Aesepus River
| Gönen | |
|---|---|
 Gönen
|
|
| Coordinates: 40°6′5″N 27°39′5″E / 40.10139°N 27.65139°ECoordinates: 40°6′5″N 27°39′5″E / 40.10139°N 27.65139°E | |
| Country |
 Turkey
|
| Province | Balıkesir |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hüseyin Yakar (AKP) |
| Area | |
| • District | 1,118.21 km2 (431.74 sq mi) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Urban | 45,282 |
| • District | 73,325 |
| • District density | 66/km2 (170/sq mi) |
Gönen is a district of Balıkesir Province of Turkey, in the southern part of Marmara Sea. The town is mostly known for its therapeutic hot springs, leather processing and rice production.
The town is surrounded by Bandırma in the northeast, Biga and Yenice in the west, Marmara Sea and Gulf of Erdek and Balya in the south. Elevation is 33 metres (108 ft) above sea level.
The oldest known name of the town is Asepsus (Ασεψούς in Ancient greek). This was also the name of the brook, that flows next to the city center and was crossed by the Roman Aesepus Bridge. Research shows that the subsequent name was Artemea (Αρτεμέα), a derivation of the Greek goddess Artemis.
After the Ottoman conquest the name Gönen was used. The etymological source of that name is still disputed. Widely accepted possibilities are:
Also, some sources indicate that there was a nomadic tribe of the "Yörükan community" bearing the name "Gönen","Gönan" or "Gönenlü". The tribe was loosely based around Adana and Maraş.
According to Evliya Çelebi's Seyahatname (In which he collected the notes of his journeys), Gönen was used by the governors of Bursa as a summer holiday location, where they enjoyed the therapeutic uses of the hot springs.
On 18 March 1953, Gönen suffered a M7.3 earthquake which left 50 dead in Gönen and hundreds of buildings damaged. a previous devastating earthquake had occurred here in 1440 AD.
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Wikipedia