Although there is no definite information about the first establishment of the Tonya District, it is understood that the establishment of the District was at the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century. With the capture of Trabzon by the Turks in 1461, the domination of the Trabzon Empire ends. The region completely passes into the hands of the Turks. After that, Turkmen tribes coming from Bayburt, Gümüşhane, Erzurum and other regions settled in Tonya.
The Ottoman period passed with the fusion of the native Greeks and the Turks who came as immigrants. During this period, both Greek culture and Turkish culture mutually influenced each other. This interaction is evident even now. It is possible to see the traces of this interaction in some beliefs, customs and traditions of the local people.
There are 15 villages in our district. In addition, there are a total of 7 neighborhoods, 5 of which are connected to the center and 2 to the Town of Iskenderli.
Tonya was managed as a sub-district of Vakfikebir District. During the Ottoman Empire, the feudal lordship was dominant in Tonya. The 19th century was a period when the overlords were completely dominant. The most important of these lords, Ali Ağa, would keep private soldiers on his own lands, and would defend himself with them.
Although Tonya was organized as a sub-district center in 1854, it continued its feudal rule even during the sub-district administration years.
After the First World War, when the lands of the Ottoman Empire began to be shared by the Entente Powers, the Russians invaded the Eastern Black Sea region. Against this invasion of the Russians, the local people of Tonya had defended for months by helping the regular army forces, and they were quite successful in this.
When the Turkish Forces on the Harşit Front broke down, the Russians marched on Tonya with all their strength, and then the local people had to migrate to the west. On July 16, 1916, Tonya was occupied. When Russian forces later withdrew on 17 February 1918, Tonya was freed from enemy occupation.
He left Vakıfkebir on March 5, 1954, when Tonya was organized as a District with the Law No. 3264. In the same year, the municipal organization was established. In the years when Tonya was organized as a district, its name was referred to as Orta Mahalle. This name came from the name of the central neighborhood, which was included in the municipal organization in those years.