Sapanca’s historical buildings and abundance of green areas are among the factors that attract the attention of tourists. Tourism income is increasing with the touristic facilities established around Sapanca Lake.
Before discussing Sapanca with its historical dimension, it is useful to mention the province of Sakarya, which includes this district. Sakarya is located in the northeast of the Marmara Region. It is surrounded by Düzce in the east, Bolu and Bilecik in the south, Bursa in the southwest, Kocaeli in the west and the Black Sea in the north.
Adapazarı, which is the central district of Sakarya, with Çam Mountain in the east and Samanlı Mountains in the south, is located on the plain called Akova, under the Sakarya Basin. Sakarya ranks fourth in size after Istanbul, Bursa and Kocaeli, which are among the provinces of the Marmara Region. Although there are ancient cities such as Izmit, known as Nicomedia, and Üsküb-Konuralp, called Prusias, around Sakarya, the central district, Adapazarı, is a new district.
The reason for the lack of settlement in this region during the First and Middle Ages is the change of the bed of the Sakarya River due to the irregular flow and the fact that the majority of the plain is surrounded by forests or bushes.
It is seen that the settlement in Sapanca district started during the Ottoman period. Adapazarı was known as “Island” or “Island village” at that time. The people who settled here started to cultivate the fertile lands. This village became a market place in the future and took the name Adapazarı.
Since those who came to the district for market purposes had to cross the Sakarya River and Çark Stream, it was thought to be an area surrounded by water and the name of the island was ascribed. This market place has become the place where trade developed by the 19th century. With the development of trade, the population also increased and Adapazarı was connected to Izmit in 1852 and became a district.
After 9 years, with the establishment of the municipal organization, Adapazarı gained an administrative function. Adapazarı developed rapidly and gained the appearance of a town in terms of population and area. In the 20th century, with the Haydarpaşa-Ankara railway reaching Adapazarı, the development of the city accelerated. In addition, one of the roads leading to Ankara passes through Adapazarı, which furthered the development. The settlement of Crimean and Caucasian immigrants here has been effective in the population increase in the city.
With the passing of the Sakarya province to the Turks, the Sapanca district soon turned into a region where the Turks settled. Sapanca is a district located in the west of Sakarya today, showing the characteristics of the Mediterranean and Black Sea climates. Sapanca has plenty of precipitation in winter and drought in summer. The district is rugged in terms of landforms.
Sapanca is divided into two parts as land area. Firstly, it consists of the valleys in the north of the Samanlı Mountains, which are the extension of the Köroğlu Mountains to the south of Bolu. The second part is the foothill plain in the north of the Samanlı Mountains, where the city center is located. This plain is very rich and consists of alluvium carried by rivers from the mountains.
Sapanca’s best-known rivers include the Istanbul River, Kurtköy River and Mahmudiye River. In addition, the Akçay River, which is an important river, is also connected to the Sakarya River. It is also useful to add to the information that should be known about Sapanca that the North Anatolian fault line passes through Sapanca Lake. Therefore, it is necessary to say that Sapanca is located in the first degree earthquake zone. However, from a positive point of view, it is seen that the fault line has little impact on the residential areas in the district, as it passes through the lake. As a supporting event, it can be said that the district was slightly damaged in the earthquake that took place on August 17, 1999.
Sapanca’s historical buildings and abundance of green areas are among the factors that attract the attention of tourists. Tourism income is increasing with the touristic facilities established around Sapanca Lake. Especially in areas such as Maşukiye, Kırkpınar, Mahmudiye and Istanbuldere, which are close to the district center, many holiday villages and summer hotels have been established for recreation purposes and the attractiveness of the district has increased.