Turku

The Finnish name Turku is related to the word torg, which is found in the Scandinavian and modern Russian languages and means "market". Although direct borrowing from Old Russian tŭrgŭ (търгъ) is often assumed, it is more likely that the word spread through Varangian trade networks than through the presence of Russian merchants in Finland. According to linguist Kaisa Häkkinen, the word likely entered Finnish via Estonian, where turg still retains the meaning "market". Over time, the original meaning faded in Finnish, and by the Middle Ages, turku had become synonymous with the town's name. Today the word survives primarily in idiomatic expressions. For the Swedish name, the most widely accepted interpretation holds that Åbo is a simple combination of å ("river, creek, large stream") and bo ("dwelling, settlement"), referring to a settlement by the Aura River. …

Turku has a long history as Finland's largest city and occasionally as the administrative center of the country, but for the last two hundred years has been surpassed by Helsinki. The city's identity stems from its status as the oldest city in Finland and the country's first capital. Originally, the word "Finland" referred only to the area around Turku (hence the title, "Finland Proper" for the region). Settlement in the Turku area is relatively recent, for southwestern Finland remained below sea level for an extended period due to the Ice Age. Due to tectonic uplift, the Turku region transformed from an outlying archipelago to a shoreline during 3000-2000 BCE. The area was densely populated during the Iron Age as it was the most important agricultural region in the region. Ancient cemeteries dating from 550 to 1150 have been discovered in the region. …

Situated at the mouth of the Aura River in the south-western corner of Finland, Turku covers an area of 245 square kilometres (95 sq mi) on both banks of the river. The eastern side, where Turku Cathedral is located, is the older and original centre. It is popularly known as täl pual jokke ("this side of the river"). The western side, where Turku Castle is located, is the newer part. It is called tois pual jokke ("the other side of the river"). In modern times, both banks of the Aura River are equally the centre of the city. There are ten bridges over the Aura river in Turku. The oldest of the current bridges is Auransilta, which was constructed in 1904. The newest bridge is Kirjastosilta ('library bridge'), a pedestrian-only bridge built in 2013. The Föri, a small ferry that transports pedestrians and bicycles across the river without payment, is a well-known feature of the city. …