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Trabzon (formerly Trebizond) is the largest city in the Eastern Karadeniz region of Turkey. Trabzon functioned as an independent state or empire during several periods in its long history, ruling over a vast area from Sinop in the west to Georgia in the east, even including territory in Crimea. Within Turkey Trabzon is known as a hospitable, energetic, traditional and patriotic city, which is culturally somewhat distinct from the rest of the country.
Understand
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Trabzon was founded around 756 BC by Hellenistic settlers from Sinop further west. They found natural shelter for a port and a defensible tableland between two ravines, so they called it Trapezous meaning "table", and made it their citadel. The site’s other big advantage was a valley leading through the mountains to Anatolia, whereas other ports such as Sinop were pinned against the slopes. The city therefore grew into a cosmopolitan trading centre, predominantly Greek-speaking. The Romans conquered the area in 68 BC, building a new harbour and roads, and used it as a springboard for attacks on Persia.
The Romans’ eastern or Byzantine Empire was in decline after defeat at Manzikert in 1071, and its territories broke away to defend themselves, or make what peace they could. Trebizond became subject to the Mongols in 1243 but was able to continue trading east along the Silk Road from China and Persia, and west to Genoa and Venice – Marco Polo came this way. Its rulers gave themselves high-falutin’ titles as “Emperors of Trebizond” but fell to the Ottomans in 1461.
In the 18th and 19th centuries the new regional superpower was Russia, gobbling up Ottoman domains around the Black Sea, and from 1914 Turkey and Russia were adversaries in the First World War. Especially damaging to the city was the battle of Sarıkamış in the winter of 1914-15, when 80,000 young men were lost, more from the cold than Russian firepower. The city’s Armenians were wiped out in the genocide of 1915, and its Greeks were deported in the population exchange of 1923. The “Iron Curtain” of borders with the Soviet Union (which included Georgia, Armenia and Crimea) blighted trade links.
The city recovered slowly during the 1970s and more through the 1990s when the Soviet Union collapsed and those borders opened up. Its industries are based on agriculture, associated trades such as leather, plus metal, glass and IT.
Climate
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The mountains draw clouds and rain. Summers are warm and humid, with frequent light showers: this is generally a good time to visit, but nights can feel sticky. Autumn is the wettest time of year. Winters are near-freezing, with occasional warm snaps when winds from the south boost temperatures towards a balmy 20 °C. Spring is dry and mild, with sunshine between the clouds.
Talk
[edit]Turkish in its standard Anatolian form is the official language. The eastern Black Sea region has its own distinctive dialect, which to an Istanbul city-slicker sounds archaic and comical. Trabzonlular in turn chuckle at the country-bumpkin diction of folk in the mountain villages, who in turn.... Strangest of all is kuş dili, “bird language”, a whistled language in villages such as Kuşköy in the mountains between Trabzon and Giresun. Even the birds don’t understand it.
English may be understood by the younger generation especially in the service sector, but not as frequently as in, say, Ankara or Georgia.
Read
[edit]Anabasis by Xenophon (circa 370 BC) describes a military campaign in Persia, which fails and leaves the Greeks cut off. They try to fight their way home, and above Trebizond cry with joy: “The sea! The sea!” as they behold Greek-speaking territory.
Cervantes’ Don Quixote (1605) dreamed of being Emperor of Trebizond. In Rabelais' Gargantua and Pantagruel (1532-64) Picrochole is a wicked king with similar ambitions, launching a futile war.
Kéraban the Inflexible (1883) by Jules Verne is an obstinate fellow who circles the entire Black Sea coast to dodge the paltry ferry fare between Europe- and Asia-side Istanbul.
L'immortelle de Trébizonde (1930) by Paule Henry Bordeaux describes the massacre of Armenians in 1915. Anyush (2014) by Martine Madden is also set in that period.
The Burnished Blade (1948) by Lawrence Schoonover depicts 15th century feudal France in conflict with the Empire of Trebizond.
Rose Macaulay's The Towers of Trebizond (1956) follows an oddball group of westerners across Turkey. Aunt Dot plans to emancipate the local women through Anglicanism and bathing hats.
The Spring of the Ram (1987) is the second in the series The House of Niccolò by Dorothy Dunnett, set in Trebizond in the last weeks before the Ottoman capture.
Nazan Bekiroglu is a writer living in Trabzon, best known for Nar Ağacı, Pomegranate Tree (2012).
View
[edit]This cosmopolitan city has an important place in the history of Turkish theatre, photography and cinema. And to western composers and directors Trebizond was an exotic name to rank alongside Baghdad, Samarkand or Babylon.
Offenbach's The Princess of Trebizond (1869) is a comic opera whose characters keep confusing a waxwork with the real princess.
Yeşim Ustaoğlu is a film-maker from Trabzon whose work includes Pandora's Box (2008) about a woman with Alzheimers, and Waiting for the Clouds (2003) about an elderly Pontic Greek woman rediscovering her past.
Autumn (2008) by Özcan Alper is about a former convict returning to his home soil.
Zephyr (2010) by Belma Baş is about a young girl left with her grandparents in the mountains, awaiting her mother’s return.
Honey (2010) by Semih Kaplanoğlu is the third of his Yusuf trilogy. It depicts a young boy in the mountains dealing with grief.
Cold of Kalandar (2015) by Mustafa Kara is about a farmer trying to strike gold during a harsh winter.
