Comprehensive information and links about Turkey Rize

Rize (from Greek riza (ριζα “τα ριζα του βουνου”) "Mountain slopes") is a town in the north-eastern part of Turkey and the capital of Rize Province (41° 1' 15N, 40° 31' 19E).

The city lies on wooded hills stretching down to the sea, with its commercial section on the narrow strip of flat land around a small bay. Rize enjoys a mild climate and luxuriant vegetation. It is linked by road with Trabzon (41 miles [66 km] west), Hopa (55 miles [88 km] east, near the Georgia frontier), and Erzurum (south) and by ship with Istanbul. Rize is a processing and sea shipping centre for the tea grown in the surrounding area; it has a tea research institute, founded in 1958. Tea gardens are the main sight in the town's panaromic view. Tea plants are also located in various places in the town. The second activity is fishing. Ex-prime minister Mr. Mesut Yilmaz and prime minister Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan are two famous people from this town. The ancient name of the city was Rhizaeum (Procopius, Peri Ton Polemon, VIII. II).

Özhan Öztürk (2005). Karadeniz (Black sea): Ansiklopedik Sözlük. 2 Cilt. Heyamola Yayıncılık. İstanbul. ISBN 975-6121-00-9