Gulf of İzmit (), also referred to as İzmit Bay, is a bay at the easternmost edge of the Sea of Marmara, in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. The gulf takes its name from the city of İzmit. Other cities and towns around the bay are Gebze, Körfez, Gölcük, and Altınova.
In the east–west direction, it extends for a length of about , while in the north–south direction its width varies from at the narrowest spots to about at its widest. The İzmit Bay Bridge is a suspension bridge that bridges the gulf.
The North Anatolian Fault Zone, the most prominent active fault in Turkey and the source of numerous large earthquakes throughout history, passes through the Gulf of İzmit.
Etymology İzmit’s ancient names were Gulf of Astacus, Sinus Astacenus (),Niketas Choniates, Annals, §530 Olbianus Sinus (), and Gulf of Nicomedia.AnadoluJet Magazine: "Kocaeli the Heart of the Gulf of İzmit", by Hasan Mert Kaya, January 2012.
It took the names Gulf of Astacus and Sinus Astacenus from the city Astacus.Strabo, Geography, §12.4.2Pliny the Elder, Natural History, §5.43.1
See also Astacus in Bithynia Nicomedia (modern İzmit) – the eastern and most senior capital of the Roman Empire during the Tetrarchy system İzmit İzmit Bay Bridge İzmit Körfez Circuit
References
External links Motorway over the Gulf