Yalova Information & Yalova Links at HealthHaven.com

Tourists at the Sudüşen Waterfall, near Termal, Yalova

Yalova is a city located in northwestern Turkey, on the eastern coast of the Sea of Marmara, and is the capital of the Yalova Province. Yalova has a city population of 70,858, while the population of the Yalova Province is 188,440.

[edit] Etymology

In general, it is assumed that the name "Yalova" comes from "Yalıova", which means "plain at the coast." The word "yalı" originates from the Greek yiáli γιαλή (mod. γιαλός), which literally means seashore or beach;^[1] while "ova" means plain in Turkish.

[edit] History

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk with Ali Fethi Okyar and Okyar's daughter in Yalova, on August 13, 1930

The first settlement in the region dates back to the Prehistoric Period, in around 3000 BC. The Hittites ruled the region in the 2000s BC, followed by the Phrygians in the 1200s BC. The region was conquered by the Romans in 74 BC. Following the division of the Roman Empire in 395, the region of Yalova remained under the sovereignty of the Byzantine Empire. In 1302, Yalova was incorporated into the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk occasionally lived in Yalova in his final years. In one of his speeches he famously said: "Yalova is my city."^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Things to see

Yalova has a number of tourist attractions, such as the köşk (Ottoman-Turkish style mansion) used by Atatürk during his visits to the city, and of course, its famous hot springs in Termal, which gets its name from the Latin word thermae. You can also visit Karaca Arboretum on the way to Termal.