View source for Sea of Marmara

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Short description|Sea between the Mediterranean and Black seas}}
{{redirect|Propontis|the Liberian cargo ship|SS Propontis{{!}}SS ''Propontis''}}
{{Infobox body of water
|name       = Sea of Marmara
|native_name={{native name|tr|Marmara Denizi}}
|image      = File:Turkish Strait disambig.svg
|image_bathymetry= MarDeMármara.svg
|caption_bathymetry= Bathymetry and surrounding relief
|alt_bathymetry=
|location   = [[Southern Europe]] and [[West Asia]]
|coords     = {{coord|40|40|N|28|00|E|region:TR_type:waterbody_scale:1500000|display=inline,title}}
|type       = [[Inland sea (geology)|Inland sea]]
|inflow     = [[Simav River]], [[Biga Çayı]], [[Nilüfer River]]
|rivers=
|outflow    = [[Turkish Straits]]
|catchment  = {{convert|11500|km2|abbr=on}}
|basin_countries= [[Turkey]]
|agency=
|designation=
|length=
|width=
|area       = {{convert|11350|sqkm|abbr=on}}
|depth      = {{convert|494|m|abbr=on}}
|max-depth  = {{convert|1370|m|abbr=on}}
|volume     = {{convert|3378|km3|abbr=on}}
|residence_time=
|salinity=
|shore=
|elevation=
|islands    = [[Marmara Island]], [[Avşa]], [[İmralı]], [[Prince Islands]], [[Paşalimanı]] and [[Ekinlik Island]]
|sections=
|benches=
|cities     = [[Istanbul]], [[Bursa]], [[İzmit]], [[Tekirdağ]], [[Balıkesir]], [[Çanakkale]], and [[Yalova]]
|website=
|reference=
|pushpin_map = Turkey
|pushpin_map_caption = Location of the Sea of Marmara within Turkey
|pushpin_map_alt=
}}
[[File:2010_satellite_picture_of_the_Sea_of_Marmara.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2| {{center|Satellite image of the Sea of Marmara}}]]
[[File:Blooms in the Sea of Marmara (18162220028).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2| {{center|[[Algal bloom]] on the Sea of Marmara}}]]
[[File:Gulf of Izmit, Turkey.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2| Satellite image showing metropolitan İzmit along northern and eastern shores]]

The '''Sea of Marmara'''{{efn|{{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɑr|m|ər|ə}}; {{langx|tr|Marmara Denizi}}; {{langx|grc|Προποντίς, Προποντίδα|Propontís, Propontída}}}}, also known as the '''Sea of Marmora''' or the '''Marmara Sea''', is a small [[inland sea]] entirely within the borders of [[Turkey]]. It links the [[Black Sea]] and the [[Aegean Sea]] via the [[Bosporus]] and [[Dardanelles]] straits, separating Turkey's [[East Thrace|European]] and [[Anatolia|Asian]] sides. It has an area of {{cvt|11,350|km2}}, and its dimensions are {{cvt|280|x|80|km}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marmara, Sea of - Dictionary definition of Marmara, Sea of - Encyclopedia.com: FREE online dictionary |website=www.encyclopedia.com |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Marmara.html |access-date=3 January 2018}}</ref> Its greatest depth is {{convert|1,370| m|abbr=on}}.

==Name==
The Sea of Marmara is named after the largest island on its south side, called [[Marmara Island]] because it is rich in [[marble]] ([[Greek language|Greek]] {{lang|grc|μάρμᾰρον}}, ''mármaron'' 'marble').<ref>{{cite web |last1=Liddell |first1=Henry George |last2=Scott |first2=Robert |others=Henry Stuart Jones and Roderick McKenzie |title=''A Greek-English Lexicon'' |publisher=Perseus |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2365056 |access-date=January 12, 2009}}</ref>

In [[classical antiquity]], it was known as the '''Propontis''', from the Greek  ''pro'' 'in front of' + ''pontos'' 'sea, specifically the Black Sea', since the Ancient Greeks sailed through it to reach the [[Black Sea]].<ref>{{Cite OED|term=Propontis}}</ref>

==Mythology==
In [[Greek mythology]], a storm on the Propontis brought the [[Argonauts]] back to an island they had left, precipitating a battle in which either [[Jason]] or [[Heracles]] killed [[Cyzicus (Greek mythology)|King Cyzicus]], who had mistaken them for his [[Pelasgia]]n enemies.<ref>{{cite web |last=Parada |first=Carlos |title=Greek Mythology Link |url=http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/001ShortEntries/SEClytomedes.html |access-date=April 30, 2001 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020213224528/http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/001ShortEntries/SEClytomedes.html |archive-date=February 13, 2002 }}</ref>

==Geography and hydrology==
The [[International Hydrographic Organization]] defines the limits of the Sea of Marmara as follows:<ref>{{cite web |year=1953 |title=Limits of Oceans and Seas |edition=3rd |publisher=International Hydrographic Organization |url=https://iho.int/uploads/user/pubs/standards/s-23/S-23_Ed3_1953_EN.pdf |access-date=28 December 2020}}</ref>

<blockquote>
''On the West''. The [[Dardanelles]] limit of the [[Aegean Sea]] [A line joining Kum Kale (26°11'E) and [[Cape Helles]]<nowiki>]</nowiki>.

