Gulf of İzmit
Gulf of İzmit (Turkish: İzmit Körfezi), also referred to as Izmit Bay, is a bay at the easternmost edge of the Sea of Marmara, in Kocaeli Province, Turkey. It's ancient names were Gulf of Astacus, Sinus Astacenus (Ancient Greek: Ἀστακηνὸς κόλπος),[1] Olbianus Sinus (Ancient Greek: Ὀλβιανὸς κόλπος, romanized: Olbianos kolpos)[2] and Gulf of Nicomedia.[3]
It took the names Gulf of Astacus and Sinus Astacenus from the city Astacus.[4][5]
The gulf takes its name from the city of İzmit, other cities and towns around the bay being Gebze, Körfez, Gölcük, and Altınova. In the east–west direction, it extends for a length of about 48 kilometres (30 mi), while in the north–south direction its width varies from 2 to 3 kilometres (1.2 to 1.9 mi) at the narrowest spots to about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) at its widest. The İzmit Bay Bridge is a suspension bridge that bridges the gulf.