İlkadım

İlkadım is within the city of Samsun. The district includes the port of Samsun. The name İlkadım refers to Atatürk's arrival in Samsun via sea in the ship the Bandirma in order to start the Turkish War of Independence on 19 May 1919. (İlkadım means first step).

A standard street in urbanized İlkadım

Excavations have been carried out on the höyük of Dündartepe revealed a settlement of Chalcolithic age. During the early Hellenistic age there was a colony named Amisos (in Greek Αμισός) founded by the colonialists from Miletus. The colony was captured by Julius Caesar of Roman Empire in 43 BC. After 1071, the city was captured by Danishmends and Seljuks. In 1413 was incorporated into Ottoman Empire by Mehmet I.[5]

İlkadım is a part of the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality. In 1994 it was declared a municipality within the city borders of the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality. With a law in 2008, it became one of the 4 central districts of Samsun by including the lower level municipalities of Gazi and Yeşilkent.[6][7] At the 2013 Turkish local government reorganisation, the rural part of the district was integrated into the municipality, the villages becoming neighbourhoods.[8]

Currently, it is the largest and most developed district of Samsun and the Black Sea Region in terms of population. With the growth of the region, commercial activities in the center have declined and much of the middle class of Samsun has moved to newer and more modern neighborhoods. Efforts have been made to revitalize İlkadım like the construction of the Sheraton Hotel Samsun, Piazza Samsun and the reconstruction of Samsun Saathane Square and Republic Square (Samsun). The district is also served by extensive public transit including the Samsun Tram.

Historical Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Building

The district was named İlkadım because Atatürk came to Samsun and took the first step towards independence here on May 19, 1919.

The prevailing winds in the district generally differ according to the seasons. In Summer, a local high pressure center occurs in the Black Sea Region which meets a local low pressure center that originates in Anatolia. Therefore, winds flowing from the Black Sea towards these Anatolian winds create north-east and north-west winds. In winter, the district is influenced by temporary low pressure centers. Dry and hot winds blowing from the southwest and south in the district reduce the humidity in the district creating a pleasant atmosphere.

The average relative humidity of the district is 73%. This figure reaches 77-79% on average in April and May. In December, humidity on average drops to 70%. The absolute humidity of the district is on average 5.0 grams per year. Since absolute humidity is directly proportional to temperature, it tends to be most humid in Summer.

November is the rainiest month and May the driest month in Ilkadim. The annual average precipitation is around 700 mm. The number of rainy days is an average of 100 days per year.

In 2008, İlkadım had a population of 303,202, that figure grew to 333,518 by 2022.[9] Despite continued population growth, the figure has been shadowed by the growth of neighboring districts like Atakum. The ten most populous neighborhoods in the district are respectively; Fevzi Çakmak, Kışla, Kazım Karabekir, Derebahçe, Adalet, Bahçelievler, Kadıköy, Karasamsun, Kadifekale and Ilyasköy. These ten neighborhoods with a total population of 144,387 (2022) make up 43% of the district's population.[1] In 2022, İlkadım constituted 24% of the population of Samsun Province.[1]

There are 61 neighbourhoods in İlkadım District:[10]

The mayor is Necattin Demirtaş (Good Party). The Mayor of the Samsun Metropolitan Municipality is Mustafa Demir and the Governor of Samsun Province is Zülkif Dağlı. İlkadım is a traditionally politically conservative district.

• Surgical Instruments and Health Museum
• Statue of Honor, the landmark of Samsun
• Samsun Saathane Square, Samsun's Historic Square
• Samsun Clock Tower, Samsun's Clock Tower
• Piazza Samsun, the largest mall in the Central Black Sea Region