Karşıyaka

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Coordinates: 38°28′N, 27°43′E

Karşıyaka
Karşıyaka Bazaar Street, seen from the top of the pier
Karşıyaka Bazaar Street, seen from the top of the pier
Location in Turkey
Overview
Region Aegean Region, Turkey
Province İzmir Province
Coordinates 38°28′ N 27°43′ E
Postal code 35x xx
Area code 0232
Licence plate code 35
Mayor Cevat Durak Republican People's Party
Website http://www.karsiyaka.bel.tr

Karşıyaka is a large district within the metropolitan area of İzmir and situated on the Aegean Sea coast along the northern shore of the tip of the Gulf of İzmir.

Karşıyaka borders an industrial zone and a shipyard to the east, and a large forest area to the north. The city is an important business and commercial centre. It is connected to İzmir city centre by rail, road, and commuter ferry. The ferry trip takes approximately 15 minutes from Karşıyaka terminal. In addition there are 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 was developed as a prosperous residential neighbourhood. The population was 424,357 in 1990 and had grown to 438,764 by 2000.

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. KSK also has a football team which currently plays in the second division of the Turkish football league.

Contents

[edit] Geography and environment

[edit] 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.

[edit] Municipality

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

[edit] Sights of interest

Main article: Levantine mansions of İzmir

In pace with its resort-like atmosphere, Karşıyaka saw a number of beautiful Ottoman konaks or Levantine mansions erected within its boundaries, as well as the more modest but still lovely little houses that are termed as "Sakız style houses" (Sakız evleri), and which are very typical of the region surrounding İzmir.

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).

Karşıyaka Pier
Karşıyaka Pier

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Karşıyaka Monument
Karşıyaka Monument


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