To the north, lies Karasu, another attractive holiday resort, 67 kms from Adapazari. Golden sandy beaches lie here along the coast of Black Sea, and it is a fine vacation area with numerous touristic establishments. Akyazi (29 kms) is an outstanding thermal cure center for many diseases, besides the Tarakli (Geyve) thermal springs.
The historical background of Sakarya extends back to 378 BC. Many Roman and Byzantine sites can be seen in the area. One of the most important remains here is the historical Justinian Bridge (Bes KOpru) built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian in AD 533. It is a 429m long, eight arched bridge, and is an interesting sight for history lovers.
On 17th August 1999, at 03:02am, a devastating earthquake (7.4 Richter scale) struck the city when people were asleep and killed thousands of citizens leaving more than 50.000 homeless. Izmit, Yalova, Bursa, Bolu and Istanbul are amongst other provinces damaged by this quake.
Author: Arif Cagrici