''On the Northeast''. A line joining Cape Rumili with Cape Anatoli (41°13′N).
The sea's south coast is heavily indented and includes the [[Gulf of İzmit]] ({{langx|tr|İzmit Körfezi}}), the [[Gulf of Gemlik]] ({{langx|tr|Gemlik Körfezi}}), the [[Gulf of Bandırma]] ({{langx|tr|Bandırma Körfezi}}), and the [[Gulf of Erdek]] ({{langx|tr|Erdek Körfezi}}).
</blockquote>

The surface [[salinity]] of the Marmara averages about 22 parts per thousand, which is slightly more than that of the [[Black Sea]], but only about two-thirds that of most [[ocean]]s. The water is much more saline at the bottom of the sea, averaging a salinity of around 38 parts per thousand, similar to that of the [[Mediterranean Sea]]. This high-density saline water does not migrate to the surface as is also the case with the Black Sea. Water from the [[Simav River | Susurluk]], [[Biga Çayı|Biga]] (Granicus), and [[Gönen]] Rivers also reduces the salinity of the sea, though with less effect than on the Black Sea. With little land in [[Thrace]] draining southward, almost all of these rivers flow from [[Anatolia]]. 

===Islands===
There are two main groups of islands in the Sea of Marmara. To the north lie the [[Princes' Islands]], an archipelago made up of the inhabited islands of [[Kınalıada|Kınaliada]], [[Burgazada]], [[Heybeliada]], [[Büyükada]] and [[Sedef Island|Sedef Adası]] and several uninhabited islands including [[Sivriada]], [[Yassıada]], [[Kaşıkadası, İstanbul|Kaşıkadası]] and [[Tavşan Adası|Tavşanadası]]. The inhabited islands are readily accessible by ferry from both the European and Asian shores of [[Istanbul|İstanbul]] and the entire archipelago forms part of the conurbation. 

To the south lie the [[Marmara Archipelago|Marmara Islands]], an archipelago made up of the eponymous [[Marmara Island]] and three other inhabited islands – [[Avşa]], [[Paşalimanı]] and [[Ekinlik Island|Ekinlik]] – as well as of seventeen largely uninhabited islands including the prison island of [[İmralı|Imralı]] whose most famous prisoner, since 1999, has been the PKK leader [[Abdullah Öcalan]]. These islands lie within [[Balıkesir Province|Balıkesir province]] and are most readily accessible from [[Tekirdağ]] in [[Trakya|Thrace]] or [[Erdek]] on the southern shore of the Sea of Marmara. In high summer additional ferries travel to Avşa and Marmara Islands from the centre of İstanbul to facilitate a growing tourist trade.

There are also a few individual islands elsewhere in the Sea of Marmara, such as Koç Adası, off [[Tuzla, Istanbul|Tuzla]], which is privately owned by the [[Koç family]] of industrialists.

==Environmental challenges==
The [[North Anatolian Fault]] runs under the sea and has triggered several major [[earthquake]]s, such as the [[1999 İzmit earthquake|Izmit]] and [[1999 Düzce earthquake|Düzce]] in August and November 1999 respectively. The August 1999 earthquake is commonly referred to as the [[Marmara Earthquake]] since its epicentre lay under the Sea and most of the places worst affected by the quake and ensuing [[tsunami]] lay along its shores.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marmara earthquake: 20 years on |date=16 August 2019 |url=https://www.ifrc.org/article/marmara-earthquake-20-years |access-date=2022-08-01 |publisher=IFRC}}</ref>

