Gemlik is a town and the centre of the Gemlik District in the province of Bursa. It used to known under the ancient Greek town name of Cius. It is around 30 km from Bursa on the Gulf of Gemlik. The city has a long and historic past having been under the rule of a number of dynasties and empires.

Gemlik today is a busy industrial port with a free trade zone. The name Gemlik ( shipyard ) comes from the fact that it used to be a shipping yard for the galleons of the Ottoman navy. Today those maritime connections continue albeit as a port that is one of the busiest in Turkey.

The rural areas around Gemlik are famous for their black olives. Olive oil production plays a big part in the income of people living in the area. However, there are also many industrial establishments and some large scale factories around the free trade zone area. These factories produce a variety of products of which Steel, textiles, marble and automotive and electronics are the largest exporters.

Just 15 km away is the busy resort of Kumla. Tourists from Istanbul flock here in the summer months because it is not so far away and many residents of Istanbul have their holiday homes along this stretch of coastline. Near the village of Haydariye there is the Sudüşen waterfall and there are other smaller resorts along the gulf coastline.

Places to stay

Gemlik Daniş Ekim Öğretmenevi,Kayhan Mahallesi Av. Özgür Aksoy Caddesi Kalealtı Sokak No:2 Gemlik. Tel: 0224 514 55 66