Bornova

Infobox Settlement
settlement_type = District
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = TUR
timezone=EET
utc_offset=+2
map_caption =Location of Bornova within Turkey.
timezone_DST=EEST
utc_offset_DST=+3
official_name = Bornova

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image_caption = Forum Bornova, İzmir's largest and newest shopping mall inspired in concept by the city's traditional architecture, in Bornova
image_blank_emblem =
blank_emblem_type =


subdivision_type1=Region
subdivision_name1 = Aegean
subdivision_type2=Province
subdivision_name2 = İzmir
population_total = 464,694
population_as_of = 2006
population_footnotes = [http://www.izto.org.tr/NR/rdonlyres/898956C7-DD92-46C6-92D1-F06317523AE9/9339/09_BORNOVA.pdf]
population_density_km2 = 2074
area_total_km2 = 224
elevation_m = 20-200
latd =
latm =
latNS =
longd =
longm =
longEW =
postal_code_type=Postal code
postal_code = 35030
area_code = 0232
blank_info = 35|blank_name=Licence plate
leader_title=Mayor
leader_name = Sırrı Aydoğan (Republican People's Party)
website = [http://www.bornova.bel.tr/ http://www.bornova.bel.tr/]
province website= [http://www.bornova.gov.tr/ http://www.bornova.gov.tr/]

Bornova is a district of İzmir Province in Turkey. It is one of the nine districts in the Greater Metropolitan Area of İzmir, the third largest, and is almost entirely urbanized at the rate of 98,6 per cent, with corresponding high levels of development in terms of industry and services [ A total of 28,016 commercial enterprises are based in Bornova, particularly concentrated in the three "general" organized industrial zones, and seven others grouping enterprises within the same or similar fields of activity, such as zones for shoemakers, foundries, land transport, timber merchants, dealers in scrap, warehouses and producers of kitchen utensils. Enterprises also number high in the orbit of the two large shopping malls the district has, Park Bornova and Forum Bornova. A total of 17 banks offer their services through a total of 72 branches and 128 ATMs in Bornova. Medical and legal services are also found at high levels of concentration due to the presence of Ege University hospital and İzmir's central Hall of Justice within the boundaries of the district. See "İzmir Chamber of Commerce Report".] . Bornova center is situated at a distance of convert|8|km|mi|0|abbr=on to the northeast from the traditional center of İzmir (Konak) and convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on from the coastline at the tip of the Gulf of İzmir to the east. Bornova district area is surrounded by the district areas of Manisa center and Menemen to the north, Kemalpaşa to the east, Buca to the south, and Konak and Karşıyaka to the west, where the larger part of İzmir's urban area extends. Bornova is home to Ege University's main campus and its name is synonymous for many and at national level with the university hospital, one of the largest and the foremost medical centers in western Turkey since decades.

Name and origins

Sources indicate that Bornova was initially called "Birunabad", although explanations as to how that name was composed vary. In Persian and Ottoman Turkish "birun" means "outer, exterior" and "abad" is a suffix common to a number of cities across the Islamic world and which forms a place name when attached to the name of a person or to a proper name, such as Haydarabad or Islamabad, which for some reason was combined with an adjective in the case of Birunabad.

The recent discovery, within the boundaries of Bornova district, of Yeşilova Höyük, on which the fieldwork continues, seems to indicate that Bornova's alluvial plain, fed by several small rivers, or brooks, was the place chosen for the very first settlement across İzmir area by the Neolithic-Calcolithic inhabitants of the region.

Administrative divisions

Twelve small villages, mostly located in the forested uplands around Mount Yamanlar and with a cumulative population of 6,354 -as against the district total of 464,694-, depend Bornova prefecture. According to the estimates made by the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, commuters and other people visiting Bornova on a daily basis could account for an additional 300,000 to be cumulated with the district population.

The urban area is divided into 36 neighborhoods.

