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Gölcük which is one of the 7 districts of Kocaeli is known for its military garrison and shipyard. It is a town having a culture mosaic. Its history dates back to the Roman and Ancient Greek periods. In the Ottoman period, the district was home to Laz, Abkhazia, Georgian ethnic groups and people whose origin was Black Sea. It was one of the districts allowing a great number of immigrants. Thanks to these immigrations, the district host different traditions. These traditions can be generally observed in the lifestyles of people and dishes of the district. Bread made with black cabbage, cornbread and roasted hazelnut are among the local flavors. The most prominent agricultural products are cherry and Değirmendere hazelnut. The summers are warm and rainy, winters are cold in the district.

The history of the shipyard whose name is identified with Gölcük dates back to the periods when it was decided to build a shipyard for the repair of the damaged SMS Goeben (Turkish: Yavuz Zırhlısı) in 1925. After repairing the battleship in the shipyard built by the Germans, the shipyard significantly developed in 1950s. The screw of the ship is located in Gölcük bazaar. On the screw, you can see the title mentioning the significance of the district in terms of navy. The district situated on the foothills of Samanlı Mountains is also a very important place for daytrips thanks to its proximity to Istanbul and Ankara. Among the places to be visited in Gölcük there are many museums such as Gölcük Naval Museum and Yarhisar Museum Ship located in Kavaklı Park in addition to natural beauties such as Gözlementepe Picnic Area and Kadırga Summer Resort. Historical buildings remaining from the Byzantine period are among the other important places.

The distance between the district which was greatly damages in the 1999 earthquake and Izmit city center is 22 kilometers and the distance to Istanbul is 128 kilometers. The district, which is 77 kilometers of Sabiha Gökçen Airport, can be reached by taxi from the airport or by public transportation of private companies.