Rize (; ; ; ) is a coastal city in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region of Turkey. It is the seat of Rize Province and Rize District.[ İl Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 30 January 2023.] Its population is 119,828 (2021).
Name
The name comes from
Greek language ρίζα (riza) or Ριζαίον (Rizaion), meaning "mountain slopes" (ρίζα in Greek means root).
[ Rize article from Özhan Öztürk, Encyclopedia of Black Sea ( Karadeniz Ansiklopedik Sözlük), 2005] In modern times, its Greek name was usually Ριζούντα (Rizunda). Its Latin forms are Rhizus and Rhizaeum, the latter of which is used in the
Catholic Church's list of
as the name of
bishopric of the town, which was once part of the late
Roman province of Pontus Polemoniacus
[''Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ), p. 959]).
Other names (17th – 19th c.): Rizeh, Riseh, Rhizium, Irizeh, Irissa; used in trade or by merchants.
History
Arrian was the first writer to mention Rize. In his Periplus of the Euxine Sea,
[ An Overview of Rize's History] he described it as a city founded at the mouth of the river of the same name, the
Ancient Greece and
Byzantine Empire ῾Ρίζιος ποταμός.
[Περίπλους τοῦ Εὐξείνου Πόντου] Dated to 130–131AD and written as a letter to Roman Emperor
Hadrian, the work records how its author, the governor of
Cappadocia, made a tour of the Eastern
Black Sea territories that formed part of his jurisdiction, first visiting the Roman Empire's Eastern
frontier garrisons before pushing on to the Black Sea coast in the
Trabzon (Trebizond) region.
[The Periplus of the Euxine Sea. Oxford: sold by J. Cooke; and by Messrs. Cadell and Davies Strand, London. 1805. Note: Arrian only mentions the River Rhizius, not any settlement by that name. It is quoted as being to the east of the river Ophis after the rivers Psychrus and Calus.]
The city of Rize formed part of the historic Georgian province of Chaneti (ჭანეთი).
From 1547, Chaneti province was incorporated into the Ottoman Empire and became a part of the Sanjak of Lazistan Sanjak. The city was claimed by the short-lived Democratic Republic of Georgia between 1918 and 1920. On the basis of the 1921 Treaty of Kars, Soviet Russia granted Rize to Turkey along with the other territories of Artvin, Ardahan, and Hopa (ხუფათი).
File:Rizunda.jpg|Rize in 1890s
File:Rize-postakarti-osmanli.jpg|Rize, 1910s, Ottoman-era postcard
Geography
The city is built around a small bay on the
Black Sea coast, on a narrow strip of flat land between the sea and the mountains behind. The coastal strip is being expanded with landfill and the city is expanding up the steep hillsides away from the coast.
Rize is probably best known for its Rize tea which was introduced to the region in the 1940s and 1950s, changing the destiny of a region which was until then desperately poor.
Tourism to destinations in and around Rize is growing in importance.
File:Aşağı Ceymakçur 01.jpg|Kaçkar Mountains National Park
File:Pokut Yaylası Rize.JPG|Pokut Yayla is a popular tourism destination
File:Tar Creek Waterfall View.jpg|Tar Creek Waterfall
File:Entrance of the Castle of Rize, Rize, Turkey.JPG|Entrance to Rize Castle
Climate
Rize has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen:
Cfa, Trewartha:
Cf). However, as any mountainous region of Turkey, it is rich in climatic variety. The climate turns
oceanic climate (
Cfb) on the hillsides, continental (
Dfb/Dc) and subarctic (
Dfc/Eo) on the mountain slopes and in the
yaylak, the highlands and highland plateaus.
When the Köppen climate classification was being created, the city centre had a borderline oceanic-humid subtropical climate, falling just under the threshold for the hottest month of the year, yet
climate change and
global warming have contributed to the city being classified as humid subtropical in recent decades.
The city's climate is defined by mild temperate conditions, with warm summers, cool winters and heavy rainfall year-round with a maximum in late autumn (October to December). The city has relatively few sunshine hours, lower than many stereotypically cloudy locations in Western Europe. Snowfall is occasional, but can be very heavy once it starts. The water temperature, typical for the Black Sea coast, is never too warm or cold, fluctuating between throughout the year.
Economy and produce
Historically, Rize grew oranges. However, weather destroyed the crops in the early 20th century, and the industry declined.
The area also produced small amounts of
manganese.
Rize's economic structure is primarily based on its geographic location since it is in a very mountainous location, making industrial development impractical. Given the lack of rail transit, most goods have to travel by truck or ship, which makes exporting and importing difficult. Rize's primary trading partner is Trabzon, the most developed city of the northeast Black Sea region. Rize's main exports are agriculturally based; Rize tea and kiwifruit are among its most popular commodities.
Education
Rize University was founded in 2006. Its name was changed to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University in 2011.
Culture
Rize Castle is a partly ruined medieval castle to the southwest of the city centre.
Rize Ziraat Botanical Garden, founded in 1924, is two kilometers to the southwest.
Sports
Rize's sports venues include Rize Atatürk Stadium, Yeni Rize Şehir Stadı and Rize Sports Complex consisting of Rize Sports Hall and Rize Indoor Swimming Pool.
The football team of Çaykur Rizespor play in the Süper Lig. Pazarspor football team compete in the TFF Third League.
Rize [[Municipality/" itemprop="url" title="Wiki: municipal">
<hr class="us2411627114">
<span class="us896110720 us1353177739">Rize [[Municipality">municipal">
Rize [[Municipality
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Ethem Şevki Kepenek (1950-1954) DP
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Ekrem Orhon (1965-1981) AP
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Şevki Yılmaz (1994-1995) Welfare Party
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Hızır Hop (1995-2004) ANAP
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Halil Bakirci (2004-2014) AKP
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Reşat Kasap (2014-2019) AKP
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Rahmi Metin (2019-present) AKP
Notable people
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Sinem Kobal television and film actress
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Macit Karaahmetoğlu german politician
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Köksal Toptan politician
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Temel Kotil he was the CEO of Turkish Airlines
Population
Notes
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Encyclopedic. 2 Cilt. Heyamola Yayıncılık. Istanbul.
External links
