Silivri
Encyclopedia
Silivri is a city and a district in Istanbul Province
along the Sea of Marmara
in Turkey, outside of metropolitan Istanbul
, containing many holiday and weekend homes for residents of the city. The largest city in the district is also named Silivri. The mayor is Özcan Işıklar (CHP
).
Silivri is located bordering Büyükçekmece
to the east, Çatalca
to the north, Çorlu
and Marmara Ereğli
(both districts of Tekirdağ Province
) to the west, Çerkezköy
to the north-west (one of Tekirdağ Province
) and with the Sea of Marmara to the south. It is with an area of 860 km² (332 sq mi) the largest district of Istanbul Province
. The seat of the district is the city of Silivri.
The district consists of 8 towns and 18 villages, and its population is 108,155 (2000 census). 44,530 in the city of Silivri, the remaining in the surrounding towns and villages - listed below.
Established in 2008, Turkey's most modern and Europe's largest prison complex
is located 9 km (5.6 mi) west of Silivri.
Silivri, the ancient Greek
Selymbria (or Selybria), preserved its importance in every era of history thanks to its natural harbor and its position on the major commercial roads. It was a colony of Megara
founded on a 56 m high, steeply hill east of the bay, but excavations show that it was a Thracian settlement before it was a colony.
According to Strabon, the city's name is a combination of the name of the mythological founder of the city, Selus, and the Thracian word that Strabo thought was used for polis, "bria" . This however did not mean polis and had another meaning.
Silivri is the birthplace of the physician Herodicus
, and was an ally of the Athenians
in 351 BC
. Until the second half of the 2nd century BC, the city could preserve its autonomy, but its neighbours Byzantium
and Perinthos became more powerful,and the city was under their control during the next centuries. The settlement shrank into a village under the governance of the Roman Empire. In the early 5th century, the town was officially renamed Eudoxiòpolis in Greek
, during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Arcadius
(377–408), after his wife Aelia Eudoxia
, though this name did not survive. In 805 AD, the Bulgarian Khan Kroum pillaged the town. In the late 9th century, Emperor Michael III
(839–867) constructed a fortress on the top of the hill, the ruins of which still remain, during an era in which the Byzantine Empire
suffered attacks by Saracen
corsairs and Russians
.
In 1346, the Ottoman
s became an ally of the pretender for the Emperor John VI Cantacuzenus (1292–1383), and helped him against his rival John V Palaeologus (1332–1391). The same year, Sultan Orhan I
married Theodora, the daughter of John VI in Selymbria.
In 1399, Selymbria fell to the Ottomans, marking their complete encirclement of Constantinople by land in Europe. Many contemporary observers believed from then on it was a mere matter of time before the Ottomans took the Byzantine capital. However after their disastrous defeat at the hands of Timur
the Ottomans returned Selymbria and several other possessions to the Byzantines in 1403. It was sometimes attacked by the Ottomans in later years, but was not captured.
During the Fall of Constantinople
in 1453, Silivri, along with Epibatos, stood up against the Ottoman
armies, and surrendered only after the city had fallen. Selymbria extended out of the walls only during the Ottoman era, because the non-Muslim
residents like Greeks
, Armenians
and Jews
lived within the city walls, and the Turks built their houses outside the walls at the coast. While the non-Muslims were engaged mostly in growing grapes, vinification and silk
production, the Turks earned their life by fishing and making yogurt. The town remained a summer resort during the Ottoman time, as it was during the Byzantine era.
On the order of Suleiman the Magnificent
, architect Mimar Sinan built 1562 a stone bridge with 33 arches just west of Silivri. The historical bridge, called "Uzunköprü" (The "Long Bridge"), is still in use today, however one arch is not visible due to sedimentation.
Prior to World War I, some Silivrian Jews immigrated to the town of Camagüey
, Cuba
http://www.bh.org.il/cuba/cuba/A/A-FIRST.htm. Russian
s occupied Silivri on February 5, 1878 for 1 month until 3 March 1878. Bulgaria
ns occupied it on November 16, 1912 for 9 months until May 30, 1913.
During the war, many more Sephardim in the city left as conditions worsened due to the war. Many of these Turkish Jews emigrated to the United States settling primarily in New York and Seattle. Others went to Palestine, France and South America.
