Modern Turkey and the broader geographical region of Anatolia is a place rich in history and beauty, dotted with millennia-old cities, many of which originated from ancient Greek settlements.
Here are ten prominent cities in Turkey with names of Greek origin, reminding us of the thousands of years of Greek presence in Anatolia.
Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city and its Greek origins
Originally known as Byzantion (Byzantium), this magnificent and historic city spanning two continents was the capital of both the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) and Ottoman Empires. The city thrived especially under Byzantine administration, becoming a renowned cultural and intellectual centre with architectural marvels such as the Hagia Sophia.
Byzantium obtained the name Constantinople, meaning the city of Constantine, after the Roman Emperor who established the capital of the Empire there in 330 AD. However, even today’s name Istanbul has Greek origins as it comes from the Greek sentence ”Is tin polin,” which means ”to the City.”
The official change from Constantinople to Istanbul came into effect in 1930. Constantinople was so powerful and important for so many centuries that people referred to it as the ”Polis” or ”The City.” Over the years, the Turks adopted what they heard from Greek speakers referring to the city, therefore, paraphrasing the ”Is tin Polin” to Istanbul.
Izmir
Previously known as Smyrna, this ancient harbour city has seen an extraordinary 8,500 years of human presence in the broader area. The city grew into a key trading centre, particularly during the Ottoman Empire, functioning as an important marketplace where many cultures intersected. The Greeks had a presence for more than 3000 years, which ended abruptly in 1922 with the Asia Minor Catastrophe.
The name of the modern city of Turkey ”Izmir” is derived from the Greek “Smyrna” in the ancient Greek Ionian dialect. The word itself wasn’t originally Greek but came from Anatolian roots. Ancient texts from around 2000 BC mention a place called “Tismyrna,” and after dropping the “Ti” prefix, it became “Smyrna” before evolving into modern “Izmir.”
Trabzon
Trabzon was founded approximately 756 BC by Greek settlers and gets its name from the Greek word “Trapezous,” meaning table. During the Roman Empire the city was a major military and economic hub, and it eventually became the capital of the short-lived Trabzon Empire. This name was given by Miletian settlers who were inspired by the table-like shape of the rocks they saw when they first arrived in the area.
Bursa
Located near Mount Uludag (historical Mount Olympus of Asia Minor), Bursa grew into a prominent centre during classical antiquity attracting thousands of people. During the Byzantine era, the city rose to prominence, mainly due to the silk industry created by Emperor Justinian and the subsequent trading opportunities that arose because of that. The city was named after the Greek King Prusias I of Bithynia. The city was rebuilt by Prusias with advice from Hannibal of Carthage after 202 BC.
Antalya
Founded as Attaleia by the Greek King Attalus II Philadelphus of Pergamum in the second century BC, the city was—and continues to be—an important Mediterranean seaport. The “Hadrian Gate,” constructed to honour Emperor Hadrian’s visit in 130 AD, is now a symbol of the city’s Greek and Roman past.
The modern city of Antalya with its surroundings are one of Turkey’s most popular tourist destination with millions of people visiting it from all over the world. The city has more than a million permanent residents and the metropolitan area of Antalya is home to approximately 2.6 million people.
Bodrum
Known in antiquity by its Greek name Halicarnassus, this magnificent coastal city rose to prominence under the Persian Empire beginning in the fifth century BC. It was home to the renowned Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that amazed locals and visitors with its grandeur.
The modern name comes from the medieval name “Petronium,” which was related to the Hospitaller Castle of St. Peter (Greek: Petros).
Edirne
Edirne, formerly known as Hadrianapolis after Roman Emperor Hadrian, was the Ottoman capital for a total of 92 years before Constantinople was conquered, becoming the new Ottoman capital.
Hadrianopolis finds its etymology to the Greek noun ”polis” which means ”city.” Therefore, Hadrianopolis, was ”the city of Hadrian.”
Throughout history, the city has played an important role in numerous peace treaties and historic events due to its strategic location. The current name “Edirne” evolved from this original name of Hadrianopolis through centuries of Turkish usage.
Today, the city has approximately 180,000 inhabitants and is the westernmost major city in Turkey, only a few miles from Greece’s border.
Ankara
Originally known as Ankuwash by the Hittites and then Áγκυρα (Ankyra) during the Hellenistic period and the Greek presence in the area, the name evolved through different civilisations to become modern Ankara. Its modern variation derives from the Ancient Greek “Αγκυρα” (Ankyra), meaning “anchor” or “hook.’’
Today the city of Ankara and its surroundings have nearly six million inhabitants. Ankara became the new capital of Turkey in 1923, when Kemal Ataturk moved the center of the new republic from Constantinople (Istanbul) to Ankara.
Izmit
Formerly known by its Greek name Nicomedia, the city was founded in 712 BC. It was a major cultural and geopolitical centre, strategically located on the natural roads connecting Europe and Asia, near Byzantium/Constantinople.
Its original name derives from the Greek word ”nike,” which means ”victory” and ”medos”, which is ancient Greek for ”counsel” or ”plan.”
Izmit finds the roots of its name in a very peculiar linguistic journey: The original name of the Greek settlement was Astacus, which was founded by Greek colonists from Megara.
The settlement was later renamed to Nicomedia after King Nicomedes I of Bithynia, who rebuilt the city. Through centuries of linguistic evolution the Greek name “Nicomedia” transformed into “Iznikmid,” which eventually became Izmit in Turkish.
Manisa
Originally known as Magnesia in antiquity, this city has been affected by a number of civilisations, including the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians and the Greeks. During the Ottoman period, it rose to prominence as the “City of Princes.”
Magnesia is also a region in eastern Thessaly, Central Greece. Magnesia has a long history that goes back millennia. Originally, it was inhabited by the Magnetes, an ancient Greek tribe who took their name from their leader, Magnes. In Greek mythology, Magnes was the son of Zeus and Thyia, the daughter of Deucalion, and the brother of Makednos, the ancestor of the ancient Greek Macedonian tribe.
Manisa was first known as Magnesia or Magnesiopolis during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The city turned to Manisa in 1313 when the Turkmen chief Saruhan captured the city from the Byzantines.
Today, Manisa is a buzzing city of more than 380,000 people, only a short distance from Turkey’s Aegean coast.
Sinop
Sinop is a major port city in northern Turkey’s Black Sea coast with a rich Greek past. Located in the historic region of the Greek Pontus, Sinop has a long history that dates back millennia.
Originally derived from the Hittite word “Šinuwa” and later known as Sinope in Ancient Greek, modern-day Sinop is strategically placed to link to the Boztepe Peninsula. According to legend Sinop was founded by either the Amazons—and thus named after Queen Sinova—or the nymph Sinope.
Historically we know that the city was established as a Greek colony by Miletians in the 7th century BC and became the most prosperous Greek settlement on the Black Sea for centuries.
Sinope is the place that gave birth to one of the first anarchists, absurdists, satirists, naturalists, depending on your point of view; Diogenes the Cynic.