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 Eyüp Yılmaz (Justice And Improvement Party(AK Parti))
 • 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 is a town and district of Çanakkale Province, Turkey. In 2010 it had a population of 10,889. The mayor is Eyüp Yılmaz (AKP)

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 but shaded by the fair in nearby town Çardak in 22–26 August which closes with a wrestling competition each year,the second oldest competition in Turkey After Kirkpinar in Edirne.The people come to watch the wrestlers from near provinces such as Bursa.Apart from these the beaches and summer houses in seaside villages attracts tourists as well.Numan Kurtulmuş,the deputy prime minister of Turkey has a summer house in Suluca village of Lapseki.There are direct ferries to Gelibolu at every o'clock from Lapseki.The journey Takes 20 minutes.It is an intercontinental trip from Asia to Europe.There is also a bridge planned to be constructed over Dardanelles strait in Lapseki to Sütlüce in Gallipoli Peninsula.The project is among 2023 goals of Turkey And also a railroad is planned to cross on the bridge that will connect the region to Istanbul or Edirne And Europe.[3]

See also

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.
  3. ↑ LAPSEKİ’DE HAVA ALANI VE DEMİR YOLU HEYECANI. milliyet.com.tr. 24 September 2014
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