Gönen

Gönen is a municipality and district of Balıkesir Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,162 km2, and its population is 74,871 (2022). It lies on the southern part of Marmara Sea. The town is mostly known for its therapeutic hot springs, leather processing and rice production.
Location
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 above sea level.
Names and etymology
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:
Non-Turkish possibilities:
Ka-wana : A word meaning "Sheepland/Sheep Country" in Luwian
Germenon : A word meaning "Hot Spring"
Giunan : A word meaning "Greek" (Yion in ancient Greek), becoming "Giunen" and then "Gonen" in Turkish
Possible meanings in Turkish:
A small pond that dries in summer, small pond, placid water
Humid, wet, well-watered.
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.
History
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.
Composition
There are 101 neighbourhoods in Gönen District:
100.Yıl
Akçaali
Akçapınar
Alacaoluk
Alaettin
Alaşar
Altay
Armutlu
Asmalıdere
Atıcıoba
Ayvalıdere
Babayaka
Bakırlı
Balcı
Balcıdede
Bayramiç
Beyoluk
Bostancı
Buğdaylı
Büyüksoğuklar
Çakmak
Çalıca
Çalıoba
Canbaz
Çatak
Çifteçeşmeler
Çiftlikalanı
Çığmış
Çınarlı
Çınarpınar
Çobanhamidiye
Dereköy
Dişbudak
Dumanalanı
Ekşidere
Fındıklı
Gaybular
Gebeçınar
Gelgeç
Geyikli
Gökçesu
Gündoğan
Gündoğdu
Güneşli
Hacımenteş
Hacıvelioba
Hafızhüseyinbey
Hasanbey
Havutça
Hodul
Ilıcak
Ilıcaoba
İncirli
Kalburcu
Kalfaköy
Kaplanobası
Karaağaç Alanı
Karalarçiftliği
Karasukabaklar
Karşıyaka
Kavakalanı
Kavakoba
Keçeler
Killik
Kınalar
Kocapınar
Koçbayırı
Körpeağaç
Korudeğirmen
Köteyli
Küçüksoğuklar
Kumköy
Küpçıktı
Kurtuluş
Malkoç
Muratlar
Ömerler
Ortaoba
Osmanpazar
Paşaçiftliği
Pehlivanhoca
Plevne
Reşadiye
Rüstem
Saraçlar
Sarıköy
Şaroluk
Sebepli
Söğütköy
Suçıktı
Tahtalı
Taştepe
Tırnova
Turplu
Tütüncü
Tuzakçı
Üçpınar
Ulukır
Üzümlü
Yeniakçapınar
Yürükkeçidere
Transport
Using available high speed ferry services, it takes 2 hours to reach Istanbul. The only train route available is to İzmir, but this is mostly used for cargo, rather than passenger transportation. Local air service is available through Bursa. International flights are handled through İstanbul and İzmir.
References
External links
Gönen Kaplıcaları A.Ş. Info about thermal properties of hot springs
Populated places in Balıkesir Province
Districts of Balıkesir Province
Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey
Spa towns in Turkey