İkizdere
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| İkizdere | |
| Lilium ponticum in habitat near Ikizdere | |
| Location of İkizdere within Turkey. | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | Image:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey |
| Region | Black Sea |
| Province | Rize |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Hasan Kösoğlu |
| Area | |
| - Total | 898 km² (346.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 31 m (102 ft) |
| Population | |
| - Total | 8,400 |
| - Density | 9,354/km² (24,226.7/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 53 |
| Area code(s) | (0090)+ 464 |
| Licence plate | 53 |
İkizdere is a town and a district of Rize Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
Formerly known as Kuray-ı Sab, İkizdere means "two streams" and indeed the Çamlık and Cimil Rivers meet here to form the İkizdere.
[edit] Geography
This is hilly countryside inland from the Black Sea, forest-covered steep mountainside separated by narrow valleys, with areas of high pasture. The İkizdere is formed from streams running out of the Rize Mountains and continues down to the Black Sea, it is dammed for hydro-electric power and for irrigation. There is snow on the high peaks and lots of glacial formation. The climate is typical of the Black Sea region i.e. it rains all the time. There is broad-leaf forest at lower elevations and pine higher up.
İkizdere is an agricultural district, growing tea on the hillsides and potatoes in the valley, and now some kiwi fruit are being planted also. Cattle and sheep are grazed on the hillsides, going up to the high pastures (yayla) in summer. Beekeeping is another important source of income, particularly in the village of Anzer. And this very attractive countryside is now attracting tourists, on trekking holidays. However on the whole İkizdere is not a wealthy region and the younger generations migrate to Turkey's larger cities in search of jobs.
The town of İkizdere is on the river bank, 56 km (35 mi) from the city of Rize on the road to Erzurum.
[edit] History
See Rize Province for a history of this area, once part of the Byzantine Empire and later the Empire of Trebizond, during which periods there was a monastery here in İkizdere. The area was absorbed into the Ottoman Empire by Mehmet II in 1461.
İkizdere was occupied by Russia for two years during the First World War.
[edit] Places of interest
- Merkez Camisi - The central mosque
- The mosque in the village of Şimşirli
- The mosque of Hacı Şeyh in the town of Güneyce
- Güneyce bridge
- The mineral water springs of Şimşirli and Ilıcaköy
There are also a number of interesting wooden houses from the Ottoman period, and many areas of high meadow for walking and trekking, including:
- the honey-producing Anzer Yaylası
- the forest area of Çamlık
- Çağrankaya and Ovit - other areas of high pasture
[edit] External links
- (Turkish) Yeşil ikizdere ve internet radyosu ikizdereFM
- (Turkish) photos of Ikizdere
- (Turkish) [http://www.ikizderemiz.com/anasayfa.asp local info - follow "resimler" for photos
- (Turkish) [http://www.guneyce.com/ local info website ("resimler" section contains photos)
- (Turkish) local tea growers
| Urban districts | Rize | Image:Turkey black sea.jpg |
|---|---|---|
| Rural districts | Ardeşen - Çamlıhemşin - Çayeli - Derepazarı - Fındıklı - Güneysu - Hemşin - İkizdere - İyidere - Kalkandere - Pazar | |
Regions | ||
| Aegean | ||
| Black Sea | ||
| Central Anatolia | ||
| East Anatolia | ||
| Marmara | ||
| Mediterranean | ||
| Southeastern Anatolia | ||

