Zonguldak , Turkey
Zonguldak Province (Turkish: Zonguldak ili) is a province along the western Black Sea coast region of Turkey. The province is 3.481 km² in size and has a population of 619,703 Its adjacent provinces are Düzce to the southwest, Bolu to the south, Karabük to the southeast, and Bartın to the east. The capital is Zonguldak.
Since the discovery of coal in the province, Zonguldak has become a major coal production center.
Sites of interest
Filyos Bay, Zonguldak
Ilıksu, Kapuz, Göbü beaches, National Sovereignty Forest, Lake (Göl) Mountain, Plateau, Kocaman, Bostanözü, Çamlık, Baklabostan and Gürleyik forest recreation areas, Cumayanı, Kızılelma, Mencilis caves.
Museums
Ereğli Museum
Address: Atatürk Kültür Sitesi Ereğli - Zonguldak
Tel: (372) 312 03 62
Open Daily except Mondays: 08:00 - 16:30
Ereğli
Ereğli was founded during the 6th century B.C. by the Mariandynians, who were the successors of the Phrygians. Ereğli was an important commercial wharf (emperion), which takes its name from the famous mythic hero, Hercules (Heracles). The city preserved its importance during the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman Empire periods. Important historical ruins in the region include the Acheron Valley ruins, in which the Cehennem Ağzı caverns are located, along with Hellenic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman ruins, Ereğli Castle, Heracles Palace, Çeştepe Lighthouse tower, Byzantine water cisterns, Krispos mausoleum, Byzantine church and Halil Paşa Mansion.
Beaches
Zonguldak TTK Port
Many natural and sandy beaches may be found along a fifty mile (80 km) stretch of the coast. Beginning from the east, these beaches include: Sazköy, Filyos, Türkali, Göbü, Hisararkası, Uzunkum, Tersane, Kapuz, Karakum, Değirmenağzı, Ilıksu, Kireçlik, Armutçuk, Black Sea Ereğli, Mevreke, Alaplı and Kocaman.
Promenade
The boroughs of the city are used as daily recreation areas for leisurely hikes by regional residents. Boroughs are artificial lakes intended to provide drinking water or serve other industrial purposes. These boroughs are: Ulutan Dam Lake at the center, Kızılcapınar Dam Lake, and Gülüç Dam Lake in Ereğli, Dereköy Pond at Çatalağzı borough and Çobanoğlu Pond (18 ha.) at Karapınar borough.
The most important waterfalls of the city are: Harmankaya at Center Kokaksu site, Değirmenağzı at Kozlu borough and Güneşli waterfalls at Ereğli, and their environs are also used for trekking.
Caves
Cehennemağzı Cave, Gökgöl, Kızılelma, İnağzı and Cumayanı are the notable caverns.
National & Natural Parks
Zonguldak Nature Protection Area
Coal mining
History
Zonguldak port and breakwater, Turkey Ottoman era postcard
The discovery of coal in the Ereğli (Heraclea) region dates back to the reign of Sultan Mahmud II, and its extraction to Sultan Abdülmecid's reign.
The first specimen of Turkish coal was brought from Ereğli to Istanbul in 1822, but nothing was done for exploration and exploitation of this coal. However, in 1829, another specimen of coal was brought to Istanbul by Uzun (Long) Mehmet, a sailor and native of the village of Kestaneci, near Ereğli. This time attention was given to the discovery and the sailor received a reward of a life pension, but before he could benefit from this reward he was murdered.
The first miners requested and delivered from the Austrian Government are the Austrian Croats known to have been employed in the Ereğli Coal Mines. The correspondence between Istanbul and the embassy in Vienna show that coal production in the Ereğli Basin predates the March 1837 request by 18 months and that production started around September 1835.
An investigation of Hazine-i Hassa (Ottoman Imperial Treasury Department) records in the Ottoman archives shows that regular mining activities in the Ereğli Basin started in February 1841. This is confirmed by a newspaper article published in the 14 February 1841 issue of Ceride-i Havadis.
Ereğli Coal Company, chartered by six partners (Ahmed Fethi Pasha, Rıza Pasha, Safveti Pasha, Tahir Bey Efendi, Izzet Pasha and Mustafa Efendi), excavated the coal in the Ereğli Coal Basin, initially under the auspices of Darphane-i Amire and later transferred to Hazine-i Hassa when the latter was established in 1849.