Karadeniz Ereğli, Zonguldak Province, Black Sea Region, Türkiye

🇹🇷 Karadeniz Ereğli is a city and district in Zonguldak Province of Turkey on the Black Sea shore.

History Karadeniz Ereğli was originally a Greek city in ancient times known as Heraclea Pontica after the Greek mythical hero Heracles. The Turkish name Karadeniz Ereğli or colloquially Karadeniz Ereğlisi means 'Ereğli at the Black Sea', which distinguishes it from other places called Ereğli such as Konya Ereğlisi and Marmara Ereğlisi.

It was founded as a Megarian colony, which soon subjugated the native Mariandynians and extended its power over a considerable territory. It was the birthplace of Heraclides Ponticus. According to Greek mythology, the cave guarded by the three-headed dog Cerberus is located near the town. For his final quest, Heracles is tasked with entering the cave and capturing Cerberus.

The prosperity of the city, rudely shaken by the Galatians and the Bithynians, was utterly destroyed in the Mithridatic Wars. Then, Heraclea Pontica was part of the (Eastern) Roman Empire for more than 1000 years. The Turks ravaged the area after the Battle of Mantzikert in 1071. David Komnenos, brother of the ruler of Trebizond Alexios I of Trebizond, took Heraclea Pontica in 1205 and made it capital of his domain, called Paphlagonia; he lost it in 1214 to Theodore I Laskaris, who made it a major frontier bulwark. The Genoese had a colony there after 1261. When the Turks conquered Paphlagonia in 1360, the Genoese bought the city from the weakening Byzantine Empire. Heraclea developed as a trading centre of the Genoese, who settled there in large numbers. A ruined citadel on a height overlooking the town is a remnant of this period. The Italian name of the city was Pontarachia. The Genoese held the city until the Ottomans captured it after 1453.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Karadeniz Ereğli was part of the Kastamonu Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire.

Facts Modern Ereğli is the home of Erdemir, an important steel plant of Turkey. It has a large natural harbour, located in the lee of Baba Burnu and therefore one of the few geographically attractive places for a harbour on the western Black Sea coast of Turkey. Ereğli is well developed due to the presence of the steel plant and fishing is a major commercial activity in the city. Because of its Black Sea beach, Ereğli is a popular tourist destination locally. The city does not have an airport (Erdemir has a small private field) or rail station, but can be reached by automobile or bus from Ankara, Istanbul and other places.

In addition to its fishing and steel, Ereğli is also well known for its delicious Ottoman strawberry.

The International Love, Peace, Friendship, Culture and Art Festival is held every year in Karadeniz Ereğli.

Sport Ereğli is an active spot in women's football. Karadeniz Ereğli Belediyespor is currently competing in National Women's Football League. Furthermore, Karadeniz Ereğli Spor won Girls' U-15 Turkey Championship in 2011. Also, local men's football clubs of Ereğli compete in amateur leagues.

In 2000s, Erdemirspor had several successful professional sport teams. Men's volleyball team won three Turkish Men's Volleyball League championship titles (2001-02, 2003-04, and 2004-05), but was withdrawn from the league in 2007. Men's basketball team competed in Men's Basketball Super League for 7 seasons (2004-06, 2008-13), until Erdemir disestablished the team in 2013. It also won two championship titles in the lower basketball league. Besides, women's basketball team competed in the Woman's Basketball League in 2000s.

Chess is also a popular sport in Ereğli. There are two chess clubs in the city, and Ereğli hosts around 10 local chess tournaments each year.

Coal The discovery of coal in the Ereğli (Heraclea) region (known today as the Zonguldak basin) dates back to the reign of Sultan Mahmud II, and its extraction to Sultan Abdulmejid I's reign.

The first specimen of Turkish coal was brought from Ereğli to Istanbul in 1822, but nothing was done for exploration and exploitation of this coal. However, in 1829, another specimen of coal was brought to Istanbul by Uzun (Long) Mehmet, a sailor and native of the village of Kestaneci, near Ereğli. This time attention was given to the discovery and the sailor received a reward of a life pension, but before he could benefit from this reward he was murdered.

The first miners requested and delivered from the Austrian Government are the Austrian Croats known to have been employed in the Ereğli Coal Mines. The correspondence between Istanbul and the embassy in Vienna show that coal production in the Ereğli Basin predates the March 1837 request by 18 months and that production started around September 1835.

An investigation of Hazine-i Hassa (Ottoman Imperial Treasury Department) records in the Ottoman archives shows that regular mining activities in the Ereğli Basin started in February 1841. This is confirmed by a newspaper article published in the 14 February 1841 issue of Ceride-i Havadis.

Ereğli Coal Company, chartered by six partners (Ahmed Fethi Pasha, Rıza Pasha, Safveti Pasha, Tahir Bey Efendi, Izzet Pasha and Mustafa Efendi), excavated the coal in the Ereğli Coal Basin, initially under the auspices of Darphane-i Amire and later transferred to Hazine-i Hassa when the latter was established in 1849.

Coal mining today Current coal mining/extraction zones of Zonguldak province/region

Armutçuk (Ereğli), Kozlu (Kozlu), Üzülmez (Zonguldak), Çaydamar (Zonguldak), Baştarla (Zonguldak), Kilimli (Kilimli), Karadon (Kilimli-Çatalağzı), Gelik (Çatalağzı), Amasra (Amasra, Bartın Province)

Coal washing/treatment plants

Zonguldak and Çatalağzı Coal Treatment Plants.

Coal transport (delivery and import) • Ports: Zonguldak Sea Port (transport to Ereğli and Istanbul direction), Amasra Port, Ereğli Port • Other usable port for mine transport: Bartın Port (coal, cement etc.) • Railway: Zonguldak-Ankara Railway (transport to Karabük and Ankara direction)

Thermic power plants

Çatalağzı Thermoelectric Power Plant units (use coal powder), in Işıkveren ward.

Iron-steel plants

Ereğli (Erdemir) Iron and Steel Works, Karabük (Kardemir, Karabük province) Iron and Steel Works.