other cities and towns around the bay are Gebze , Körfez , Gölcük , and Altınova .
In the east–west direction, it extends for a length of about 48 kilometres (30 mi), while in the north–south direction its width varies from 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2 to 1.9 mi) at the narrowest spots to about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) at its widest. The İzmit Bay Bridge is a suspension bridge that bridges the gulf.
The North Anatolian Fault Zone , the most prominent active fault in Turkey and the source of numerous large earthquakes throughout history, passes through the Gulf of İzmit.[ 1]
Etymology
Izmit’s ancient names were Gulf of Astacus , Sinus Astacenus (Ancient Greek : Ἀστακηνὸς κόλπος ),[ 2] Olbianus Sinus (Ancient Greek : Ὀλβιανὸς κόλπος , romanized : Olbianos kolpos [ 3] Gulf of Nicomedia .[ 4]
It took the names Gulf of Astacus and Sinus Astacenus from the city Astacus .[ 5] [ 6]
See also
References
^ "North Anatolian Fault Zone" . Archived from the original on 2006-09-05. Retrieved 2006-08-04 .^ Niketas Choniates, Annals, §530 ^ "İzmit Körfezi, Turkey - Geographical Names, map, geographic coordinates" .^ AnadoluJet Magazine: "Kocaeli the Heart of the Gulf of İzmit" , by Hasan Mert Kaya, January 2012.^ Strabo, Geography, §12.4.2 ^ Pliny the Elder, Natural History, §5.43.1
External links
40°44′N 29°39′E / 40.74°N 29.65°E / 40.74; 29.65