Visitor information
[edit]Tourist Information Center is on Belediye Cd, east flank of Meydan the main square. They have limited English but provide map and similar assistance. They're open M-F 08:00-17:00.
Get in
[edit]Not by train: Trabzon is the largest city in Turkey to entirely lack a railway, which it needs for its Black Sea freight. They've been talking about building one for over a century and look set to continue.
Not by boat either: Black Sea ferries no longer sail here. A ferry from Sochi was supposed to start in 2025 but didn't.
By plane
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1 Trabzon Airport (TZX IATA), ☏ +90 462 3280940, [email protected]. This has flights from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, and Ercan in Northern Cyprus; few from Europe beyond occasionally from Germany. Domestic connections are excellent: hourly from Istanbul (IST and SAW) and at least daily from Ankara, Izmir and Adana. The airport has the usual facilities including car hire. Havaş shuttle bus runs downtown, otherwise walk to the coastal highway (westbound) for a dolmuş. 
By road
[edit]D010 is the six-lane coastal highway. From Sarp on the border with Georgia takes 2½ hours and from Samsun takes 4½ hours.
E97 is the inland highway, crossing the mountains to Gümüşhane and then east to Bayburt and Erzurum.
D915 looks like a short-cut on the map, going inland from Of to Bayburt to join E97. It's scenic but scary, take it slow, and don't attempt it in winter.
By bus
[edit]Buses from Istanbul run several times a day and take 18 hours via Gebze, Izmit, Samsun and multiple Black Sea coast towns. Several continue to Batumi in Georgia.
From Erzurum is 4 hours, ten per day; from Ankara they run hourly taking 12 hours. From Erzincan is 3 hr 30 min, from Adana 15 hr. Dolmuşes from Gümüşhane run hourly.
One bus a day is from Batumi, taking six hours via Sarp and Hopa. It has been known for the eastbound bus to give up at the border if the queue to cross is too long: walk across and pick up a dolmuş, see Batumi#Get in. Change there for Tbilisi and Baku.
Bus operators include Metro Turizm, Flixbus and Ulusoy.
2 Otogar the bus station is on Terminal Sk 3 km east of city centre. A free servis - shuttle bus - runs downtown. Otherwise walk north to the end of Terminal Sk to pick up a dolmuş on Devlet Karayolu Cd.
Get around
[edit]- "Take my camel, dear", said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass.
- - The Towers of Trebizond (1956) by Rose Macaulay follows a group of conflicted dingbats on a journey from Istanbul
- "Take my camel, dear", said my Aunt Dot, as she climbed down from this animal on her return from High Mass.
Walking gets you between the main sights of Meydan to the east, the central bazaar quarter, and the historic walled city southwest. Distances are less than 1 km but there's a lot of up and down, as the old city was built on a ridge between the ravines of Zagnos west and Kuzgun east.
A swarm of dolmuşes ply through the city and out to the province's other towns.
3 Dolmuş gar is the place for out-of-town services. It's on Çömlekçi Cd by D010 coast highway, 200 m southeast of Meydan.
A dolmuş within the city is more likely to start from Meydan itself, southeast side beneath the viaduct of Yavus Selim Blv, and make multiple stops through town.
See
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Pace yourself if you aim to tick off the city's scores of religious sites. People in classical times had deities for everything under the sun, plus the sun itself. When the Romans became Christian in the 4th century these were replaced by churches, of which the oldest survivor is St Anna. They were mostly converted to mosques after the Ottoman conquest of 1461, but the city retained Greek and Armenian congregations until the 20th century. There was also a spate of mosque-building from the 19th century as the population grew.
Meydan
[edit]- This includes the İskender Paşa district named for its main mosque, and stretching east to the harbour. West it stretches along Kahramanmaraş Cd, merging into Kemerkaya district.
- 1 Meydan is the bosky central square, with cafes and bars. There's often a demo going on around the statue of Atatürk, visitors should stay clear of those. Dolmuşes and taxis are at the south end of the square.
- İskender Paşa Mosque, Meydan Cami Sk 15 (100 m east of Meydan). 24 hours. Built by governor İskender Pasha in 1559, and extensively restored in 1882. Its medressah and graveyard have been lost. Free.
- Sarmaşık Mosque or Eski ("Old") Kemerkaya Mosque is tucked away on Öğretmen Mektep Sk. It's thought to be a 13th century chapel, converted to a mosque around 1530. It's on sloping ground with the ablutions area at street level and the prayer hall accessed by an exterior stairway.
- Yeni Kemerkaya Mosque is the new one, built as a church in 1838 but now closed. It's 200 m east of the old one, on Balık Pazarı Sk.
- 2 Santa Maria Church (Santa Mariya Kilisesi), Sümer Sk 24. This is the only church in Trabzon that still has regular Roman Catholic masses. It was founded by Italian Capuchin monks expelled from Tbilisi in 1845, as part of a long anti-Catholic campaign by the Russian Tsars.
- 3 Kalepark Fortress. This was rebuilt by the Genoese when they took over in 1306. They called it "beautiful castle", Leonkastron or in Turkish Güzelhisar, which you wouldn't guess from its shambles of a ruin.
- 4 Fatih Park is a relaxing leafy space 200 m southeast of Meydan. The elegant building on its east side usedto be the US Consulate then the local Bar Association.
- 5 City Museum, Kahramanmaraş Cd 14, ☏ +90 462 321 4769. Tu-Su 09:00-19:00. This exhibits city history from its Ancient Greek foundation to Ottoman times, plus local natural history and ethnography. Signage is only in Turkish. Adult 50 TL.