In a storm on 29 December 1999, the Russian [[oil tanker]] {{MV|Volgoneft-248||2}} broke in two in the Sea of Marmara, spilling more than 1,500 tonnes of oil into the water.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Otay |first1=Emre N. |last2=Yenigün |first2=Orhan |title=The Volgoneft-248 Oil Spill in the Marmara Sea |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237745806 |website=[[ResearchGate]] |access-date=16 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025103705/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237745806_The_Volgoneft-248_Oil_Spill_in_the_Marmara_Sea |archive-date=Oct 25, 2022 |date=January 2001 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The main cities in Turkey, especially Istanbul, the largest city, are around the Marmara Sea, a small inland sea. Despite its limited size, the basin is home to about one-third of the country's population. Rapid population growth and uncontrolled construction in this area have put heavy pressure on the sea. For many years, waste was dumped into the Marmara Sea with little or no treatment, surpassing the sea's ability to handle it. As a result, many species in the sea have disappeared, and fishing was banned in the "East Bay" of the Marmara Sea for years due to severe pollution.
One of the most serious environmental problems in the Marmara Sea in recent years has been mucilage, a thick, sticky substance that appears for up to six months. The mucilage outbreak began in January 2021 and lasted until June 2021. It caused habitat loss, economic issues, and disrupted vital ecosystem services, such as fishing.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Albay |first1=Meriç |title=Mucilage Problem in the Sea of Marmara |date=2023 |publisher=Istanbul University Press |isbn=978-605-07-1304-6}}</ref>

==Towns and cities==
Towns and cities on the coast of the Sea of Marmara include:
{| cellpadding=10
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| '''[[Istanbul Province]]'''
:[[Istanbul]]
::[[Adalar]]
::[[Bakırköy]]
::[[Bostancı]]
::[[Kadıköy]]
::[[Kartal]]
::[[Fatih]]
::[[Maltepe, Istanbul|Maltepe]]
::[[Pendik]]
::[[Üsküdar]]
::[[Yeşilköy]]
::[[Zeytinburnu]]
:[[Büyükçekmece]]
::Kumburgaz
:[[Silivri]]
:[[Tuzla, Istanbul|Tuzla]]
| '''[[Balıkesir Province]]'''
:[[Bandırma]]
:[[Erdek]]
:[[Gönen]]
:[[Marmara District|Marmara]]

'''[[Bursa Province]]'''
:[[Gemlik]]
:[[Karacabey]]
:[[Mudanya]]

'''[[Çanakkale Province]]'''
:[[Biga, Çanakkale|Biga]]
:[[Gelibolu]]
:[[Lapseki]]
|'''[[Kocaeli Province]]'''
:[[Derince]]
:Eskihisar
:[[Gebze]]
:[[Gölcük (District), Kocaeli|Gölcük]]
:[[Hereke]]
:'''''[[İzmit]]''''' {{small|(Pr. Cap)}}
:[[Karamürsel]]
:[[Körfez (District), Kocaeli|Körfez]]

'''[[Tekirdağ Province]]'''
:[[Marmara Ereğli]]
:[[Şarköy]]
:'''''[[Tekirdağ]]''''' {{small|(Pr. Cap)}}
|'''[[Yalova Province]]'''
:[[Altınova]]
:[[Armutlu, Yalova|Armutlu]]
:[[Çiftlikköy]]
:[[Çınarcık]]
:[[Termal]]
:'''''[[Yalova]]''''' {{small|(Pr. Cap)}}
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
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|-
|
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|}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170" style="float:left">
File:Bosphorus aerial view.jpg|The Bosporus with Istanbul in the background
File:Marmara sea.JPG|View of Marmara Sea from Istanbul
File:Yassiada 1.jpg|Sea of Marmara approaching [[Yassıada]]
</gallery>

{{clear}}

==See also==
*[[1509 Constantinople earthquake]]<!-- Note: Only earthquakes which caused a tsunami in the Sea of Marmara are included. -->
*[[1766 Istanbul earthquake]]<!-- Note: Only earthquakes which caused a tsunami in the Sea of Marmara are included. -->
*[[1999 İzmit earthquake]]<!-- Note: Only earthquakes which caused a tsunami in the Sea of Marmara are included. -->
*[[Black Sea deluge hypothesis]]
*[[Kanal İstanbul]]
*[[Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits]]
*[[Turkish Straits]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat}}
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9051039/Sea-of-Marmara "Sea of Marmara"] at the ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140225110257/http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/education-and-outreach/additional/science-focus/ocean-color/marmara.shtml "Sea of Marmara: Where Ancient Myth and Modern Science Mix"] at SCIENCE FOCUS – SeaWiFS

{{List of seas}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sea Of Marmara}}
[[Category:Sea of Marmara| ]]
[[Category:Geography of ancient Greece]]
[[Category:Seas of the Mediterranean Sea|Marmara]]
[[Category:Seas of Turkey|Marmara]]
[[Category:Marmara region]]
[[Category:Geography of Europe]]
[[Category:Geography of West Asia]]
[[Category:Landforms of Istanbul Province]]
[[Category:Landforms of Balıkesir Province]]
[[Category:Landforms of Bursa Province]]
[[Category:Landforms of Çanakkale Province]]
[[Category:Landforms of Kocaeli Province]]
[[Category:Landforms of Tekirdağ Province]]
[[Category:Landforms of Yalova Province]]
[[Category:European seas]]