19th century Bornova and the great Levantine mansions

With a total bed capacity of only 400 across the district, most of which is accounted by the suburb's single large hotel, the accommodation facilites are rather limited inside Bornova, and the hotels in İzmir's center is generally preferred for a night's stay. Despite that, visitors on a leisure tour are a common sight in Bornova's streets due to the town's historical center having been much in favor in the 19th century among İzmir's European and Levantine residents who left very visible architectural traces, in the form especially of the Levantine mansions of İzmir.

Indeed, Bornova used to be a summer residence for many foreign consuls and wealthy businessmen fleeing the stagnantly hot weather in central İzmir to seek the cooler breeze of the slopes of Mount Yamanlar from where Bornova has grown. This move by diplomats and the rich was at the very origin of the town's growth in the 19th century, since it used to be a small forestry village until then. The mansions and residences built at that time, and most of which reached our day, restored and in public or private use, are usually still called by the prestigious names of the former owners, such as Whittal, Maltass, Peterson, Giraud, Edwards, Belhomme, Pandespanian. [ The restoration for a suitable use of one of the most impressive, that of Paterson right in the middle of the center, remains a promise unkept since years. ] There is a small Catholic Church named the "Church of Santa Maria" in the main square of Bornova and an Anglican chapel nearby, both dating from the 19th century, landmarks of Bornova's cosmopolitan past. Bornova also made sports history in Turkey when the first football match ever held in the Ottoman Empire was played in Bornova in 1890 between British sailors on shore leave against young men of İzmir. Turkey's first athletic contest was also held in Bornova in 1895.

The municipality of Bornova was established in 1881 and the town became a district center in 1957.

Modern Bornova

Bornova greatly extended in the last decades from its nest under Mount Yamanlar and today covers almost fully the surrounding plain that carries the same name as the district, and this both in the direction of the seashore as well as to the east to Kemalpaşa and to the south in Altındağ zone and İzmir-Aydın motorway.

The population's growth rate reached as high as 30-35 per cent in certain years. Bornova could nevertheless preserve its orderly outlook, with the privately and legally built constructions and social housing keeping at pace with the increase in population, and very few slum-type residences, as many boomtowns across Turkey are still scourged with, among the 147,037 residential buildings the district counts.

On the other hand, a number of tragedies occurred in recent past due to delays in improvements along the river beds of the four streams that cross Bornova to join the Gulf of İzmir (Bornova, Laka, Manda and Şeytanderesi brooks), while residences were mushrooming around these. Furthermore, two cement mills which were constructed and stone quarries which were opened in what was empty fields decades ago are now located next to residences, and the pollution caused by the former establishments is an ongoing issue of concern.

Bornova is currently the eastern terminus of İzmir's subway rapid transit line whose extension continues, and access to and from the city center, as well as between various localities of İzmir is relatively easy with either public or private transports. Since İzmir's central bus terminal, the huge İZOTAŞ in Altındağ quarter where an estimated fifty thousand people arrive or depart each day, as well as the road junctions connecting İzmir and the regions to its south, to İstanbul, Ankara and the rest of Turkey, are located within the boundaries of Bornova, intercity connections are made relatively easy.

Education

Bornova counts 80 primary schools and 102 kindergartens. At secondary-level education, there are 19 high schools and 22 professional schools. The figures for the student and teacher's corps are shown in the table. The average student per teacher ratio obtained (22,1 %), with primary education the most congested at 25,5 %, correspond to rather comfortable levels compared to many cases across Turkey.

Higher-level educational institutions are assembled under the very large structure of Ege University, which brings together 11 faculties, 7 institutes, 6 higher education centers and 7 higher professional schools and 25 research centers. The university had 42,693 students and 2,895 academic staff in 2007. Its campus is also a important center of culture, sports, leisure and entertainment for all across İzmir.

In adult education, the state-managed Public Training Center and Professional Training Centers offer courses in various practical fields with a total of 100 trainers, and 12,356 people including participants in literacy courses received courses in these establishments in 2006. Illiteracy is an issue almost exclusively restricted to new migrants into Bornova, and especially to women among these. There are also a number of private initiatives in the same field, such as the 29 companies offering drivers license courses, although the necessity of extending such services further and deeper is a common concerrn frequently expressed at all levels.