- Trabzorspor Museum, Hüsnü Aybay Sk 6 (opposite City Museum). Daily 09:00-17:00. History and trophies of Trabzonspor football club.
- Archaeology Museum (Kostaki Mansion), Zeytinlik Cd 7. Closed. This fine mansion was built for the banker Kostaki Teophylaktos in 1889. It's been closed for renovation since 2018 with no news of re-opening.
- 6 Trabzon Art House, Özgür Cd 16, ☏ +90 462 600 6444. M-Sa 10:00-21:00. Art space and cultural centre in the former city governor's mansion.
- 7 Kudrettin Mosque (St Philip Church), Kudrettin Cami Sk. Built as St Philip Church in 1302 and extended into a cathedral in 1461. It was converted into a mosque circa 1665. In 1968 this was rebuilt, so what you see now is retro-Ottoman.
- 8 Hüsnü Köktuğ Mosque, Yaşar Kaptan Çebi Sk 11. Closed. Used as a mosque since 1953, and some believe it used to be St Elefterios Church, built by the Genoese in the 15th century. However it doesn't look it, and more likely that church was closer to the port and long ago demolished. However Hüsnü Köktuğ has a strong claim to be the city's ugliest mosque, with its jarring modern facade. In 2025 it's closed for reconstruction.
Çarşı
[edit]- Çarşı means market and so does Pazar - "bazaar" - the other name for this district.
- It's been extended north by landfill and that part is modern.
- 9 St Anne's Church (Küçük Ayvası Kilise), Mısırlıoğlı Ar 7. 24 hours. Dinky little Greek Orthodox basilica from 6th / 7th century AD, one of the oldest buildings in the city. It fell out of use when the Greeks were deported and many frescos were painted over, but in 2021 / 22 it was all restored. Free.
- Office of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers (Makina Mühendisleri Odası) is the imposing building facing St Anne's Church.
- Müftü Mosque is north across Kahramanmaraş Cd from St Anne's. It was first built in 1753 but this is a modern reconstruction.
- 10 Bazaar Mosque (Çarşı Camii), Çarşı Cami Sk 4. This late Baroque mosque was built in 1839 by governor Hazinedarzade Osman Paşa in the midst of the market quarter. It's the oldest surviving mosque in the city.
- Bedesten is a 16th century covered market hall, now housing arts and crafts shop. It's just north of Bazaar Mosque, on Bedestan Cd.
- Taş Han is a former caravanserai just south of Bazaar Mosque, on Paşahamam Gç. Built in the 1530s, it has two stories around a courtyard and now houses shops.
- Haji Yahya Mosque is on Bedestan Cd, 100 m west of Bazaar Mosque.
- Hacı Salih Mosque was built in 1860. It's 100 m east of Bazaar Mosque at Alacahan Sk 14.
- Alaca Han is an 18th century caravanserai 50 m south of Hacı Salih Mosque, now an arts and crafts centre.
- 11 Pazarkapı Mosque, Zaferi Sk. First built in 1563, but entirely rebuilt in 1987.
- 12 Molla Siyah Mosque (Nakip Mosque), Mısırlı Sk 11. Built in the 11th-century as the Orthodox church of St Andreas or Andrew, and converted to a mosque after 1461. It's still in use.
- Hoca Halil Mosque is a small Ottoman mosque first built in 1553, and rebuilt in 1896 and 1963. It's 100 m north of Molla Siyah Mosque.
- 13 Silk Road Museum (Ipekyolu Müzesi), Devlet Sahil Yolu Cd 103 (Within Chamber of Trade and Industry.), ☏ +90 462 326 80 70. M-F 08:30-17:30. Exhibits connected to the silk road trade. Free.
- 14 Science Museum (Özdemir Bayraktar Bilim Merkezi), Devlet Sahil Yolu Cd 8, ☏ +90 552 902 9762. Tu-F 08:00-17:00, Sa Su 09:00-18:00. Majoring on space and aerospace, with planetarium. M-F it may be booked out to school groups. Free.
- Hanife Hatun Mosque is a stonking great structure just south of the Science Museum, opened in July 2025. It's in retro Ottoman Baroque style. Not to be confused with Gülbahar Hatun Mosque inland.
- 15 St John Exoteichos Church (Sotka Kilisesi), Haneci Sk 4. Former Greek Orthodox church founded in 1306 outside the city walls - exoteichos- but rebuilt in 1856 very much hemmed in by the city. It's now used as an annex to a primary school. The exterior is in good condition, no access to the interior, where the frescoes have been lost.
- 16 Hızırbey Mosque, Kahramanmaraş Cd 168. Ottoman mosque built in 1789 around a pre-existing church.
- 17 Tabakhane Mosque, Uzun Sk 77. Daily 09:00-17:00. Built in 1987 in retro style on the site of an earlier mosque.
- 18 Hacı Kasım Muhittin Mosque, Muhittin Cami Sk 9. Sturdy Ottoman mosque built in 1822.
Ortahisar
[edit]- The name means "castle", the original walled city on a crag flanked by two deep valleys, but there was no separate fortress. Also described here are features on Boztepe to the east and on the slopes further west. "Ortahisar" nowadays also means the entire downtown, as distinct from Trabzon province.
- City walls are best viewed from the valleys and bridges on either side, Zagnos to the west or Tabakhane east. Masonry was continually recycled so they're a hotch-potch of Roman, Byzantine, Trebizond and Ottoman work.
