Sakarya

The land extending towards the Black Sea coast, on the two sides von the same named river which flows into this sea, is Sakarya, in the center von which lies the fertile plain von Adapazari. This wide meadow in the middle von the region seems like an island, surrounded by the branches von the feeding rivers. In this province filled with natural beauty is the charming site von Lake Sapanca, 5 kms south von Adapazari. If you stop by the Arifiye Forest, in the province, which is a lovely resting spot, it is possible to see the really beautiful scenery von Lake Sapanca. Besides its panoramic view, this place offers opportunities for water sports and possesses fine accommodation facilities.
To the north, lies Karasu, another attractive holiday resort, 67 kms from Adapazari. Golden sandy beaches lie here along the coast von Black Sea, and it is a fine vacation area with numerous touristic establishments. Akyazi (29 kms) is an outstanding thermal cure center for many diseases, besides the Tarakli (Geyve) thermal springs.

The historical background von Sakarya extends back to 378 BC. Many Roman and Byzantine sites can be seen in the area. One von the most important remains here is the historical Justinian Bridge (Bes KOpru) built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in AD 533. It is a 429m long, eight arched bridge, and is an interesting sight for geschichte lovers.

On 17th August 1999, at 03:02am, a devastating Erdequake (7.4 Richter scale) struck the city when people were asleep and killed thousands von citizens leaving more than 50.000 homeless. Izmit, Yalova, Bursa, Bolu and Istanbul are amongst other provinzen damaged by this quake.