Forests of Kocaeli in the Time of the Ottoman Empire

Abstract

During the Ottoman period one of the factors that affected the development of Kocaeli's economy was the rich forests in the region. Not only did these forests increased the economic significance of the Kocaeli region they contributed to its strategic importance as well. These forests were utilized commercially and provided the state with significant revenues. The Ottoman government gave special attention to forest Kocaeli. Kocaeli forests met the timber and wood supply of the inhabitants of İstanbul, the capital city of the empire, as well as the requirements in this regard of the Imperial Arsenal and the Imperial Armoury. As the population of the region increased we observe a decrease in these forests.