Professions

The total of district's commercial enterprises numbering 28,016, the figure reached by cumulating the total production, retail, wholesale units and connected offices neighbors around forty five thousand, which results in the picture of a very active district.

855 Bornova companies are registered exporters and a total amount of 596,224,735 US Dollars could be estimated for 2006 as exports which were made by Bornova district companies. 83 companies with foreign capital participation operate in Bornova and the recorded amount of foreign direct investments between 1997-2007 was 71,928,267 US Dollars. Among instantly recognizable international names which operate with sizable Bornova bases, BMC, Tuborg, Efes Pilsen, CMS tyres can be cited. The textile and clothing wholesalers are concentrated in MTK industrial and marketing zone, built specially for these industries.

Bornova's vast plain has been a preferred location since more than a century for İzmir's industrial base. The choice of Bornova by numerous official institutions as their regional headquarters, combined with the services industry, with medical and legal services especially standing out, as well as other professions, all contribute to the pace of the district. Agricultural production is comparatively very modest in added value.

hopping and Leisure

One of the two largest shopping malls of İzmir, "Forum Bornova", extending over 67,000 square meters, is located in Bornova and it includes an IKEA store, a Tesco-Kipa superstore, seven movie theaters, and other leisure and entertainment facilities. Bornova's other shopping mall, "Park Bornova", was, at 33,000 square meters, İzmir's largest at the time of its opening and the first to fit the description of a modern shopping mall in the city. It is still İzmir's largest outlet center and boasts of its own movie theaters, 8-lane indoor bowling and an entertainment center ("Smart Play") with various games.

Bornova's open market days or bazaars (held every Wednesday and Sunday) are also well-known in the region and a surprising variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, clothing, kitchenware and crafted products can be found by joining the youthful crowd of the market.

There are three theater buildings in Bornova, the one located inside the town's central park, Uğur Mumcu Theater being the most popular. The one museum located within Bornova is Ege University's large Natural History Museum, integrated into the university structure and it is the second largest in Turkey in its field after that MTA in Ankara. There are five libraries with a collection of books numbering 32,378 in total (excepting Ege University library) and three congress centers, all three privately managed within the structure of Bornova's single large hotel.

279 parks in all, almost all with playfields for children, are scattered across Bornova. Pınarbaşı racing (go-kart and motorcycle) fields, which is Turkey's longest, covering an area of 25 hectares, 7 swimming pools, 8 tennis courts, 2 indoor sports halls, 4 soccer fields and 54 basketball fields compose Bornova's sports infrastructure. 8,591 licensed sports persons inhabit the district.

Five newspapers are published in Bornova and two radio stations are in activity. The total number of cable TV subscriptions is 27,066. 412 civil associations are registered in Bornova and the total number of their members is 36,525. There are about a hundred mosques and three churches.

A large recreational area which bears Homer's name, to whom İzmir lays one of the strongest claims, is in phase of construction in a 3,5 km long valley to the northeast of Bornova center, and it is already very popular among residents although, located at some distance from the poet's native river Meles, the choice of the name may be historically discutable for pedantics. There is also a Roman bridge on part of the River Nif which crosses Bornova district area. The mountain passage at the locality called Belkahve where, coming from the east, one sees İzmir for the very first time and in a very impressive panorama, is within Bornova district and is now arranged into a park and picnic area in memory of one such impressed incomer in 1922, Atatürk. Efforts are also made to preserve, restore and promote the picturesque village of Yakaköy with many old houses and fountains in Turkish style.

ee also

* Yeşilova Höyük
* Levantine mansions of İzmir
* Ege University
* Altındağ, İzmir
* İzmir

References

Resources

*

External links

* [http://www.bornova.org Bornova Web Site]
* [http://www.izmir.bel.tr Metropolitan Municipality of Greater İzmir]
* [http://www.ege.edu.tr Ege University]
* [http://www.forumbornova.com Forum Bornova]
* [http://www.deusozluk.com Dokuz Eylül University Dictionary]
* [http://www.deuforum.com Dokuz Eylül University Forum]
* [http://camdibi.net Çamdibi]