According to the Treaty of Sèvres
, Silivri became a part of Greece on July 20, 1920. However, Italians
took it over from the withdrawing Greek troops on October 22, 1922, according to the Armistice of Mudanya
. Finally, Turkish forces entered Silivri on November 1, 1922. It was part of Çatalca
province between 1923–1926 and was bounded to Istanbul Province
in 1926. It was enlarged with joining of Gümüşyaka (formerly Eski Ereğli) village from Çorlu
district.
. It takes about an hour and a half to get here from the city so is feasible for use in the summer months as a weekend and holiday retreat, although the road out here is heaving with traffic in summer.
Being so accessible from Istanbul, the Marmara coast has long been used for holidaying by Istanbul's people. As the city has grown, these facilities have moved further and further away. Once Florya
and Yeşilköy
were resorts, today it is Tekirdağ and even further. Silivri had its heyday in the 60s and 70s as families would come by the busload to complexes of holiday flats that were built on the beach. Most had their own stretch of beach, perhaps with their neighbours' raw sewage running straight into the sea. The Marmara Sea here has suffered from pollution in the 80s and 90s but now efforts have been made to clean it up and people do swim. Some of these places have sports centres, discos, go-kart tracks, games rooms for the kids etc. and many Istanbul families have pleasant memories of trips to Silivri in the 70s and 80s, sitting on the beach in the summer moonlight while the kids run about until they drop from tiredness. Some still go today. All the facilities are located in the holiday housing area, the town centre of Silivri has little to offer in the way of cinema, theatre or any other cultural amenities.
Now the coast has also been blessed with resort hotels and country clubs with sport facilities including golf courses, horse riding centres and tennis courts, health and conference centers. At weekend the area is crowded with day trippers.
With all this development it is hard to find a stretch of open coastline.
The winter months are cold here, as bitter weather blows across Thrace from the Balkans
, and holiday homes in Silivri are not much used from mid-September until May or even June.
climate and yield-effective soil, and in the 50s and 60s the pasture was so rich that the yoghurt
of Silivri was renowned. Now the reputation of the yoghurt has declined due to poor quality control and mismanagement of the brand. The Silivri Yoghurt Festival used to be a major event but nowadays there is less interest and in some years it is not even held. Wheat
(246 km²), sunflower
(105 km²) and barley
(50 km²) are cultivated here. Vineyards were once important but have declined since the 70s. Livestock
is still important.
State owned health institutions (Ministry of Health):
Private health institutions:
(total population 41,669)
Villages:
(total population 21,956)
Trieste
, Italy Bari
, Italy Türkmenabat
, Turkmenistan El Paso, Texas
, USA Huambo
, Angola
Mytilini, Greece Singapore
Prilep
, Macedonia
Basseterre
, Saint kitts and nevis
Samdrup Jongkhar
, Bhutan
Istanbul Province
Istanbul Province is a province located in north-west Turkey. It has an area of 5,196 km² and a population of 13,255,685. The population was 10,018,735 in 2000. It is surrounded by the provinces of Tekirdağ to the west, Kocaeli to the east, the Black Sea to the northern part and the Sea of...
along the Sea of Marmara
Sea of Marmara
The Sea of Marmara , also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea, and in the context of classical antiquity as the Propontis , is the inland sea that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, thus separating Turkey's Asian and European parts. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Black...
in Turkey, outside of metropolitan Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, containing many holiday and weekend homes for residents of the city. The largest city in the district is also named Silivri. The mayor is Özcan Işıklar (CHP
Republican People's Party (Turkey)
The Republican People's Party is a centre-left Kemalist political party in Turkey. It is the oldest political party of Turkey and is currently Main Opposition in the Grand National Assembly. The Republican People's Party describes itself as "a modern social-democratic party, which is faithful to...
).
