Gebze | |
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Town | |
Gebze centrum view of the sky
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Location in Turkey | |
Coordinates: 40°48′N 29°26′E / 40.800°N 29.433°ECoordinates: 40°48′N 29°26′E / 40.800°N 29.433°E | |
Country | Turkey |
Region | Marmara |
Province | Kocaeli |
Government | |
• Mayor | Adnan Köşker (AKP) |
Area | |
• District | 584.45 km2 (225.66 sq mi) |
Population (2012) | |
• Urban | 304,283 |
• District | 319,307 |
• District density | 550/km2 (1,400/sq mi) |
Postal code | 41400 |
Website | www |
Gebze (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈgebze],) is a district in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. It is situated 30 miles southeast of Istanbul, on the Gulf of Izmit, the eastern arm of the Sea of Marmara. Gebze is the second largest district in Kocaeli after İzmit, the provincial centrum in terms of population. Gebze has experienced rapid growth in recent years, from 159,116 residents in 1990 to 299,047 in 2011.
In 183 BC, Hannibal, the Carthaginian leader generally considered one of the greatest military commanders in history, committed suicide in the ancient port city of Libyssa (present-day Diliskelesi in Gebze) on the Sea of Marmara rather than face capture by the Romans, his greatest enemy.
The district of Gebze is located in the westernmost portion of Kocaeli Province, with neighbors Tuzla to the west; Pendik, northwest; Şile, north; and Körfez, to the east. The district includes 6 municipalities (Gebze, Darıca, Çayırova, Dilovası, Şekerpınar, and Tavşancıl) and 22 villages (Ahatlı, Balçık, Cumaköy, Çerkeşli, Demirciler, Denizli, Duraklı, Elbizli, Eskihisar, Hatipler, Kadıllı, Kargalı, Köseler, Mollafenari, Muallimköy, Mudarlı, Ovacık, Pelitli, Tavşanlı, Tepecik, Tepemanayır (Tepepanayır), and Yağcılar).
The northern terminus of the proposed Izmit Bay Bridge will fall within this area; the project—having a total length of 4 kilometers (with a 1,688-meter main span)—will bridge the Sea of Marmara from Kababurun to Dilburnu.
Gebze is twinned with: