Bolu Province

Bolu Province

Bolu ili
Bolu Province Bolu ili
Province
	Lake Gölcük
	Location of the province within Turkey
Country	Turkey
Seat	Bolu
Government
• Governor	Erkan Kılıç
Area	8,313 km2 (3,210 sq mi)
Population (2022)	320,824
• Density	39/km2 (100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3 (TRT)
Area code	0374
Website	www.bolu.gov.tr

Bolu Province (Turkish: Bolu ili) is a province situated in north-western Turkey. It is located between the capital, Ankara, and the largest city in the country, Istanbul. Its area is 8,313 km²,^[2] and its population is 320,824 (2022).^[1] The capital city of the province is Bolu.

Geography

The province is drained by the Bolu River (Boli Su) and the Koca River.

The forests, lakes, and mountains are rich in wildlife including three deer species, and popular weekend and holiday retreats for walkers and climbers.

Parts of the province are vulnerable to earthquakes.

History

It is not known when Bolu was first founded. Some archaeological findings date back about 100,000^{[citation needed]} years that suggest the region was inhabited then.

The area now in Bolu Province was in eastern

Mithridates VI and the Kingdom of Pontus. With Roman help the last Bithynian king, Nicomedes IV regained his throne, but on his death bequeathed the kingdom to Rome. This led to the Third Mithridatic War and the fall of Pontus, the area was incorporated into the Roman Empire as a single province joining Paphlagonia with Bithynia. Under the falling Byzantine Empire the Bolu area was divided from western Bithynia at the Sakarya River

, with western Bithynia keeping the name. The Sakarya is still the southern and western boundary of the province.

The Byzantine Empire briefly lost the Bolu area to the

Seljuk Turks after the 1071 Battle of Manzikert, but recovered it under Alexios I Komnenos. After the end of the Komnenos dynasty

, the Turks gradually took the Bolu area back.

About 1240 the

Isfendiyarids between 1292 and 1461. In 1461 it was incorporated into the rest of the Ottoman Empire by Mehmed II

.

By 1265, the western part of the Bolu area was again acquired by the Seljuk Turks, but it fell to the arms of

Kastamonu Vilayet

.

Administrative divisions

Bolu province is divided into nine districts, four sub-districts, thirteen municipalities, and 491 villages.

Districts

Main sites

Lake Abant
, a mountain lake resort and hot springs
Yedigöller National Park. The name means "seven lakes" in Turkish, referring to the number of lakes in this forest park.
The
Epic of Köroğlu
There are many hot springs and mineral baths in the province (kaplıcaları in Turkish).
Kartalkaya, one of Turkey's most popular ski resorts
Sarıalan, a lake high in the mountains above Kartalkaya
The Aladağ mountains, including the trail and picnic area of Gölcük
Seben Çeltikler
Akshemseddin
Mausoleum

Towns include:

Mengen
Mudurnu (the ancient town of Modrenea)
Gerede

Gallery

Bolu Gölcük Nature Park Aerial View
Mist early in the morning
A scene from
Yedigöller
Bolu Gölcük Nature Park side view of the State Guesthouse
Snowy wooden house

References

^
TÜİK
. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
^ "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
^ All About Turkey - Bolu
^ Memnon, History of Heracleia, 12
^ Naval staff, Intelligence Department (Royal Navy) (1919). A handbook of Asia Minor. Vol. 1. London. p. 226.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

(in Turkish) Official website
(in Turkish) Bolu municipality's official website

40°40′45″N 31°33′30″E / 40.67917°N 31.55833°E / 40.67917; 31.55833

[tuik-1] 
TÜİK
. Retrieved 19 September 2023.

[2] "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 19 September 2023.

[3] All About Turkey - Bolu

[4] Memnon, History of Heracleia, 12

[5] Naval staff, Intelligence Department (Royal Navy) (1919). A handbook of Asia Minor. Vol. 1. London. p. 226.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[1]

[2]