Şile is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey.[ Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023.] Its area is 800 km2,[İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi (Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality). İstanbul Şehir Rehberi (Istanbul City Guide). Web: [2] Retrieved 26 June 2010.] The popular resort town Ağva is also a part of Şile. However, between June and September, the population rapidly increases because of the many residents of Istanbul who have summer houses in Şile.
History
The word
şile means
marjoram in
Turkish language.
[Türk Dil Kurumu. Büyük Türkçe Sözlük (Large Turkish Dictionary). http://tdkterim.gov.tr/bts/?kategori=verilst&kelime=%FEile Retrieved 26 June 2010.] The word's etymology is said to be
Greek language.
[Hürel, page 301.]
There has been a fishing village here since 700 BC and a lighthouse since the Ottoman period. According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, the
kaza of Şile had a total population of 16.770, consisting of 10.314 Muslims, 6.447
Ottoman Greeks, 3 Armenians and 6 foreign citizens.
[Kemal Karpat (1985), Ottoman Population, 1830-1914, Demographic and Social Characteristics, The University of Wisconsin Press, p. 138-139] The boundaries of Şile were expanded by the addition of the village of Esenceli from Beykoz district in 1989.
[ Karar Sayısı : 89/35864, Resmî Gazete, 3 August 1989.]
Composition
There are 62
mahalle in Şile District:
[ Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023.]
-
Ağaçdere
-
Ağva Merkez
-
Ahmetli
-
Akçakese
-
Alacalı
-
Avcıkoru
-
Balibey
-
Bıçkıdere
-
Bozgoca
-
Bucaklı
-
Çataklı
-
Çavuş
-
Çayırbaşı
-
Çelebi
-
Çengilli
-
Darlık
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Değirmençayırı
-
Doğancılı
-
Erenler
-
Esenceli
-
Geredeli
-
Göçe
-
Gökmaşlı
-
Göksu
-
Hacı Kasım
-
Hacıllı
-
Hasanlı
-
İmrendere
-
İmrenli
-
İsaköy
-
Kabakoz
-
Kadıköy
-
Kalem
-
Karabeyli
-
Karacaköy
-
Karakiraz
-
Karamandere
-
Kervansaray
-
Kızılca
-
Kömürlük
-
Korucu
-
Kumbaba
-
Kurfallı
-
Kurna
-
Meşrutiyet
-
Oruçoğlu
-
Osmanköy
-
Ovacık
-
Sahilköy
-
Satmazlı
-
Sofular
-
Soğullu
-
Sortullu
-
Şuayipli
-
Teke
-
Ulupelit
-
Üvezli
-
Yaka
-
Yaylalı
-
Yazımanayır
-
Yeniköy
-
Yeşilvadi
Features
Şile is famous for its
. However, it is at the northernmost point of Istanbul and thus shares the same sea conditions as other
Black Sea towns where strong sea undercurrents can be dangerous to inexperienced swimmers. Beachgoers drown here annually on a regular basis.
[ Drownings in Şile] The north-facing Black Sea has a much shorter holiday season than the
Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean or even the Marmara, due to the relatively colder winters.
Şile Castle () is a 14th-century Genoese castle on an island in Şile.
[ The Rough Guide to Istanbul. 2015. London: Rough Guides Ltd.] The castle was renovated in 2015, sparking criticism that the work had made it resemble the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants or an illustration from the video game
Minecraft.
[ Historic Castle in Istanbul Turns into ‘SpongeBob’ after Restoration. 2015. Hurriyet Daily News (August 26).]
The tomb of a
Islam saint, Kum Baba, is on a tree-covered hill above Şile.
[ Şile Istanbul] Along the coast near Şile, in the village of Kızılcaköy, is a cave which, according to a local myth, is said to be the scene of events in the Anabasis of
Xenophon.
Şile is also known for Şile cloth, a crimped-looking, light, see-through
cotton fabric, made on the Şile coast, sold in many shops in the town and sent to the bazaars of Istanbul.
[ SuTowel] A fair is held in the town to promote Şile cloth every summer.
The largest campus of Işık University is located in Şile.
Transport
Şile is a part of Istanbul public transport system (İETT). There is a bus from Harem via Üsküdar (located at the Anatolian side of Istanbul) to Şile (İETT Lines 139 and 139A).
Climate
Şile's climate is humid subtropical according to the Köppen and Trewartha climate classification, though until recently, the town was in the
Oceanic climate zone.
Şile's climate is marked by high humidity. It is in plant hardiness zone 8b, and AHS heat zone 2.
Twin towns – sister cities
Şile is
Sister city with:
-
Idstein, Germany
-
Barcaldin, Australia
-
Cazin, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sources
-
Hürel, Haldun. Semtleri, Mahalleri, Caddeleri ve Sokakları A'dan Z'ye İstanbul'un Alfabetik Öyküsü. İstanbul, 2008. .
External links
