Bigadiç is a municipality and district of Balıkesir Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,108 km2, and its population is 48,917 (2022). As former Ancient bishopric of Achyraus, it remains a Latin Catholic titular see. Bigadiç has the largest Boron reserves of both Turkey and the world. Also, villages of Bigadiç have natural thermal water reserves which contains Selenium and Sulfur.

Etymology

The oldest known name of Bigadiç is ancient Greek Achyraos (Αχυράους in Ancient Greek), Latin(ized) Achyraus, renamed during the Byzantine era Pegadia (Πηγάδια), which means "springs, wells", from which it evolved to Begadia, to Begados, and eventually to the turkified name Bugadıç. Some support the popular etymology that Boğadıç would mean "Bull meadow" (Boğa being the Turkish word for a bull).

Composition

There are 80 neighbourhoods in Bigadiç District:

Ecclesiastical history

Ancient Achyraus was situated in the Roman province of Hellespontus, in the civil Diocese of Pontus. Circa 400 it became a suffragan see of the provincial capital and metropolitan see Cyzicus, in the sway of Patriarchate of Constantinople. It is held either identical with former episcopal see Adrianothera, or to have supplanted a neighbouring bishopric of that name, as the Byzantine imperial Notitia Episcopatuum still listed that name in the tenth century, thereafter only Achiraus from the 11th until the thirteenth century. Four bishops of Adrianothera are known because of their participation in church councils : Two 13th-century bishops of Achyraus are recorded under that title in the thirteenth century : Leo and Laurentius. Although it was suppressed as a residential Byzantine see (circa 900?), one Tommaso (no other prelature) was appointed Latin Coadjutor Bishop of Achyraus (1505.06.06 – ?).

Titular see

The diocese of Achyraus was nominally restored in 1933 by the Catholic Church as Latin titular bishopric of Achyraus (Latin) / Achirao (Curiate Italian) / Achyraën(sis) (Latin adjective). It is vacant, having had the following incumbents, so far of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank and members of Latin congregations :

Notes and references

Sources and external links