Turkey's untrodden trails. Part 3. Other shores

On the Black Sea coast of Turkey, a tourist looking for new trails will find the opportunity not only to swim and bask in the sun, but also to plunge into the history of the great powers, being at the crossroads of ancient trade routes. In addition, it is a great, if not a quick way to get to Istanbul without getting on a plane.

 

The Black Sea is the natural northern border of Turkey, the coast is 1,700 kilometers from Istanbul in the west to Georgia in the east. There are ferry and ship connections with Russia. From Sochi you can reach Trabzon in just four and a half hours. Moving along the coast to the west towards Istanbul, you can choose buses, a car or a steamer, following the route Trabzon – Samsun-Sinop-Istanbul. Each of these cities has an interesting history and a wonderful set of attractions.

 

 

 

So, let’s start with Trabzon. This city was founded on the territory of Colchis in 756 BC. Here the ancient Greeks traded with Urartu. Later, during the Roman Empire, Trabzon was the seat of the Roman fleet on the Black Sea. Under the Byzantine Empire, the city was called Trebizond, and for more than two hundred years there was a small Greek state - the Trebizond Empire, which fell in the 15th century under the onslaught of the Ottoman Turks. The Trebizond Empire was the last stronghold of the Byzantine era.

 

Currently, the Byzantine Cathedral of Hagia Sophia has been preserved in the city. After the capture by the Turks, the cathedral was converted into a mosque. Already in the twentieth century, the building was restored, and is now divided into two parts: one houses a functioning mosque, and the other has become a museum. Here you can see unique frescoes of the 13th century. The preservation of the frescoes is great due to the fact that after the capture of the cathedral they were covered with drawings in Muslim traditions, which later made it possible to restore them completely.

 

Not far from Trabzon is the Monastery of Panagia-Sumela, one of the Byzantine monasteries best preserved to this day. It was founded in the 4th century by monks who came from Athens with the miraculous image of the Mother of God painted by the Apostle Luke. You can get from Trabzon to the picturesque corner where the monastery is located by taxi or bus.

 

The season for beach holidays in Trabzon is approximately similar to the season of Antalya resorts. From May to October, the weather is good for swimming. Currently, the infrastructure of the resort is difficult to compare with Kemer or Alanya - hotels and service are simpler, the all-inclusive system is not common. But on the Black Sea coast it makes sense to go primarily for sightseeing, and a beach holiday will be a pleasant addition.

 

The next city of the route is Samsun. This is a large city, primarily attractive for its sights, and not for sea holidays. In the city it is difficult to find a suitable beach for swimming. To do this, you will have to go to the surrounding area, the good nature has endowed the Black Sea coast of Turkey with beautiful bays and grottoes, small beaches located between the sea and the mountains. Very close to the city, you can arrange a secluded holiday in the wild or in a small village in an equipped area with decent service and reasonable prices. In Samsun itself, you should visit the ruins of the Oymaagach Hoyuk mound, excavations of the settlement of primitive people on the hill of Dundar Tepe, the Ataturk Museum, and just walk through the streets rich in ancient buildings.

 

 

Further on the road to the west is Sinop, one of the main Greek colonies of antiquity. The city has two natural harbors, which is due to its position in antiquity. Here you can see the ruins of the ancient castle and the Roman church of Balatlar, a masterpiece of Seljuk architecture – the Perviane madrasah and the Aladdin mosque, dating from the thirteenth century. Near the city there are archaeological excavations of Kochagez. Not far from Sinop there is a resort area of Abana with a pleasant pebble beach, so tourists can combine sightseeing and sea rest.

 

Another city recommended to visit on the Black Sea coast of Turkey is Safranbolu. Located at the crossroads of trade routes, the city flourished under the Ottoman Empire, there are magnificent monuments of classical Turkish architecture, thanks to which since 1994 Safranbalu has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 

The city-museum will open for tourists hundreds of attractions, including mansions, fountains and mosques. Many of these houses have been renovated for hotels. So the fifteenth-century caravanserai of Jinji Khana now hosts guests called the Cinci Han Hotel, and the old prison located on the Hill – Calais is now equipped as a restaurant. The city has no immediate access to the sea, but it is less than a hundred kilometers away from the coast, and traveling by car from Trabzon to Istanbul you can make a small hook and go from the coast to get acquainted with this city.

 

 

Moving along the Black Sea coast from east to west, you will definitely get to Istanbul, enjoying the road, which can give you a pleasant day on the picturesque beach, and acquaintance with historical monuments of different eras and civilizations. Of course, you can get to Istanbul faster by plane, but the unexplored and non-tourist Black Sea coast will definitely recoup the time spent on it with new impressions and pleasant memories.

 

Text by Oksana Arkhipova

Photo: turkey-info, turk-in, independen, wiki-Turizm