- Zagnos valley is the park west flank of old town, spanned by Zagnos Cd. Within it (described below) are a small open-air theater, a Byzantine aqueduct, and the aquarium.
- Tabakhane valley is the similar park on the east flank.
- 19 Fatih Mosque (Panagia Khrysokephalos), Fatih Cami Sk 1. The "Golden domed church of All Saints" was built in the 10th or 11th century on much earlier foundations - until the 4th century AD it was the scene of Mithras worship.In the Middle ages it was the city cathedral, and hosted coronations for the Emperors of Trebizond. It was converted to a mosque when the Ottomans took over in 1461. Restoration in 2017/18 uncovered more original features, and a raised glass platform enables you to see the fine late-Roman mosaic floor.
- 20 History Museum (Ortahisar Tarih Müzesi), Sarayatik Cami Sk, ☏ +90 462 321 9058. Daily 09:00-17:00. Restored mansion with photographs, documents and artefacts describing the city in the Ottoman and Republican periods. Signage is only in Turkish. Free.
- 21 Gulbahar Hatun Mosque, Şenol Güneş Cd 17. Founded in 1514 by Selim, then governor and later Sultan, in honour of his mother. Gulbahar Hatun (1453-1505) was originally a slave girl and became the concubine of Bayezid II; her tomb is here. The mosque was repaired in 1883.
- Atapark is a small public park around Gulbahar Hatun Mosque.
- Hamza Paşa Mosque is on Yavuz Selim Blvd, 200 m west of Gulbahar Hatun. It was built in 1745.
- 22 Erdoğdu Bey Mosque, Kıble Sk 1. Built in its present form in 1577, this is no longer in use, replaced by a larger modern mosque adjacent.
- 23 İçkale Mosque, Mehter Sk1. This was probably the first mosque built in the captured city, in 1470 on the acropolis. It was restored in the 19th century and the minaret added in the 1960s.
- 24 Trabzon Aquarium, Kuzgundere Cd 82, ☏ +90 561 611 4335. Daily 10:00-19:00. Large walk-through aquarium. Adult 250 TL.
- Eugenius Aqueduct is a late Roman or early Byzantine aqueduct crossing the south of Zagnos Valey Park.
- 25 Yenicuma Mosque (Church of Saint Eugenius), Cami Sk 48 (off Yavuz Selim Blv). Built in the 13th century as a church dedicated to Saint Eugenius, the patron saint of the city. Eugenius was a martyr under the persecutions of Diocletian around 305 AD. His holy intercession supposedly saved the city from Turkish assault in 1224, but did nothing to halt the conquest by Mehmet in 1461. The church was thereafter converted to a mosque, which remains in use and is only open for prayer times. Free.
- 26 Tavanli Mosque, Nemlioğlu Konak Sk 4. Ottoman mosque, built in 1874 to replace a 16th century masjid but no longer in use.
- 27 Girls Monastery (Kızlar Manastırı), Coşkun Karaağaçlı Cd. M 12:00-19:00, Tu-F 09:00-19:00. The only nunnery in the city was built in the 1360s around one of the holy cave springs at Boztepe. The rock church has frescoes depicting Alexios III, his wife Theodora and his mother Irene (the likely benefactor of the monastery). It closed in 1922 when the Orthodox population were deported. It was restored in 2021.
- Boztepe is the hill above Girl's Monastery: its west is urbanised but the east half is a wooded park, traversed by Iran Cd. The tea gardens have pleasant views.
- Ahi Evren Dede Mosque is on Vuslat Sk near Boztepe Tea Garden, 500 m east of Radisson Blu, and the main attraction is the peaceful graveyard. Another mosque of the same name is a large baroque Ottoman structure on the busy coast highway 1 km east of the airport entrance.
- 28 Küçük Fatih Mosque, Bahçecik Cami Sk. Built around the 12th / 13th century as St Akindynos Church, and converted into a mosque after the conquest of 1461. It's still in use.
Elsewhere in the city
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- 29 Hagia Sophia, Ayasofya Cd 60 (3 km west, dolmuş marked "Aya Sofya"). 24 hr. The city's top sight, a Byzantine church built in the 1250s, with beautiful frescoes, arches and friezes. It became a mosque in 2013 whereupon pre-Islamic features were covered up, but most of these were uncovered in 2020. The free-standing bell tower was added in 1427; nothing remains of the monastery. Free.
- 30 Trabzon Botanical Garden, Çamoba, ☏ +90 462 224 6161. Daily 09:00-21:00. Peaceful colourful park above the city.
- 31 Atatürk Pavilion (Atatürk Köşkü), Ata Cd 1, Soğuksu. Daily 09:00-19:00. The summer home of banker Konstantin Kabayanidis, built late 19th century. He left during the post-war population exchanges and from 1924 Atatürk stayed here on several occasions. It's been furnished to period with his memorabilia.
- 32 Kaymaklı Monastery (Monastery of the All-Saviour, Ամենափրկիչ Վանք), Balaban Sk. The Armenian Monastery of the All-Saviour is on a hill southeast of town. Its foundation date was maybe 1424 AD, over an earlier Greek church. Armenians who had survived the modern massacres left after 1923 and the place fell derelict - the walls and bell tower have gone. The church contains frescoes and has been re-roofed but you're unlikely to find it open.
