Büyük Menderes River
| Büyük Menderes River Maeander, Meander, Μαίανδρος | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Büyük Menderes Irmağı (Turkish) |
| Location | |
| Country | Turkey |
| Cities | Nazilli, Aydın, Söke |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Dinar, Afyonkarahisar Province |
| • coordinates | 38°04′15″N 30°10′37″E / 38.07083°N 30.17694°E |
| • elevation | 880 m (2,890 ft) |
| Mouth | Aegean Sea |
• location | Aydin Province |
• coordinates | 37°32′24″N 27°10′08″E / 37.54000°N 27.16889°E |
• elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 548 km (341 mi) |
| Basin size | 25,000 km2 (9,700 sq mi) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | Çürüksu River, Akçay River, Çine River |
The Büyük Menderes River ("Great Meander", historically the Maeander or Meander, from Ancient Greek: Μαίανδρος, Maíandros; Turkish: Büyük Menderes Irmağı), is a river in southwestern Turkey. It rises in west central Turkey near Dinar before flowing west through the Büyük Menderes graben until reaching the Aegean Sea in the proximity of the ancient Ionian city Miletus. The river was well known for its sinuous, curving pattern, and gives its name to the common term, (meander), used to describe these characteristic bends in rivers.