Samandağ
Samandağ | |
|---|---|
  Samandağ | |
| Coordinates: 36°05′06″N 35°58′50″E / 36.08500°N 35.98056°E | |
| Country |  Turkey |
| Province | Hatay |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mithat Nehir (2009-) (ÖDP in 2009, CHP in 2014[2]) |
| • Kaymakam | Cahit Çelik (2014-)[1] |
| Area | |
| • District | 445.60 km2 (172.05 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 72 m (236 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Urban | Template:Turkey district populations |
| • District | Template:Turkey district populations |
Samandağ (Template:Lang-ar, as-Sūwaydīyah), formerly known as Süveydiye, is a town and district in Hatay Province of southern Turkey, at the mouth of the Asi River on the Mediterranean coast, near Turkey's border with Syria, 25 km (16 mi) from the city of Antakya. The mayor is Mithat Nehir, ÖDP candidate.
Etymology
Samandağ was formerly known as Süveydiye (Template:Lang-hy Svedia), Yukarı Alevışık and Levşiye was officially named Samandağ (Seman Dağ, Turkish for Jabal Sem'an: St. Symeon Mountain) in 1948.
History
Samandağ lies near the site of the ancient Seleucia Pieria, founded in 300 BC by Seleucus Nicator, a general of Alexander the Great, in the Seleucid era that followed Alexander's demise. Seleucia Pieria quickly became a major Mediterranean port of the Hellenistic and Roman eras, the port of Antioch. But it was subject to silting and an earthquake in 526 finally completed its demise as a port. Samandağ, then called St Symeon,[4] became the port of Antioch, and played an important role in the capture of the city by the Crusaders in 1098.
Geography
Samandağ itself is a small town of 35,000 people, close to the city of Antakya. The local economy depends on fishing and agriculture, especially citrus fruits, and Samandağ has the air of a country market town, with young men buzzing through the streets on mopeds. Around the midtown of Çevlik (derived from Seleucia), there is a long sandy coastline popular with daytrippers from Antakya, although the sea can be stormy. This is an important nesting area of the endangered sea turtle Caretta caretta.
Population
The vast majority of the population is composed of Arabic speakers who adhere to the Alawite sect of Shia Islam. There are also Sunni Arabs and Turkmens. There are Armenian and Antiochian Greek Christian communities in the district, with around 2,000 people.[citation needed] The village of Vakıflı is Turkey's only remaining rural Armenian community.
Local politics
Politically Samandağ is traditionally left-leaning. In the 2009 local elections, Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP) candidate Mithat Nehir was elected mayor of the ilçe with 34.20% of the votes (the CHP candidate got 31.77%, the AKP one 14.07%) he was then the sole victorious ÖDP candidate in the entire republic.[5] In September 2013, he joined the CHP under which banner he successfully contested the next 2014 local elections.[2]
Places of interest
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2017) |
-
Inside view of the Vespasian Tunnel -
Exit of the Vespasian Tunnel -
Monastery of St Simeon Stylites the Younger
- The tunnel of Vespasian-Titus, in the village of Kapısuyu , built as a water channel in the 2nd century.
- The tomb of the Muslim saint Hızır.
- Vakıflı, the only remaining Armenian village in Turkey.[6][7]
- Monastery of St Symeon
See also
References
- ^ Template:Tr icon "Samandağ Kaymakamı Cahit Çelik Görevine Başladı", Samandağ Ayna, 16 January 2014
- ^ a b Template:Tr icon "Kılıçdaroğlu Mithat Nehir'e rozeti taktı", Akşam, 22 September 2013
- ^ "Area of regions (including lakes), km²". Regional Statistics Database. Turkish Statistical Institute. 2002. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
- ^ Pryor, John H. (22 September 2018). Logistics of Warfare in the Age of the Crusades: Proceedings of a Workshop Held at the Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Sydney, 30 September to 4 October 2002. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 9780754651970. Retrieved 22 September 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ Template:Tr icon "Hatay Samandağ İlçesi - Adayların Oy Dağılımı" (Electoral results of the 2009 local election), Hürriyet, 2009
- ^ Kalkan, Ersin (2005-07-31). "Türkiye'nin tek Ermeni köyü Vakıflı". Hürriyet (in Turkish). Retrieved 2007-02-22.
- ^ Campbell, Verity (2007). Turkey. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-74104-556-7.
External links
- All About of Samandag
- Governorship of Samandag
- photo album of Samandağ
- info on Seleucia Pieria Template:En icon
- Seleucia Pieria
Samandağ in Hatay Province of Turkey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Districts |   | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Metropolitan municipalities are bolded. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||