Silivri is located bordering Büyükçekmece
Büyükçekmece
Büyükçekmece is a district and municipality in the suburbs of Istanbul, Turkey on the Sea of Marmara coast of the European side, west of the city. It is largely an industrial area with a population of 380,000...
to the east, Çatalca
Çatalca
Çatalca is a city and a rural district in Istanbul, Turkey. It is in Thrace, on the ridge between the Marmara and the Black Sea. Most people living in Çatalca are either farmers or those visiting vacation homes. Many families from Istanbul come to Çatalca during weekends to hike in the forests or...
to the north, Çorlu
Çorlu
Çorlu is a northwestern Turkish city in inland Eastern Thrace that falls under the administration of the Province of Tekirdağ. It is a rapidly developing industrial center built on flatland located off the E80 highway between Istanbul and Turkey's border with Greece and Bulgaria. As of the 2000...
and Marmara Ereğli
Marmara Eregli
Marmara Ereğlisi is a town and district of Tekirdağ Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The mayor is İbrahim Uyan .-Facts:Ereğli is 30 km east of the town of Tekirdağ, and 90 km west of Istanbul near a small pointed headland on the north shore of the Marmara Sea...
(both districts of Tekirdağ Province
Tekirdag Province
The Tekirdağ Province is in Trakya , the northwestern part of Turkey. The capital city is Tekirdağ. It is famous for its meatball called "Tekirdağ köfte" and the Turkish alcoholic drink called Tekirdağ rakısı.-Districts:...
) to the west, Çerkezköy
Çerkezköy
Çerkezköy is a town and district of Tekirdağ Province in the Marmara Region of Turkey.-Facts:The district is located in inland Thrace just to the west of the outlying Istanbul districts of Çatalca and Silivri. Çerkezköy is an industrial area. It is from Tekirdağ and from Istanbul but in many ways...
to the north-west (one of Tekirdağ Province
Tekirdag Province
The Tekirdağ Province is in Trakya , the northwestern part of Turkey. The capital city is Tekirdağ. It is famous for its meatball called "Tekirdağ köfte" and the Turkish alcoholic drink called Tekirdağ rakısı.-Districts:...
) and with the Sea of Marmara to the south. It is with an area of 860 km² (332 sq mi) the largest district of Istanbul Province
Istanbul Province
Istanbul Province is a province located in north-west Turkey. It has an area of 5,196 km² and a population of 13,255,685. The population was 10,018,735 in 2000. It is surrounded by the provinces of Tekirdağ to the west, Kocaeli to the east, the Black Sea to the northern part and the Sea of...
. The seat of the district is the city of Silivri.
The district consists of 8 towns and 18 villages, and its population is 108,155 (2000 census). 44,530 in the city of Silivri, the remaining in the surrounding towns and villages - listed below.
Established in 2008, Turkey's most modern and Europe's largest prison complex
Silivri Prison
Silivri Prison or officially Silivri Penitentiaries Campus is a high-security state correctional institution complex in the Silivri district of Istanbul Province in Turkey. Established in 2008, it is the country's most modern and Europe's largest penal facility.As of June 5, 2008, a total of...
is located 9 km (5.6 mi) west of Silivri.
History
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Selymbria (or Selybria), preserved its importance in every era of history thanks to its natural harbor and its position on the major commercial roads. It was a colony of Megara
Megara
Megara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...
founded on a 56 m high, steeply hill east of the bay, but excavations show that it was a Thracian settlement before it was a colony.
According to Strabon, the city's name is a combination of the name of the mythological founder of the city, Selus, and the Thracian word that Strabo thought was used for polis, "bria" . This however did not mean polis and had another meaning.
Silivri is the birthplace of the physician Herodicus
Herodicus
Herodicus was a Greek physician of the fifth century BC, and a native of Selymbria. The first use of therapeutic exercise for the treatment of disease and maintenance of health is credited to him, and he is believed to have been one of the tutors of Hippocrates...
, and was an ally of the Athenians
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
in 351 BC
351 BC
Year 351 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Peticus and Crispinus...
. Until the second half of the 2nd century BC, the city could preserve its autonomy, but its neighbours Byzantium
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
and Perinthos became more powerful,and the city was under their control during the next centuries. The settlement shrank into a village under the governance of the Roman Empire. In the early 5th century, the town was officially renamed Eudoxiòpolis in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Arcadius
Arcadius
Arcadius was the Byzantine Emperor from 395 to his death. He was the eldest son of Theodosius I and his first wife Aelia Flaccilla, and brother of the Western Emperor Honorius...
