Kocaeli - Definition and Overview

Izmit (also known as Ismid and Kocaeli) is a city in the northwestern part of Anatolia, Turkey. It is located by the Gulf of Izmit, about 100 km east of Istanbul. It is the capital of the Kocaeli province. In 1996 the city had about 210,000 inhabitants.

Izmit is an important industrial centre. There is also tourism in the city and its region. Because of its port, being located between Istanbul and Ankara, the city has a strategic value for transportation. Ford Motor Company has a plant here, assembling the Ford Transit van.

In antiquity, the city was called Astacus or Olbia. After being destroyed it was rebuilt in 264 BC by the name of Nicomedia, and it became the capital of the eastern Roman Empire.

On August 17, 1999 an earthquake of magnitude 7.4 devastated the region, killing more than 14,000.

Sights in and around Izmit

• Agora
• Citadel
• Temple of Augustus

External link(s)

• Official website of the Greater Municipality of Izmit (http://www.izmit-bld.gov.tr/) (in Turkish)
• Informative site (http://www.allaboutturkey.com/kocaeli.htm)