Karşıyaka

Infobox Settlement
settlement_type = District
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = TUR
timezone=EET
utc_offset=+2
map_caption =Location of Karşıyaka within metropolitan Izmir.
timezone_DST=EEST
utc_offset_DST=+3
official_name = Karşıyaka


image_caption = Karşıyaka Bazaar Street, seen from the top of the pier
image_blank_emblem =
blank_emblem_type =


subdivision_type1=Region
subdivision_name1 = Aegean
subdivision_type2=Province
subdivision_name2 = İzmir
population_urban =
population_footnotes=
district population = 481,126
population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes = [http://www.izto.org.tr/NR/rdonlyres/898956C7-DD92-46C6-92D1-F06317523AE9/9348/18_KARŞIYAKA.pdf]
population_density_km2 = 4,699
area_total_km2 = 102.4
elevation_m = 0-700
latd = 38
latm = 28
latNS = N
longd = 27
longm = 43
longEW = E
postal_code_type=Postal code
postal_code = 35x xx
area_code = 0232
blank_info = 35|blank_name=Licence plate
leader_title=Mayor
leader_name = Cevat Durak Republican People's Party
website = http://www.karsiyaka.bel.tr
prefecture = http://www.karsiyaka.gov.tr

Karşıyaka is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. It is one of the nine districts in the Greater Metropolitan Area of İzmir, the second largest, and is almost entirely urbanized at the rate of 99,9 per cent, with corresponding high levels of development in terms of industry and services. Karşıyaka district area follows the northern and eastern coastline of the Gulf of İzmir at its tip. Karşıyaka center is at a distance of convert|20|km|mi|0|abbr=on to the north from the traditional center of İzmir (Konak) on the opposite coast, which is of quicker and easier access by ferry, in fifteen minutes, than by land by going round the shore. Karşıyaka district area neighbors the district areas of Menemen to the north, Bornova to the east and Çiğli to the west, the last two also being among İzmir's metropolitan districts. The district's overall level of education is one of the highest in Turkey and besides being an active venue of commerce, culture and tourism, Karşıyaka boasts of an advanced urban culture centered around the cherished home team Karşıyaka SK, which commands a large and passionate fan base.

Location

Karşıyaka borders an industrial zone and a shipyard to the east, and a large forest area to the north. The ancient site of Old Smyrna (the city prior to 333 BC) is located within Karşıyaka's depending zone of Bayraklı that protrudes towards Bornova plain in the east. The city is an important business and commercial center. It is connected to İzmir center by rail, road, and commuter ferry. The ferry trip takes approximately 15 minutes from Karşıyaka quay. There are also good road links to Çanakkale in north western Turkey, and beyond. Originally a remote suburb of İzmir, Karşıyaka became larger and grew in stature in the 1960s when its waterfront developed as a prosperous residential neighbourhood.

35.5 and Karşıyaka S.K.

Karşıyaka SK, the sports club of Karşıyaka, (also known as KSK, or locally as "Kaf Sin Kaf", following the names of the letters in the Arabic script) has a large and very passionate fan base, and is a leading contender in Turkey's basketball league. The club also has a football team which currently plays in the second division of the Turkish football league. The district's overall level of education is one of the highest in Turkey and Karşıyaka boasts of an advanced urban culture. The locals are highly conscious of their values and specifities, centered around their district's notable past and present inhabitants and location, as well as around the red and green colors of their sports club. Sometimes humorously, and also sometimes more seriously, they immatriculate their cherished district of Karşıyaka as 35.5, as opposed to İzmir's 35.

Geography and environment

Climate

Karşıyaka bears the general charactristics of the Mediterranean climate zone. The city is rainy in winter and hot in summer. As with the whole of urban zone of İzmir at the tip of the Gulf of İzmir, Karşıyaka benefits from the northwest wind called, locally, as imbat, which cools the city during the summer days.

Municipality

Karşıyaka is a stronghold of the social-democrats. Currently, the municipality is administered by Cevat Durak of the CHP (Republican People's Party).

History and sights of interest

Karşıyaka was described by travellers who visited İzmir in frequent terms of admiration, and they could not help mention in detail the dense forests of Mount Yamanlar ("Dağı") deeply extending deep along the northern coast of the Gulf, and the beautiful gardens and orchards that garnished the shoreline. Named Karşıyaka ("literally "the opposite shore") in Turkish since the 11th century, the locality was alternatively called "Cordelio" or "Cordelieu" or "Kordelyo" by the European or Greek populations until the beginning of the 20th century. The name makes reference to Richard the Lionheart ("Coeur de Lion") who is not attested to have come to these shores in person. But it is generally claimed that the name was given in the 1190s by a contingent of Crusaders of the Third Crusade who had accosted here and had named it in honor of Europe's most famed soldier of the time. On the other hand, some sources take as point of departure the mention of the name ("in the form "Kordeleon") in Byzantine documents of the 14th century and question whether the name is the continuation of that of a more ancient settlement yet unexplored, as is most of ancient Aeolia [cite web|title = Investigation of Water Conveyance Systems of Historical Settlements in the north of the Aegean Region from hydraulic and hydrological point opf view | url = http://www.fbe.deu.edu.tr/tezler/2006/YL-p1981.pdf|author = N. Ezgi Türken | publisher =Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir (unpublished master thesis)|accessdate = 2006-04-01 en] .

The district is still very leafy and lush, and it grew in size especially after the entry into service of İzmir-Menemen railroad in 1865 and the beginning of urban ferry services under the imperial lease of Hamidiye in 1885.

In pace with its resort-like atmosphere, Karşıyaka saw a number of beautiful Ottoman konaks or Levantine mansions erected within its boundaries, especially along the shoreline and serving as secondary residence. By the time of the 1891 census, Karşıyaka had already acquired the appearance of a large township with 832 houses and a permanent population of 1080. A sizable Turkish population was made to settle in Karşıyaka's Soğukkuyu quarter at that time and the quarter is still remarkable for its rustic houses in the middle of the urban zone. In the meantime, the former village of Papa Scala or Papazkale or Papazköyü or Papaz İskelesi ("Priest's quay") to the west came to be known as Bostanlı, in reference to melons and watermelons from Menemen which were discharged and loaded on ships here ["Bostan" generally means a vegetable garden or a kitchen garden in Turkish, but the term also encompasses a garden for non-tree fruits, such as melons and watermelons] .

The three most important Levantine landmarks still existing in Karşıyaka are the Alliotti, Van Der Zee and Löhner mansions. The first was built by a prominent family of Italian origins in 1914 and was exchanged in the 1920s against property belonging to Durmuş Yaşar, the founder of Yaşar Holding. The mansion is known today under Durmuş Yaşar's name and serves as a vocational training center. The two others are recently restored and the first floor of the Van Der Zee mansion has been put by the municipality to the service of the public in the form of a café ("Eski Ev Cafe"). There is also a 1904-built Catholic Church (Saint Helen church) that served a community of about 200 families and which is recently restored. Notably, former Prime Minister of France Edouard Balladur was baptized there. [cite web|title =| url = http://karsiyaka.fotolari.googlepages.com/eski_evler (St. Helen church)|title = Old houses of Karşıyaka | accessdate=2007-04-11]

There are also more modest but still lovely little houses, characterized by their engaged front doors and narrow lines, termed as "Sakız houses", and which are very typical of the region surrounding İzmir.

Karşıyaka is also where Zübeyde Hanım, Atatürk's mother, spent her last days in end-1922 and January 1923, and is where she is buried. The house she died, which belonged to the family of Latife Hanım, Mustafa Kemal Pasha's wife, is currently being restored and it is located right in the center of the urban zone, near Karşıyaka Hall of Justice and the town market, in the middle of a hodgepodge of commercial establishments.

ee also

*İzmir
*Karşıyaka SK
*Levantine mansions of İzmir

External links

* [http://www.karsiyakausa.com Karşıyaka S.K. fans in USA]
* [http://www.kafsinkaf.org Karşıyaka S.K. fan site]
* [http://www.izmir.bel.tr Metropolitan Municipality of Greater İzmir]
* [http://www.karsiyaka.info Karsiyaka City Blogs]

Resources

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Footnotes