Lapseki

Lapseki
Lapseki
Coordinates: 40°20′38″N 26°41′01″E / 40.34389°N 26.68361°E / 40.34389; 26.68361Coordinates: 40°20′38″N 26°41′01″E / 40.34389°N 26.68361°E / 40.34389; 26.68361
Country	Turkey
Province	Çanakkale
Government
• Mayor	Gani Mehmet Ekim (MHP)
• Kaymakam	Fahri Meral
Area[1]
• District	881.64 km2 (340.40 sq mi)
Population (2012)[2]
• Urban	10,863
• District	25,620
• District Density	29/km2 (75/sq mi)
Website	www.lapseki.bel.tr

Lapseki (Greek: Λάμψακος, Lampsakos) is a town and district of Çanakkale Province, Turkey. As of 2010, it has a population of 10,889. The mayor is Gani Mehmet Ekim (MHP).

The district of Lapseki is famous for its cherries; a cherry festival is held annually in this town.

History

The town was founded by Greek colonists from Phocaea in the 6th century BC. Soon afterwards it became a main competitor of Miletus, controlling the trade roots in the Dardanelles. The modern Turkish name derives from the original Greek name. Lapseki was founded about 500 BC, one of 4 settlements along the Dardanelles at that time. In ancient times, while the city was under the rule of King Mendrom and named Pityausa, the king, who defended the colonists from Foça from the attacks of the local people, minted coins for the first time in its history in the name of his daughter Lapseke and later the city was given this name by the colonists to express their indebtedness to him. In this way, the name Lampsakos, then Lapseki, was passed down to the present day.

The city was under the Byzantines for a long period before being passed into Ottoman hands after its conquest by Süleyman Pasha in 1356. Occupied at the end of World War I, the town was freed from the British and French forces on 25 September 1922 as a result of the unity and solidarity of the people of Lapseki, toward the end of the War of Independence. In the district are the graves of 15,000 soldiers who lost their lives during the War of Independence.

Economy

Possessing all the natural beauty of the Dardanelles, the primary livelihood of the people in the area is agriculture with fishing and tourism also being important. The most famous fruits of the district are cherries and peaches. First held in 1983, the annual Cherry Festival takes place 2–12 June. A fair is also held in Lapseki on 1–4 September

See also

• Lampsacus
• Abramios the Recluse

References

1. ↑ "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05. 
2. ↑ "Population of province/district centers and towns/villages by districts - 2012". Address Based Population Registration System (ABPRS) Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. Retrieved 2013-02-27. 

v t e Lapseki in Çanakkale Province of Turkey Central district(s) Çanakkale Other districts Ayvacık Bayramiç Biga Bozcaada Çan Eceabat Ezine Gelibolu Gökçeada Lapseki Yenice List of Provinces by Region Istanbul Istanbul Western Marmara Balıkesir Çanakkale Edirne Kırklareli Tekirdağ Aegean Afyonkarahisar Aydın Denizli İzmir Kütahya Manisa Muğla Uşak Eastern Marmara Bilecik Bolu Bursa Düzce Eskişehir Kocaeli Sakarya Yalova Western Anatolia Ankara Karaman Konya Mediterranean Adana Antalya Burdur Hatay Isparta Kahramanmaraş Mersin Osmaniye Central Anatolia Aksaray Kayseri Kırıkkale Kırşehir Nevşehir Niğde Sivas Yozgat Western Black Sea Amasya Bartın Çankırı Çorum Karabük Kastamonu Samsun Sinop Tokat Zonguldak Eastern Black Sea Artvin Giresun Gümüşhane Ordu Rize Trabzon North Eastern Anatolia Ağrı Ardahan Bayburt Erzincan Erzurum Iğdır Kars Central Eastern Anatolia Bingöl Bitlis Elâzığ Hakkâri Malatya Muş Tunceli Van South Eastern Anatolia Adıyaman Batman Diyarbakır Gaziantep Kilis Mardin Siirt Şanlıurfa Şırnak Metropolitan municipalities are bolded.