Sakarya Province

Sakarya Province
Province and metropolitan municipality
Logo
Location of the province within Turkey
CountryTurkey
SeatAdapazarı
Government
 • MayorYusuf Alemdar (AKP)
 • ValiRahmi Doğan
Area
4,824 km2 (1,863 sq mi)
Population
 (2022)[1]
1,080,080
 • Density223.9/km2 (579.9/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (TRT)
Area code0264
Websitewww.sakarya.bel.tr
www.sakarya.gov.tr

Sakarya (Turkish: Sakarya ili) is a province and metropolitan municipality in Turkey, located on the coast of the Black Sea. Its area is 4,824 km2 (1,863 sq mi),[2] and its population is 1,110,735 (2024).[1] The Sakarya River creates a webbing of estuaries in the province, which is in the Marmara Region. The adjacent provinces are Kocaeli to the west, Bilecik to the south, Bolu to the southeast and Düzce to the east. The capital of Sakarya is Adapazarı. Its climate is maritime in the north and humid subtropical in the south and changes by the distance to the Black Sea. Sakarya is on the Ankara-Istanbul highway and is also connected by rail. Sakarya is serviced by Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. The mayor of Sakarya is Yusuf Alemdar as of 2024 (AKP).[3] The city of Sakarya, one of the most important cities in Turkey for its rapid growth and development, is known for its natural surroundings and culture. Home to several resort towns, Sakarya has access to the sea, beaches, lakes, rivers, highlands, thermal springs, traditional Ottoman lifestyle districts such as Taraklı and Geyve and noteworthy historical relics from the Byzantine and the Ottoman eras. The Turks conquered the city of Sakarya in the 13th century. There was intensive immigration from the Caucasus and the Balkans in the 18th and the 19th centuries. The last massive immigration was in 1989 from Bulgaria. The pronvince's location at a transportation crossroads has made spurred development in the manufacturing sector, and it still has inward migration from other parts of Turkey.

History

It was founded in 1400 by 400 Armenian immigrant families who escaped from Timur's oppression in Sivas and was named "Donigaşen" after the name of their leaders. Today's inhabitants are Manavs. The present day Muslims are descended from Armenians and Greeks who gradually converted to Islam. Adapazarı's known name in Turkish at that time was Adacık and Ada. The source of the information that the region was conquered by Orhan Gazi and opened to settlement is also unknown.[4][5][6][7] Adapazarı was the village of Ada in 1573, a sub-district in 1646, a village in Akyazı in 1658, and administrative district of a qadi in 1692 and again a sub-district in 1742. The residency area had the status of a district between 1837 and 1954 during the Ottoman and the Republican eras. Adapazarı was a district of Kocaeli for many years but separated from it and took the name of Sakarya on June 22, 1954, by Law 6419. Adapazarı took the name of Sakarya since it was the centre of the districts of Akyazı, Geyve, Hendek and Karasu. On December 1, 1954, the first governor, Nazım Üner, began active duty with ceremonies.

Adapazarı was experiencing a rapid growth and great development in the centre of Akova, but the city had to face massive destruction during the great Marmara earthquake, on August 17, 1999.

Districts

Greater Adapazarı

Area: 1,156 km2, Population: 691,217 (2024)[8]

Rest of Sakarya

Population: 419,518 (2024)[9]

Transport

In the province of Sakarya, several modes of transportation are available for moving within the city, between districts, and to other cities.

Ground transport

Buses

The buses, operated by Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality, are the most common type of transport in the province. The bus network is well-developed and covers most areas. To pay for travel, a transport card (for example, Kent Kart or Kart 54) is usually used, which can be purchased and topped up at special kiosks or vending machines. The rolling stock consists of Otokar and BMC buses. Additionally, there are two articulated buses (Mercedes-Benz Conecto and BMC Procity 18M), which are usually used on crowded routes as well as on the metrobus line.

Minibuses (dolmuşlar)

The minibuses connect the Sakarya province with many other districts, such as Arifiye, Hendek, Geyve and Pamukova. They run on established routes and often do not have fixed stops, so passengers can board and disembark at convenient locations along the route by informing the driver.

Metrobus

The metrobus line in Sakarya is the second in the whole Turkey after Istanbul. Its building started on 19 December 2024 and lasted till the summer of 2025. On 15 July 2025, the first part of the line was opened, running between the railway station square and the governor. In December 2025, the line was extended to the Korucuk hospital. Currently, the line has a length of 19.5 km with 13 stops on the route. The rolling stock consists of 11 Otokar Kent XL articulated buses.

Railway transport

Adaray

Adaray is a short-line commuting railway service running between Arifiye and Adapazarı. There are 7 stations on the route and the overall journey time takes about 15 minutes. Adaray was first launched in 2013 and ran till 2016. The service was restarted on 29 October 2024 and it is currently planned to extend the line to Sapanca.

References

  1. ^ a b "Nüfus İstatistikleri Portalı". TÜİK. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  2. ^ "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri" (in Turkish). General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Yusuf Alemdar Sakarya Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı" (in Turkish). Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  4. ^ Adapazarlı Papaz Krikor Vekayinamesi (Püzantion dergisi, 31 Ocak 1912) (in Turkish).
  5. ^ XV. Yüzyıldan 1915’e Günümüz Türkiye’sinde Ermenilerin Ticari-Ekonomik Faaliyeti Toplu belgeler, derleyen: Khaçadur Dadayan, «Gasprint» Yayıncılık, Yerevan, 2012 (in Turkish).
  6. ^ "Donigaşen'' ya da "Adapazarı", Elif Yalaz, 25 Nisan 2020 (in Turkish).
  7. ^ "Nişanyan Yer Adları: İndex Anatolicus" (in Turkish). Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Central Dissmemination System". TÜİK. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  9. ^ "Central Dissemination System". TÜİK. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
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