History of Yalova

From the early ages to the Ottoman Period
Yalova is a city with a history of thousand years dating back to archaic ages. The western part of Northern Anatolia, which also comprises Yalova, is referred to as Bitinnia. The regional history of Btinnia and that of Yalova just have common characteristics.

The first known inhabitants of Yalova were Hattits, who were related to Hittites. Subsequent to Hattits, Hittites settled down in the region. Being in the centre of territorial and naval routes, Hittites here in this region continually suffered from invasions and migrations. The region saw the subsequent periods of Frig-lerin. Bebriklerin, Mislerin. Tinlerin ve Bitinlerin. While some of these commu­nities managed to set up their own independent states, some others continued to exist only as the satellites of Kimmers. Lydians and Persians. In B.C. 300, the first independent Kingdom of Btinnia was set up by Ziopetes. With its expanding borders and developing civilisation during the period of Nikomedes the 1., the Kingdom of Btinnia subsequently became one of the important states of Asia Minor. With all its grandeur, the Kingdom of Bitinnia continued to exist for more than two centuries. King Nikomedes the 3., who did not have any children of his own, donated his kingdom to the Roman Empire before his death and thereafter started the period of Roman Empire in the region.

Especially the first century of the Roman domination was the time when the natural beauty and thermals springs of Yalova first started to become well known. The emperors and their families chose this region as their summer place and organized it accordingly. Especially during the cherry picking season, Yalova was inundated by scores of people from Istanbul and the neighbouring centres. The great at­tention Yalova attracted during the cherry picking season also continued during the Ottoman period.

There existed at that lime a small village called Drepanon near Yalova. Emperor Constantin decided to call this villa­ge by his mother name for her living memory. What was then called Helenapolis, now called Hersek that was given the status of a city, prospered rapidly thanks to public imp­rovements and housing developments. It became a centre of relaxation and therapy due to inns and baths and chur­ches. The emperors and empresses together with their aides often visited Yalova and the region.

Yalova, that was badly affected by the earthquakes in the years 358, 362 an 368, remained under the protection of Byzantium after the Roman Empire was divided into two parts. It coincided with the period of the Emperor Justi-nianos the first when the region started to be rebuilt and regained its significance. Emperor Justinianos the first managed to provide drinking water for the city by means of vaults. He also got the crumbling or aged baths repaired and also some new baths built. The whole city was fes­tooned by palaces, churches, arched galleries, inns and beautiful official buildings.

Because of the changing of transportation routes, Yalova, for centuries, portrayed an image of a self-sufficient city. The Turks started to capture Anatolia as their homeland from 11. century onwards. With iznik becoming the capital of the State of Selcuklu in 1075, the Turkish population in the region increased rapidly. The inhabitant Turks in the region stopped the Crusaders that found a passage to Ya­lova via Istanbul. Despite this development, Yalova and its surroundings remained under the dominance of Byzan­tium for another two centuries.

Yalova during the Ottoman Period
Some of the Ottoman travellers and recorders of historical events such as Evliya Celebi, Hoca Saadettin. Katip Celebi mention about Yalova in their works of arts. They praise the peacefulness and the thermal springs of the region. Evliya Celebi the traveller narrates an anecdote about the name of Yalova. According to the anecdote, The name of Yalova,then referred to as Yalakabad, comes from the name of the commander Karayalovac, who was commis­sioned to capture the region. The historical documents, however, indicate that the capture of all the fortresses and cities around Yalova were concluded in 1337. The com­mander, who concluded the capture, was the second chief of commander of the Ottoman State, Emir Kara Ali Bey.

In Ottoman documents, Yalova is mentioned as Yalaka­bad or Yalakova and as Yalive though only once. It came to be a subdivision of a province related sometimes to the main city of Bursa, sometimes to Kocaeli and sometimes to then-newly independent izmit. With the negative impact of geographical discoveries. Yalova was wrapped around its tranquillity from 17th century onwards. In the 19th cen­tury, Yalova started to experience the impact of emigrants. Those who had to leave Kinm started to migrate to Yalova starting from 1856. Additionally, those who had to leave behind all what they had after the 1877-78 war between Ottomans and Russians.

The late Ottoman Sultans of Abdulmecid 1st and Abdulha-mid made some efforts in order to help Yalova to revitalize. The ruler Abdulmecid himself visited the thermal springs here and also had a bath built in memory of his mother Bezm-i Alem Vatide Sultan. For his part, the Sultan Abdul-hamid had the thermal springs and its environs renovated, and also had the ruined and neglected works of art resto­red. The same period of time also witnessed the start of the regular postal service.

Yalova was made a sub-town of Karamursel town of izmit in the early years of the Republic and was in a sense to­tally neglected. This continued until Ataturk rediscovered its beauty and promising future and paid a very special at­tention to it.

source: yalova77(dot)org