Ordu, city in northern Turkey on the Black Sea, the capital of Ordu province. It is a major city on the coast, about halfway between Samsun to the west and Trabzon to the east. Ordu is an important port for agricultural exports from the region. A highway network, situated along a narrow coastal plain and extending to the outskirts of the surrounding mountain ranges, connects Ordu with neighboring towns. The city's museum is housed in a mansion dating back to the late 19th century. The ruins of the ancient city of Cotyora, located only 9 km (6 mi) to the northwest, is where Greek military commander Xenophon and his force of about 10,000 men set sail for Chrysopolis (now Üsküdar, Turkey) after fighting in Mesopotamia. Though surrounding lands were once under the control of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, Ordu is one of the newest settlements in the region, dating only to the early 19th century. Population (1990) 102,107.
