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