(377–408), after his wife Aelia Eudoxia
Aelia Eudoxia
Aelia Eudoxia was the Empress consort of the Byzantine Emperor Arcadius.-Family:She was a daughter of Flavius Bauto, a Romanised Frank who served as magister militum in the Western Roman army during the 380s. The identity of her father is mentioned by Philostorgius...
, though this name did not survive. In 805 AD, the Bulgarian Khan Kroum pillaged the town. In the late 9th century, Emperor Michael III
Michael III
Michael III , , Byzantine Emperor from 842 to 867. Michael III was the third and traditionally last member of the Amorian-Phrygian Dynasty...
(839–867) constructed a fortress on the top of the hill, the ruins of which still remain, during an era in which the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
suffered attacks by Saracen
Saracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
corsairs and Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
.
In 1346, the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
s became an ally of the pretender for the Emperor John VI Cantacuzenus (1292–1383), and helped him against his rival John V Palaeologus (1332–1391). The same year, Sultan Orhan I
Orhan I
Orhan I or Orhan Bey was the second bey of the nascent Ottoman Empire from 1326 to 1359...
married Theodora, the daughter of John VI in Selymbria.
In 1399, Selymbria fell to the Ottomans, marking their complete encirclement of Constantinople by land in Europe. Many contemporary observers believed from then on it was a mere matter of time before the Ottomans took the Byzantine capital. However after their disastrous defeat at the hands of Timur
Timur
Timur , historically known as Tamerlane in English , was a 14th-century conqueror of West, South and Central Asia, and the founder of the Timurid dynasty in Central Asia, and great-great-grandfather of Babur, the founder of the Mughal Dynasty, which survived as the Mughal Empire in India until...
the Ottomans returned Selymbria and several other possessions to the Byzantines in 1403. It was sometimes attacked by the Ottomans in later years, but was not captured.
During the Fall of Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
in 1453, Silivri, along with Epibatos, stood up against the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
armies, and surrendered only after the city had fallen. Selymbria extended out of the walls only during the Ottoman era, because the non-Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
residents like Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Armenians
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
lived within the city walls, and the Turks built their houses outside the walls at the coast. While the non-Muslims were engaged mostly in growing grapes, vinification and silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
production, the Turks earned their life by fishing and making yogurt. The town remained a summer resort during the Ottoman time, as it was during the Byzantine era.
On the order of Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
, architect Mimar Sinan built 1562 a stone bridge with 33 arches just west of Silivri. The historical bridge, called "Uzunköprü" (The "Long Bridge"), is still in use today, however one arch is not visible due to sedimentation.
Prior to World War I, some Silivrian Jews immigrated to the town of Camagüey
Camagüey
Camagüey is a city and municipality in central Cuba and is the nation's third largest city. It is the capital of the Camagüey Province.After almost continuous attacks from pirates the original city was moved inland in 1528.The new city was built with a confusing lay-out of winding alleys that made...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
http://www.bh.org.il/cuba/cuba/A/A-FIRST.htm. Russian
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
s occupied Silivri on February 5, 1878 for 1 month until 3 March 1878. Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
ns occupied it on November 16, 1912 for 9 months until May 30, 1913.
During the war, many more Sephardim in the city left as conditions worsened due to the war. Many of these Turkish Jews emigrated to the United States settling primarily in New York and Seattle. Others went to Palestine, France and South America.
According to the Treaty of Sèvres
Treaty of Sèvres
The Treaty of Sèvres was the peace treaty between the Ottoman Empire and Allies at the end of World War I. The Treaty of Versailles was signed with Germany before this treaty to annul the German concessions including the economic rights and enterprises. Also, France, Great Britain and Italy...
, Silivri became a part of Greece on July 20, 1920. However, Italians
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
took it over from the withdrawing Greek troops on October 22, 1922, according to the Armistice of Mudanya
Armistice of Mudanya
The Armistice of Mudanya was an agreement between Turkey on the one hand, and Italy, France and Britain on the other hand, signed in the Ottoman town of Mudanya on 11 October 1922....