Further west
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- 33 Akçaabat is a town on the coast 18 km west of the city, historically Platana. The best of it is 500 m inland, the Galinos district, with many historical wooden mansions in the local Neoclassical Pontic style. St Michael and St Joseph are two former Greek churches there, both in a poor state. The town has eating places and dozens of hotels.
- 34 Akçakale Fortress (10 km west of Akçaabat). M-F 08:00-17:00. Built circa 1300 and abandoned in the 19th century, it's now a sorry stump only worth seeing it if you happen to be passing.
- 35 Çal Caves, Çal, Düzköy (Road to Düzköy then lane via Çiğdemli), ☏ +90 462 280 1700. Daily 09:00-19:00. A large set of caves with waterfalls.
Further south
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- 36 Sümela Monastery, Altındere Valley National Park, Maçka, ☏ +90 462 531 1064. Daily 08:00-20:00. A spectacular monastery hewn into a cliff. It was founded in the fourth century, with its heyday in Byzantine and early Ottoman times. It's been ruined and rebuilt several times, but fell derelict after its Greeks were deported. Many frescoes and mosaics have been vandalised, but more have been found in hidden chambers. Try to dodge the tour groups: from the parking lot you take a minibus shuttle up to the site, paying for both. Foreigners €20 or MüzeKart.
- 37 Vazelon Monastery. Founded in 270 AD as one of the first-ever Christian monasteries, now ruined and unsafe. Take the road off D885 towards Köprüyanı, then the track branching uphill from the first hairpin bend - this is only suitable for high-clearance 4WD, it's safer to hike the last 2 km.
- 38 Kuştul Monastery (Ιερά Μονή του Αγίου Γεωργίου Περιστερεώτα), Şimşirli. Founded in 752 AD, Saint George Peristereota Monastery is now just a few walls teetering on a crag, with cliffs and other pitfalls around: don't come in the fog and drizzle. From Esiroğlu on D885 follow the winding lane towards Şimşirli, but the final rough trail starts 2 km before the village.
Further east
[edit]- 39 Sürmene 40 km east of the city has a ruined medieval castle and a couple of historic mansions. The town might make a stopoff if you're heading into the mountains.
- 40 Uzungöl means "long lake", formed when a landslide blocked the valley. It's also the name of the village alongside, 95 km from Trabzon city centre and at 1090 m elevation. It's touristy in summer, with a straggle of hotels. Reach it from the coast by D915 towards Çaykara.
- Dursun Ali İnan Museum, Fatih Cd, Uzungöl, ☏ +90 462 858 8888. Daily 09:00-18:00. Large personal collection of curios and artefacts of the Uzungöl area.
- Yaylas are summer settlements in the mountains, bases for hiking. There's a dozen above Uzungöl, the closest are Karester and Lustra.
Do
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- Football 1 Trabzonspor (Papara Park), Şenol Güneş Stadium (bus to Akyazı). They play soccer in Süper Lig, the top tier. They're Turkey's most successful team outside Istanbul and often qualify for European tournaments. As well as local support, they have big diaspora followings in Istanbul and Baku. The stadium (capacity 40,800) is named for Şenol Güneş (b 1952), former goalkeeper and manager of Trabzon and the Turkish national team. Trabzonspor women's team play at Mehmet Ali Yılmaz Stadium.
- 2 Yomra Climbing Gym (Yomra Tırmanış Duvarı), Hükümet Cd, Yomra, ☏ +90 462 344 0992. Sports complex with climbing and bouldering. For natural climbing try the Şahınkaya rockface in the western district of Düzköy.
- Central Hamam, Kahramanmaraş Cd 3 (west flank of Meydan), ☏ +90 530 073 9661. Daily 07:00-23:45. Traditional Turkish baths. The men-only hamam is next to Burger King. The women-only (bayanlar) hamam is in the alley round the corner.
- 3 Sekiz Direkli Hamam (Eight-Column Hamam), ☏ +90 532 722 7545. Daily 07:00-00:00. Historic hamam to the west of the bazaar quarter. It has separate days for men and women.
- 4 Mehmet Akif Ersoy Indoor Swimming Pool, off Ahmet Suat Özyazıcı Cd (by airport), ☏ +90 462 325 0338. Daily 09:00-21:00. Olympic-size swimming pool. Not for small children.
- Beaches: you have to go some way out, as the sea comes right up to the coastal highway built on reclaimed land.
- Kaşüstü Municipal Family Beach is the nearest public beach, next to the Novotel in Yomra 10 km east of city centre.
- Kalecik Beach is 25 km east.
- Akçakale Beach is 24 km west.
Entertainment
[edit]- 5 Royal Sinema, Yavuz Selim Blv, ☏ +90 462 323 3377. The city's main cinema. Some films are western with Turkish subtitles.
- Lara Sinema behind the Royal shows mostly dubbed movies.
- Avşar Sinema is within Rubenis shopping mall (below) north of Atapark. It shows blockbusters with Turkish subtitles.
- CineGalaxy is just east of Rubenis at İnönü Cd 18.
- Cinemaximum is within Forum shopping mall (below) towards the airport. It mainly shows blockbusters with Turkish subtitles.
- Trabzon State Theatre (Trabzon Devlet Tiyatrosu), Şenol Güneş Cd 17 (opposite Gulbahar Hatun Mosque), ☏ +90 462 326 5691. Plays are almost all in Turkish.
- Hamamizade İhsanbey Cultural Center, Sümer Sk 6 (100 m north of Meydan). M-F 09:00-17:00, Sa 09:00-14:00. Cultural centre including a theatre in a modern building.
