Gulf of Saros

For other uses, see Saros (disambiguation).

Saros Bay or Gulf of Saros (Turkish: Saros Körfezi) is an inlet of the northern Aegean Sea located north of the Gallipoli Peninsula in northwestern Turkey. The Archipelago of Saros is in the gulf. It consists the three small islands - The Big island (Büyükada or Yunus adası), The Small island (Küçükada or Defne adası) and The Little island (Minikada or Böcek adası).[1]

The bay is 75 km (47 mi) long and 35 km (22 mi) wide. Far from industrialized areas and thanks to underwater currents, it is a popular summer recreation resort with sandy strands and crystal-clear sea. [Scuba diving], windsurfing and fishing are the most practiced water sports here.

Settlements around the bay are: Gökçetepe, Mecidiye, Erikli, Danişment, Yayla, Karaincirli, Vakıf, Büyükevren, Sultaniçe, Gülçavuş and Enez, all in Edirne Province. The islands of Gökçeada (Imbros) lie outside Saros Bay and Samothrace in the Aegean Sea, Greece, is in short distance.

The North Anatolian Fault Zone, the most prominent active fault in Turkey and the source of numerous large earthquakes throughout the history, passes through the Gulf of İzmit and traverses the Marmara Sea reaching to the Saros Bay to the southeast.[2]

Historic map of Saros Bay by Piri Reis

On the Southern shore of the Dardanelles, across from Gallipoli, was the place of legendary Troy.

Non-combat military incident

The bay served for a long time as a place for NATO's amphibious exercises. In the fall of 1992, the Turkish destroyer Muavenet was hit by two Sea Sparrow missiles fired by the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Saratoga during the NATO exercise "Display Determination" held in the bay. The incident cost the lives of several Turkish officers, while many others aboard were injured seriously.[3]

See also

References

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Erikli-Mecidiye.
  1. ↑ Saros Adaları - National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, United States Department of Defense (DoD) Combat Support Agency.
  2. ↑ North Anatolian Fault Zone
  3. ↑ "United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit No. 96-2167" (PDF). US Courts.

Coordinates: 40°33′0″N 26°27′36″E / 40.55000°N 26.46000°E / 40.55000; 26.46000

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