Bithynia

Bithynia (Βιθυνία)
Ancient Region of Anatolia
Bithynia and Pontus as a province of the Roman Empire, 125 AD
Location	Northern Anatolia, present-day Turkey
State existed	297–74 BC
Nation	Greeks, Bithyni, Thyni
Historical capitals	Nicomedia (İzmit), Nicaea (İznik)
Roman province	Bithynia

Bithynia (/bɪˈθɪniə/; Koinē Greek: Βιθυνία, romanized: Bithynía) was an ancient region, kingdom and Roman province in the northwest of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey), adjoining the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus, and the Black Sea. It bordered Mysia to the southwest, Paphlagonia to the northeast along the Pontic coast, and Phrygia to the southeast towards the interior of Asia Minor.

Hellenistic Bithynia was an independent kingdom from the 4th century BC. Its capital Nicomedia was rebuilt on the site of ancient Astacus in 264 BC by Nicomedes I of Bithynia. Bithynia was bequeathed to the Roman Republic in 74 BC, and became united with the Pontus region as the province of Bithynia and Pontus. In the 7th century it was incorporated into the Byzantine Opsikion theme. It became a border region to the Seljuk Empire in the 13th century, and was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Turks between 1325 and 1333.