Şimşirli Village Mosque
A mosque in Şimşirli Village in the town of Güneyce, in İkizdere district.
View on map10 places to visit in the İkizdere district of Rize: Anzer Plateau, İkizdere Valley and Foothills of the Kaçkar Mountains. Plan your trip to İkizdere with local food, practical tips and transport information.
General Information
The district covers 855 km² and its average elevation above sea level is 554 metres.
History
İkizdere, once called Kura-yı Seb’a, meaning ‘Seven Villages’, was a nahiye centre in the Lazistan Sanjak, Rize kaza, of the Trabzon province at the end of the 19th century. The region came under Russian occupation on 15 February 1916 and was liberated on 11 March 1918. The settlement took the name İkizdere in 1933; it was a sub-district attached to Güneyce, which became a district in 1945, and then became a district itself.
Geography
İkizdere, founded where the Çamlık and Cimil streams meet, takes its name from these streams. The district’s land is mountainous, the mountains are cut by narrow valleys, and plateaus lie in the high parts. These plateaus are Çağrankaya, Arkeleç, Ovit and Demirkapı; the Şimşirli and Ilıcaköy mineral water springs are among the top natural attractions. Its main watercourse is the İyidere, and a power plant has been built on the İkizdere to generate electricity.
Economy
The district’s economy is based on agriculture; its main crops are tea and potatoes. Cattle and sheep are raised through the plateau farming method, and beekeeping is developed, with Anzer honey famous.
Tourism
İkizdere is an important tourist centre, with its steep valleys, mountains that can be climbed to their summits, green plateaus, historic arch bridges and rushing streams.
History and Culture
İkizdere became a nahiye when Rize became the sanjak centre in 1878. İkizdere was occupied by Russia in 1916 and liberated in 1918. İkizdere became a district in 1954; its municipality was founded in 1952. The Şimşirli Village Mosque was built in 1849 from chestnut wood. The Çağrankaya Plateau takes its name from its echoes.
Highlights
The Kumbasar family, who live in the mountain villages of İkizdere, come from a family that served as commander-in-chief in the Georgian army. In 1931, work began on the road to Erzurum via the nahiyes of Kalkandere and İkizdere.
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