Outdoors
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Trabzon is well known in Turkey as a destination for nature tourism and outdoor sports activities. The mountainous districts in Trabzon and neighboring Giresun and Rize provinces offer plenty options, but most areas are hardly developed for (international) tourism. However, this is also what makes the region attractive to adventurous travelers and Turkish families fleeing the hordes of tourists in Istanbul or the west coast. The beauty of Trabzon really lies in its alpine nature and remote, independent village life; Waking up in a traditional timber shed by the sound of cowbells and the scent of morning dew drawing the endless flower fields into your bed. Having fresh milk, corn bread, eggs and cooked green vegetables and spring water straight from the tap. To have this experience, you have to leave Trabzon, leave Uzungöl, and move higher up the mountain slopes, to the villages with their typical architecture and beautifully ornamented timber mosques, or even higher, where there are 'open air mosques', similar to the very first mosques in the world. Even though the people here are devout, they are not conservative in the traditional sense. It is normal for men and woman to mingle, make jokes, etc. Sufism has had a strong influence on these remote districts, and many people still grow up speaking minority languages like Romeyka Greek, Laz or Hemsin Armenian. As the region has grown in popularity amongst foreign tourists during the past two decades, the amount of trash left behind in nature has likewise increased. If you are planning to spend time in the mountains, you could consider taking extra waste bags with you.
Kervan Yolu (Caravan Road)
[edit]One of the historic routes connecting Trabzon to Persia across the Pontic Mountains was the caravan road from Sürmene to Bayburt. Multiple inns, castles, mosques and churches line the road. As it climbs up the mountains you pass scenic villages and landscapes. The area is popular with bird watchers and nature photographers, as it is one of the most important routes for migratory birds in Turkey. The road also takes you to Mount Madur (Theches in antiquity), where Xenophon and the 10,000 first spotted the sea and shouted "Thálatta! Thálatta!", 2400 years ago. The local tourism board is promoting the route for eco-tourism.
Hiking & mountain biking
[edit]The traditional rural life in Trabzon province revolves around transhumant seasonal migrations with cattle. Even before the summer starts villagers head up from the agrarian settlements in the bottom of the valleys to the summer pastures above the tree line, which are called 'Yayla'. There are many hamlets on the yayla's from which one can make hikes through the surrounding alpine landscape. The higher parts of the province are popular with bird watchers and have a rich flora. Mountain biking along the relatively flat, connected pastures, is fun and doable. You will see a lot of Turkish tourists on their mountain bikes. Mountain bikes will not be available for rent in most rural villages, so the best option would be to rent them in Trabzon or Uzungöl. Some better known yayla's in Trabzon province are (from west to east):
Trekking & bikepacking
[edit]The densely forested mountain slopes and vast plains above the tree lines of Trabzon province are ideal for multi-day trekking adventures. However, for most districts there are no maps available in print or online. The exception is Çaykara district, which is the most detailed area of Turkey on OpenStreetMap. Incidentally this is one of the most densely settled valleys along the Black Sea coast, which means you will never be farther than a few kilometers from the nearest village. Some villages have small hotels or home-stays, especially near Uzungöl lake, but you are always free to camp in the wild. In some villages you can also rent a traditional chalet or herder's shack on the yayla. Expect to be invited for tea in every village, especially if you have children with you. The most important languages for communication in the villages are Turkish and Greek, but especially during the summer you might also find people that speak German, English, Arabic, Dutch or Russian. The highest peaks of the Pontic Mountains in Trabzon province lie in the southeast of Çaykara district near 10 Haldizen, and reach to just over 3 km. This area is also known as Yedigöller, referring to the 'Seven Lakes' that lie between the mountaintops (not to be confused with the national park bearing the same name in the western province Bolu). It is possible to trek from Haldizen in Çaykara to 11 Anzer yayla and 12 Ovit plateau in Rize province, and then further eastwards to the Kackar mountains (the highest peaks of the Pontic Mountains). It is also possible to do a part of this route before returning to the coast via Ikizdere. Along the way you will pass small villages with traditional architecture. Especially the village of Çamlık - downstream from Ovit - has maintained the tradition of timber construction. These are multi-day hikes.
However, most mountaineering enthusiasts instead go directly to the Kackar mountains in next-door Rize province. Kate Clow popularized this area through her book, which includes detailed routes with coordinates.
Because dense fog can obscure a clear day within a few minutes in these mountainous areas, it is ill-advised to wander around alone or without GPS. Brown bears, wolves and other wild animals can be found in the forests. It is legal to set up camp in the wild, but be sure not to leave any trash.
Rafting
[edit]Fırtına valley in upper Hemsin district of Rize province is ideal for rafting in Fırtına river, with its many centuries old arch bridges.
Events
[edit]
- Black Sea Theatre Festival is held in May.
- Kadirga Festival is a folkloric event in the third week of June near the Gümüşhane province border. It's the largest of similar events on the other yaylas - summer pastures.
- International Folklore Festival is a week in July. At any time of year, look out for folk music performances in the city - the mountains have bred a unique style and instrumentation.
- Sultan Murat Festival is at the end of August on the Sultanmurat yayla, 25 km southwest of Çaykara village.
- Assumption Day (August 15, Sümela Monastery) Every year since 2010 the Greek Orthodox patriarch has led a 'divine liturgy' at the Sümela Monastery (Moní Panagías Soumelá) in Maçka district, south of the city. Because of the size and location of the monastery, only a few hundred people are allowed to join the liturgy. In Maçka village screens are set up for other pilgrims.