. Finally, Turkish forces entered Silivri on November 1, 1922. It was part of Çatalca
Çatalca
Çatalca is a city and a rural district in Istanbul, Turkey. It is in Thrace, on the ridge between the Marmara and the Black Sea. Most people living in Çatalca are either farmers or those visiting vacation homes. Many families from Istanbul come to Çatalca during weekends to hike in the forests or...
province between 1923–1926 and was bounded to Istanbul Province
Istanbul Province
Istanbul Province is a province located in north-west Turkey. It has an area of 5,196 km² and a population of 13,255,685. The population was 10,018,735 in 2000. It is surrounded by the provinces of Tekirdağ to the west, Kocaeli to the east, the Black Sea to the northern part and the Sea of...
in 1926. It was enlarged with joining of Gümüşyaka (formerly Eski Ereğli) village from Çorlu
Çorlu
Çorlu is a northwestern Turkish city in inland Eastern Thrace that falls under the administration of the Province of Tekirdağ. It is a rapidly developing industrial center built on flatland located off the E80 highway between Istanbul and Turkey's border with Greece and Bulgaria. As of the 2000...
district.
Holiday resort
During the summer months, the population increases 4-5 times. Silivri is 67 km (41.6 mi) far from the city center of Istanbul, and is a popular summer resort for many Istanbul residents with its 45 km (28 mi) long coast. It is on the highway and the motorway , which connect Turkey to Europe via EdirneEdirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
. It takes about an hour and a half to get here from the city so is feasible for use in the summer months as a weekend and holiday retreat, although the road out here is heaving with traffic in summer.
Being so accessible from Istanbul, the Marmara coast has long been used for holidaying by Istanbul's people. As the city has grown, these facilities have moved further and further away. Once Florya
Florya
Florya is a neighborhood belonging to the Bakırköy district of the greater Istanbul, Turkey. It is located along Marmara Sea, and borders to the northeast the neighborhood of Yeşilköy, to the northwest that of Küçükçekmece. It is one of the high class and rich areas of Istanbul...
and Yeşilköy
Yesilköy
Yeşilköy is a neighborhood of the Bakırköy municipality of Istanbul, Turkey.It is located along the Marmara Sea about 11 kilometers west of Istanbul's historic city center...
were resorts, today it is Tekirdağ and even further. Silivri had its heyday in the 60s and 70s as families would come by the busload to complexes of holiday flats that were built on the beach. Most had their own stretch of beach, perhaps with their neighbours' raw sewage running straight into the sea. The Marmara Sea here has suffered from pollution in the 80s and 90s but now efforts have been made to clean it up and people do swim. Some of these places have sports centres, discos, go-kart tracks, games rooms for the kids etc. and many Istanbul families have pleasant memories of trips to Silivri in the 70s and 80s, sitting on the beach in the summer moonlight while the kids run about until they drop from tiredness. Some still go today. All the facilities are located in the holiday housing area, the town centre of Silivri has little to offer in the way of cinema, theatre or any other cultural amenities.
Now the coast has also been blessed with resort hotels and country clubs with sport facilities including golf courses, horse riding centres and tennis courts, health and conference centers. At weekend the area is crowded with day trippers.
With all this development it is hard to find a stretch of open coastline.
The winter months are cold here, as bitter weather blows across Thrace from the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, and holiday homes in Silivri are not much used from mid-September until May or even June.
Agriculture
The district has great agricultural potential thanks to its almost flat landscape, mild ThracianThrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
climate and yield-effective soil, and in the 50s and 60s the pasture was so rich that the yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
of Silivri was renowned. Now the reputation of the yoghurt has declined due to poor quality control and mismanagement of the brand. The Silivri Yoghurt Festival used to be a major event but nowadays there is less interest and in some years it is not even held. Wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
(246 km²), sunflower
Sunflower
Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...
(105 km²) and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
(50 km²) are cultivated here. Vineyards were once important but have declined since the 70s. Livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
is still important.
