Çiğ means dew in Turkish, a reference to the delta marshes of the River Gediz which used to cover the entire area. It is a relatively recent settlement created largely by migration from other parts of Turkey, starting with Turkish refugees of the Russo-Turkish War. Turks from the surrounding region took refuge in the marshes during the Greco-Turkish War, and were joined by ethnic Turks from the Greek province of Western Thraceafter the war. The population was further increased by survivors of two earthquakes in eastern Anatolia in 1946 and 1966. Economic migration from eastern Anatolia has continued at a steady pace since then and even the mayor was born in Diyarbakır.
Government
Çiğli gained village status after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and became a municipality in 1956. It was attached to İzmir's metropolitan area in 1981, first as a dependency of the district of Karşıyaka, and in 1992 it became a distinct entity with its own administrative structures. The district is divided into 23 subdistricts, and also has one separate dependent municipality and a dependent village.
Geography
Çiğli was built on the delta marshes where the River Gediz flows into the Gulf of İzmir. It lies betweenKarşıyaka, another metropolitan district, to the south and the west, and İzmir's external dependent district of Menemen to the north. The western boundary is formed by the current delta of the River Gediz where the land is under the constant pressure of further urbanization. The future of the delta is among priority issues in Turkey's agenda of the protection of the environment. Many citizens would like to see full protection for the delta assured to preserve its unique fauna and flora along bird migration routes. The delta is an IBA registered with BirdLife International.
Demography
The district had a population of 168,599 in 2012. The populations of Sasalı and Kaklıç are roughly the same at around 3000 people.
Economy
, the Izmir Atatürk Organized Industrial Zone has 485 factories employing 30,000 people.
Culture and community
Ekol Sanat Galerisi is a small privately owned art gallery with regular exhibitions.
Landmarks
The İzmir Bird Paradise has recorded 205 species of birds, including 63 species that are resident year-round, 54 species of summer migratory birds, 43 species of winter migratory birds, and 30 transient species. 56 species of birds have bred in the park. The sanctuary, which covers 80 square kilometres, was registered as "the protected area for water birds and for their breeding" by the Turkish Ministry of Forestry in 1982. The Sasalı Park of Natural Life is a large open-air zoo established in 2008.
