Söke is a town and a large district of Aydın Province in the Aegean region of western Turkey, 54 km (34 miles) south-west of the city of Aydın, near the Aegean coast. It had 68,020 population in 2010. It neighbours are Germencik from north-east, Koçarlı from east, Milas from south-east, Didim from south-west, Aegean Sea from west and Kuşadası from northwest.EtymologyModern Söke is identified with the ancient Greek city of, which according to legend, was named after an Amazon. As of 1920, the British were calling Söke, Sokia. Anaia is also the name of a titular see of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and the seat of of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople from 1833 to 1922.GeographyThe district lies between the Aegean coast and the edge of the fertile alluvial plain of the Büyük Menderes River. Lake Bafa is to the south of the district. The plain contains much rich agricultural land, one of Turkey's largest cotton growing areas and also important for wheat and flour. Other income comes from handicrafts, forestry and fishing. Söke is Turkey's only exporter of culinary snails.
