Menemen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Menemen
Settlement
Republic Square in Menemen
Map showing Menemen District in İzmir Province
Menemen Location in Turkey Show map of Turkey Menemen Location in İzmir Show map of İzmir
Country	Turkey
Province	İzmir
Area	573 km2 (221 sq mi)
Population  (2022)	200,904
• Density	350.62/km2 (908.1/sq mi)
Time zone	TRT (UTC+3)
Postal code	35660
Area code	0232

Menemen is a town and district in İzmir Province, Turkey. It covers an area of 573 square kilometers and had a population of 200,904 in 2022. Menemen is located on a very rich plain. This plain was formed by the soil carried by the Gediz River. The town is about 35 kilometers away from İzmir city center. Menemen's economy mainly depends on farming and raising animals. However, making and selling leather, pottery, and other clay products is also becoming very important. Menemen's pottery has been famous in Turkey for hundreds of years. The Gediz River is still vital for the region, even though its pollution is a big concern.

What's in a Name? The History of Menemen's Name

The name "Menemen" comes from ancient Greek words. One idea is that it comes from mainómenos, meaning "furious" or "out of one's mind." This might refer to a Greek myth about Herakles. Another idea is that "meneménos" meant "flood" or "overflow."

The Flooding River

In ancient times, before modern dams, the Hermos River (now called Gediz River) often caused big floods. These floods damaged the valley a lot. People even nicknamed the river "Gediz the Sorceress" in Turkish. Some researchers also think the name might come from the ancient Luwian language.

Ancient Settlements in Menemen

We know that people have lived in the Menemen area for a very long time. Discoveries at places like Panaztepe and Larissa show that settlements existed here since the late Stone Age. This means people were living here thousands of years ago!

Who Lives in Menemen?

Menemen is the fifth most populated district in İzmir Province. Its population has grown a lot, especially since 2000. This growth is mainly because many people moved here from Turkey's Eastern Anatolia Region.

Menemen's Communities

Besides the main town, Menemen has eight other towns with their own local governments. Many villages have also become part of the main town as neighborhoods. There are about 22,100 homes in Menemen district. The area also has good numbers for education and health. There are 19 students for every teacher and 1,241 patients for every doctor.

Menemen's Economy: How People Make a Living

In 2006, the average income per person in Menemen was about 3870 US Dollars. This was a bit lower than the national average. This might be because many people moved to Menemen from other parts of Turkey.

What Menemen Produces

Menemen sold about ten million US Dollars worth of goods to other countries in 2006. The district still relies a lot on farm products and dairy. These include dried tomatoes, dry raisins, pickled foods, and yogurt. It also sells industrial products like leather and ceramics. In 2006, there were 10,723 businesses in Menemen. Seven banks also have branches here.

Natural Resources

Menemen has natural resources like andesite, basalt, and marble. Drinking water from Mount Yamanlar, south of Menemen, is also very popular in the İzmir region.

Menemen's Neighborhoods

Menemen District has 65 neighbourhoods. Here are some of them:

Getting Around Menemen: Transportation

Menemen is connected by the E87 highway. It also has a train station, the Menemen Railway Station, which is served by TCDD. Seven passenger trains stop here every day.

Places to See in Menemen

Menemen has some interesting historical places. The old part of town has the recently restored Taşhan. This is a stone caravanserai, which was like an inn for travelers and traders. Its exact age is not known, but it was likely built in the late 1500s or early 1600s.

Other Historical Sites

Across from Taşhan is a covered market called a bedesten, which is waiting to be restored. There are also a few old tombs and two old mosques nearby. You can also see the remains of what might have been the town's synagogue. On Hıdırtepe hill, there's another Ottoman shrine. This hill also has a memorial area for Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay, a military officer. It includes tombs and a famous tall statue.

A Look Back: Menemen's History

The first settlement in Menemen dates back to about 1000 B.C. It was located near today's Yahşelli village, on the border between ancient Ionia and Aeolia. Later, the settlement moved to different locations before settling in its current spot during the Turkish rule in Anatolia (13th-14th centuries).

Ancient Rulers

The city was founded by Greek settlers. The region was first under Greek influence, then ruled by the Phrygian Kingdom. The Lydians took over from 676 to 546 B.C. After that, the Persian Empire ruled Western Anatolia.

From Alexander to Byzantines

When the Persian Empire fell to Macedonians, Menemen became part of Alexander the Great's empire. After Alexander's death, the Pergamon Kingdom ruled the area. In 64 B.C., Menemen became part of the Roman Empire. Later, when the Roman Empire split, it became part of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire in 395 A.D.

Turkish Rule Begins

After the Battle of Manzikert in 1071 A.D., Turkish rule began in Anatolia. Menemen became part of the Seljuk Empire in 1084 A.D. However, the Seljuk rule was often interrupted by the Crusades.

Ottoman Era

As the Seljuk Empire weakened, local Turkish leaders formed their own states. The Beylik of Saruhan captured Menemen in 1313. At that time, Menemen was not a town but a large estate. It quickly grew into a town under Saruhan rule. The Ottomans took over Menemen in the late 1300s during the reign of Bayezid I.

When Timur invaded Anatolia in 1402, the Ottoman state was temporarily broken up. The Saruhan Principality ruled Menemen again until 1425, when it was fully taken back by the Ottomans. For centuries, Menemen was an important center for making textiles and clothing in Western Anatolia. This was because a lot of cotton was grown in the area.

From 1867 to 1922, Menemen was part of the Aydin Vilayet of the Ottoman Empire.

Early 20th Century Challenges

In 1914, the local Greek population faced difficulties during the violent ethnic cleansing campaign by the Ottoman state. Irregular groups, including some Muslim refugees, looted and attacked Greek villages south of Menemen.

After World War I, Greek troops landed in Smyrna (İzmir) and moved inland during the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922). They entered Menemen as part of the Greek occupation zone. After fierce fighting, a sad event known as the Menemen massacre happened on June 17, 1919. During this event, Turkish civilians were killed and wounded. An Allied commission later investigated and found the Greek troops responsible for the bloodshed. They believed it was due to panic and anger, not an organized command.

The Turkish Army recaptured Menemen on September 9, 1922. The Greek residents of Menemen had to leave the town in late 1923 and 1924. This was part of an agreement for the Exchange of Greek and Turkish Populations between the two countries. Turkish immigrants from Greece later settled in Menemen.

The Menemen Incident

On December 23, 1930, a man named Dervish Mehmed and his followers tried to start a rebellion in Menemen. They wanted to bring back old Islamic laws. They attacked the local army and killed the commander, Lieutenant Mustafa Fehmi Kubilay. The army quickly took back control, and Mehmed and his followers were killed.

The young Turkish Republic saw this as a serious threat to its new, secular government. After trials, many people were punished. In 1932, a monument was built in Menemen to remember this event.

Menemen in the 21st Century

In May 2015, the Greek Church "Agios Konstantinos" in Menemen reopened. It held a religious service for the first time in 93 years.

Famous People from Menemen

• Attilâ İlhan
• Çağlar Söyüncü
• Harun Tekin
• Kaymakam Kemal Bey

Sister Cities

Menemen has a sister city:

• Menemeni, a suburb in Thessaloniki

Images for kids

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  Panaztepe site (Bronze Age and later) between Menemen and the coast