High schools
- Silivri Lisesi (Silivri High School) Visit web site
- Hasan - Sabriye Gümüş Anadolu Lisesi (Anatolian High School) Visit web site
- Özel Balkan Lisesi (Private Balkan High School) Visit web site
- Necip Sarıbekir Lisesi
- Teknik Lise ve Endüstri Meslek Lisesi (Technical High School and Industry - Vocational High School) Visit web site
- Şerife Baldöktü Meslek Lisesi (Şerife Baldöktü Vocational High School) Visit web site
Health
There are a number of hospitals and special health institutions in Silivri, state owned and private run:State owned health institutions (Ministry of Health):
- Devlet Hastanesi
- Ana Çocuk Sağlığı Ve Aile Planlama Merkezi (Mother and Child Healthcare and Family Planning Center)
- Halk Sağlığı Laboratuvarı (Public Health Laboratory)
Private health institutions:
- Serene Tıp Merkezi (Medical center)
- Anadolu Hastanesi
- Hayat Hastanesi
- Hayat Diyaliz Merkezi (Dialysis Center)
- Kolan Hastanesi
Towns and villages of Silivri
Towns:(total population 41,669)
Villages:
(total population 21,956)
Historical sites
- Silivri Castle
- The Anastasian WallAnastasian WallThe Anastasian Wall or the Long Walls of Thrace is an ancient, stone and turf fortification located west of Istanbul, Turkey built by the Byzantines during the late 5th century...
, also known as the Long Walls of Thrace, was constructed by Byzantine emperor Anastasius IAnastasius I (emperor)Anastasius I was Byzantine Emperor from 491 to 518. During his reign the Roman eastern frontier underwent extensive re-fortification, including the construction of Dara, a stronghold intended to counter the Persian fortress of Nisibis....
(491-518) as part of an additional outer defense system for ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
during the 5th century and probably was in use until the 7th century. Comparable only with Hadrian's WallHadrian's WallHadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
in England in its complexity and preservation, the fortificationFortificationFortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
stretches some 56 km from Black SeaBlack SeaThe Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coast across the Thracian peninsula to the Sea of Marmara at west of Silivri. - Cistern
- Piri Paşa Mosque
- Uzunköprü (The Long bridge)
Notable people associated with Silivri
- Oğuz AralOguz AralOğuz Aral was a Turkish political cartoonist.-Biography:Born in Silivri, Istanbul Province, he founded the cartoon magazine Gırgır with his brother Tekin Aral, and created such characters as "Avanak Avni" , "Köstebek Hüsnü" , "Utanmaz Adam" and "Vites Mahmut"...
(1936–2004), renowned political cartoonistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising... - Mihri BelliMihri BelliMihri Belli was a prominent leader of the socialist movement in Turkey. He was legendary for having fought on the partisan side in the Greek Civil War....
(1916–2011), communist leader - Abdullah Turhan (1933), cartoonist
- Uğur DündarUgur DündarUğur Dündar is a Turkish journalist, anchorman, political commentator and writer.He was born in Akören village of Silivri district in Istanbul Province. He graduated from Istanbul University's Economics faculty. He joined Turkish Radio and Television Corporation in 1970 and built a journalistic...
, journalist, political commentator and writer - Müjdat GürsuMüjdat GürsuMüjdat Gürsu was a Turkish footballer. He played for Samsunspor.Gürsu started his professional career with Samsunspor during the 1992-93 season, and won the Turkish Second League in his first year with the club...
(1971–1994), Samsunspor footballer who died in a traffic accident
Sister towns
Silivri has 10 sister citiesTrieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, Italy Türkmenabat
Türkmenabat
Türkmenabat , formerly and since the medieval times, Chardzhou , also spelled Çärjew, Chardjui, Charjou, Chardzhev, Charjev, Chärjew, or Charjew , ancient Amul, is a town in Turkmenistan, capital of Lebap Province...
, Turkmenistan El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, USA Huambo
Huambo
Huambo, formerly Nova Lisboa , is the capital of Huambo province in Angola. The city is located about 220 km E from Benguela and 600 km SE from Luanda. The city's last known population count was 225,268...
, Angola
Mytilini, Greece Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
Prilep
Prilep
Prilep is the fourth largest city in the Republic of Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 citizens. Prilep is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko.-Name:...
, Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
Basseterre
Basseterre
Basseterre , estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands...
, Saint kitts and nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
Samdrup Jongkhar
Samdrup Jongkhar
Samdrup Jongkhar District is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan...
, Bhutan
See also
- Silivri's New Portal
- Silivri district
- Silivri Portal
- Silivri News Agency