- Kalandar is a custom equivalent to trick-or-treat in the mountain villages. It's on 13 / 14 Jan, New Year's Eve by the Julian calendar.
Buy
[edit]
- If you're heading further east, Trabzon could be your last chance for spares, repairs and equipment.
- Local crafts include handwoven gold and silver bracelets, copper, leather and traditional musical instruments. As with other high-ticket items such as fine art or antiques, you need enough knowledge to sift quality goods from overpriced mediocrity.
- Uzun Sk is the city's pedestrianised main shopping street, leading west off Meydan.
- 1 Market Quarter (Çarşı or Pazar) is 500 m west of Meydan, follow pedestrianized Kunduracılar Cd.
- 2 Rubenis AVM (formerly Varlıbaş), İnönü Cd 14, ☏ +90 533 720 8807. Daily 10:00-22:00. A shopping mall with cinema just west of the walled old town.
- 3 Forum Shopping Center, off Devlet Karayolu Cd. Daily 10:00-22:00. Large modern mall.
- Cevahir Outlet is a large mall in Yomra 10 km east, next to the Novotel.
Eat
[edit]
Local cuisine
[edit]Black Sea cuisine is heavy on stews and soups of vegetables and beans. It also includes dairy dishes such as kuymak / muhlama, fresh milk with ayran, and various cheeses.
Trabzon pide is a kind of pizza with cheese and eggs. Local köfte (meatballs) have a distinctive taste.
Vakfikebir ekmegi is sourdough bread similar to Italian Pane Casareccio. It's baked in a stone oven and can weigh up to 7 kg. Cornbread is also common, as the climate suits maize but not wheat.
Hamsi are locally-fished anchovies, a staple, typically fried and eaten whole.
Hazelnuts: the Black Sea region grows 70% of the world's production. Local fruits include cherries, persimmon and kiwi fruit.
Budget
[edit]- West side of Meydan has many fast food outlets and kebab shops. This strip extends into Uzun Sk, which is also the place for desserts such as baklava, helva and dondurma.
- Çardak Pide has trad cheap eats at Uzun Sk 4, southwest off Meydan, open daily 08:00-22:00.
- Midyeci Onur, Kasımoğlu Çk 15C (in Eba market off Uzun Sk), ☏ +90 462 322 3322. Daily 12:00-02:00. Inexpensive seafood restaurant.
- Sebnem Cafe, Uzun Sk, ☏ +90 462 326 7705. Daily 07:30-21:00. Burgers, meatballs and similar.
Mid-range
[edit]
- Cemilusta, Atatürk Alanı 6 (north side of Meydan), ☏ +90 462 321 6161. Daily 08:00-23:30. Popular restaurant by Meydan square.
- Sofia Garden, Zübeyde Hanım Cd 12 (100 m west of Hagia Sophia), ☏ +90 462 223 1313. Daily 08:30-00:00. Good menu selection and quality.
- Kalender Lokanta (20 m south of Trabzon Museum). M-Sa 08:30-20:00. Cozy cafe / restaurant.
- 1 Kulüp Bahçe Kafe, Fabrika Çk 3 (off Uzun Sk), ☏ +90 462 321 3432. M-Sa 09:00-22:00. Small garden restaurant with diverse menu and live music.
- Tarihi Kalkanoğlu Pilavı, Tophane Cami Sk 3 (facing Hanife Hatun Mosque), ☏ +90 462 321 3086. M-Sa 09:00-20:00. Restaurant established in 1856 serving traditional pilav dishes.
- 2 Bahce Cafe, Halkevi Cd 41, ☏ +90 462 500 0500. Daily 08:30-23:00. A relaxed garden cafe with a small menu.
- Akçaabat 18 km west of the city has a distinctive style of meatballs, Akcaabat koftesi, made with ground meat, garlic and bread. Eat them with beans, lettuce and ayran (yogurt mixed with water). Kiymali is mincemeat, in a pide or with eggs. The many eating places include Nihat Usta, Körfez Metin and Cemil Usta.
Drink
[edit]- Water from the tap is safe to drink but heavily chlorinated, you may prefer bottles.
Cafes
[edit]
- Kahve Durağı is a chain. The most central is within Grand Zorlu Hotel.
- Time's Coffee Restaurant is on the 7th floor of the Silk Road Business Center on Kahramanmaraş Cd, opposite Grand Zorlu Hotel, open daily 08:00-23:00.
- SineK is a cinema-themed cafe on Yavuz Selim Blv next to Royal Sinema, open daily 09:00-23:00.
- Edward's Coffee is next to Sinek, open M-Sa 08:00-00:00, Su 10:00-00:00.
- Ganita tea garden (next to Kalepark Fortress), ☏ +90 462 326 2396. Daily 08:00-23:00. Pleasant tea garden by the seafront and old fortress.
- Boztepe tea garden has a scattering of cafes on the hillside east of the Radisson, along Iran Cd. Watch the sun set from the terraces.
Pubs
[edit]- Biravoo, Kunduracılar Cd 13 (50 m northeast of Meydan). Central and serves food.
- Şehir Kulübü Restaurant at Nemlioğlu Cemal Sk 1 is open daily 14:00-01:00.
- Sahne bar, Nemlioğlu Cemal Sk 5 (next to Şehir Klubü). Daily 16:30-01:00. Live music bar.
