Gulf of İzmit



Gulf of İzmit (İzmit Körfezi), also referred to as Izmit Bay, is a bay at the easternmost edge of the Sea of Marmara, in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. The gulf takes its name from the city of İzmit. Other cities and towns around the bay are Gebze, Körfez, Gölcük, and Altınova.

In the east–west direction, it extends for a length of about 48 km, while in the north–south direction its width varies from 2 to 3 km at the narrowest spots to about 10 km at its widest. The İzmit Bay Bridge is a suspension bridge that bridges the gulf.

The North Anatolian Fault Zone, the most prominent active fault in Turkey and the source of numerous large earthquakes throughout history, passes through the Gulf of İzmit.

Etymology
Izmit’s ancient names were Gulf of Astacus, Sinus Astacenus (Ἀστακηνὸς κόλπος), Olbianus Sinus (Ὀλβιανὸς κόλπος) and Gulf of Nicomedia.

It took the names Gulf of Astacus and Sinus Astacenus from the city Astacus.