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North western Anatolia was known as Bithynia in antiquity. At the North Pontus Euxenius, at the west Hellespontus and Rhyndacus (=Kocaçay), on the south Sangarios (=Sakarya) river determine the borders of the region. It is difficult to say exactly where the Eastern boundary is ended. The ancient sources are to give different information about the civitates of Bithynia. In his Historia Naturalis the Elder Pliny also stated that there were 12 civitates in Bithynia as follows: Caesarea-Germanice, Apamea, Prusa, Prusias ad Mare, Nicaea, Nikomedia, Prusias ad Hypium, Iuliopolis, Bithynium-Claudiopolis, Creteia-Flaviopolis, Chalcedon and Byzantium. Nicomedeia was the capital of the province. Chalcedon and Byzantium were in the status of free cities. The famous geographer Strabo of Amaseia never mention the names of Cretia-Flaviopolis, Prusias, Iuliopolis ve Caesarea-Germanice cities in his Geopraphika. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]