- Barikat, Kahramanmaraş Cd (short block west of Meydan), ☏ +90 541 221 6861. Daily 12:00-02:00. Rooftop sports and rock bar.
- Şişman, Kahramanmaraş Cd 5 (in Suluhan Centre 50 m west of Meydan). Daily 09:00-01:30. Central spot, one part is family-friendly, the other is men-only.
Sleep
[edit]
Budget
[edit]The cheapest hotels are down from Atatürk Square towards the port, but many are brothels. Business is conducted in an orderly manner and the area is safe.
- Şanlı Otel, Terminal Sk 4 (100 m south of Otogar), ☏ +90 462 332 0777. Check-in: 1. A cheap and convenient hotel very close to the Otogar. B&B double 2000 TL.
- Hotel Horon is central at Sıramağazalar Cd 125.
Mid-range
[edit]- 1 Hotel Nur, Doktor Kemal Dursun Sk 15, ☏ +90 462 323 0445. Simple downtown place. B&B double 2000 TL.
- 2 Ural Otel, Güzelhisar Cd 1, ☏ +90 462 321 1414. Basic place near the ferry port.
- Otel Efe is opposite Ural Otel at Güzelhisar Cd 6, similar quality.
- 3 Usta Park Hotel, Şehit İbrahim Karaoğlanoğlu Cd 6 / 1, ☏ +90 462 326 5700. Clean and central, small rooms. B&B double 2500 TL.
- Sumela Park Hotel is at Şehit İbrahim Karaoğlanoğlu Cd 14, next to Usta Park. Mixed reviews.
- 4 Cephanelik Hotel, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Blv, ☏ +90 462 600 0462. This was the city's medieval arsenal or armoury, now restored as an upscale hotel and restaurant. B&B double 3000 TL.
Splurge
[edit]- 5 DoubleTree by Hilton Trabzon, Barbaros Hayrettin Paşa Cd 43, ☏ +90 462 455 0000. Good value hotel on the coast on the highway to Akçaabat. B&B double 4000 TL.
- 6 Ramada Plaza, Rize Cd 23, ☏ +90 462 335 3030. Smart hotel 3 km east of the airport. Spacious, with restaurants and bars. B&B double 5000 TL.
- Movenpick is next to the Ramada at 22 Rize Cd.
- 7 Novotel, Dunya Ticaret Sk 9, Yomra, ☏ +90 462 455 9000. Good beachfront location and comfy rooms, but many adverse reports for reception and service. B&B double 5000 TL.
- 8 Zorlu Grand Otel, Kahramanmaraş Cd 9, ☏ +90 462 326 8400. Very central, good service and comfort, but the a/c can't cope with hot weather. B&B double 5000 TL.
- 9 Radisson Blu, Numan Gül Cad Çamlık Sk 2, ☏ +90 462 261 6666. Smart modern hotel on Boztepe hill. B&B double 5000 TL.
Learn
[edit]- Karadeniz Technical University (Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi or KTÜ), founded in 1955, has 32,000 students and 2200 teaching staff. Most teaching is in Turkish but a few courses are English. The main campus is Kanuni near the airport, with a dozen others across the province.
- Avrasya University is a private university founded in 2010, with 3 city campuses.
Stay safe
[edit]In the city beware traffic, safeguard valuables and avoid lowlife, same as anywhere else.
Those rules also apply to remote areas, along with harsh weather, and the risk of slips and strains far from assistance. Dangerous animals in the mountains include bears.
Connect
[edit]Trabzon and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of Aug 2025, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.
Cope
[edit]- Taksim police station is by Fatih Park, 100 m south of Meydan, open 24 hours.
Hospitals
[edit]- 1 Imperial Hospital (İmperial Hastanesi). Hospital in the center of the city. PCR-Test available for 350TRY (March 2022)
- 2 Trabzon Research and Education Hospital (Trabzon Kanuni Eğitim Ve Araştırma Hastanesi). Hospital in the western part of the city.
- 3 Adnan Menderes University Research and Application Hospital. Hospital in the eastern part of the city.
- 4 Farabi Hospital (Farabi hastanesi). University Hospital at Karadeniz Technical University near the Airport.
- 5 Fatih State Hospital (Fatih Devlet Hastanesi). State hospital in the west of the city.
Consulates
[edit]- VFS Global offer visa support services in the Trade & Business Center at Devlet Sahil Yolu Cd 105.
Georgia, Pertevpasa Sk 10 (block west of Russian Consulate), ☏ +90 462 326 2226. M-F 09:00-18:00. Standard consular services.
6 Iran, Kızıltoprak Sk 3, ☏ +90 462 322 2190. M-F 09:00-12:30, 14:30-17:30. Standard consular services, issues visas under the standard conditions.
7 Russia, Sehit Refik Cesur Cd 6, ☏ +90 462 326 2600. M-F 10:00 -13:00, 15.00-16.00. It's an imposing building made of volcanic rock in the old Ortahisar district.
Go next
[edit]- Giresun west is a lively coast resort.
- Rize east has a few tourist attractions, but is mostly a stopover heading into the mountains or into Georgia.
- Batumi is the first place you reach in Georgia. Trabzonites regard it as Las Vegas-on-Sea.
- Tonya is a mountain resort above Trabzon.
- Gümüşhane south across Zigana Pass is a base for walking in the hills.
- Erzurum is the next city beyond the mountains.
| Routes through Trabzon |
| Samsun ← Giresun ← | W   E | → Sürmene → Rize |
Merges with   (E) ← | N  S | → Torul → Erzurum |
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