Beaches that seem to go on
forever, mountains covered with verdant green and
picturesque valley and plains. Fields of tea,
hazelnuts, tobacco and corn. The winding blacktop
road following the near strip of beach bounded by
steep mountains falling, it would seem, straight
into the sea. Bays, fishing villages and beaches.
This is the Black Sea region.
The following cities are all located in the Black
Sea region: Amasya, Artvin, Bolu, Çorum, Düzce,
Giresun, Gümüshane, Kastamonu, Ordu, Rize, Samsun,
Sinop, Tokat, Trabzon Zonguldak, Bartin and Karabük.
You can begin your
trip in this charming luxuriantly green little
region of ours from the endless hazelnut orchards
and foaming sea of Akcakoca. Let us not neglect,
however, to mention the industrial cities of Eregli,
Zonguldak, Karabuk and two cities of the interior
one, Safranbolu, which is full of examples of
Turkish architecture of unrivaled beauty, the other
city being Devek, famous for its intricately carved
walking canes. Along the coast you will come to the
delightful recreational sites such as Inkum, Amasra
and Cakraz. As you pass through Cide and Inebolu and
approach Sinop, you might begin to wonder if there
are still traces of the Amazons in the forests. As
far as can be determined from mythological evidence
the women warriors called Amazons lived in the
region. The name of Sinop, one of the country's
province, comes from a queen of the Amazons named
Sinope. The birthplace of the philosopher Diyojen,
this city, with its natural bays protected from the
winds, is one of the Black Sea`s best holiday spots.
Samsun is one of the Black
Sea`s biggest ports and is a industrial and
commercial center. The first rays of light that
would eventually lead to the birth of the Turkish
Republic broke through the darkness here.
The characteristic feature of the coast between
Samsun and Trabzon are the extensive hazelnut
orchards. The cities of Unye and Fatsa east of
Samsun are popular holiday resorts with natural
scenic beauty, beaches, accommodations, camping and
restaurants. Ordu is a charming Black Sea city with
hazelnut orchards stretching out for miles in every
direction. The Castle of Giresun, perched upon a
steep rocky slope, is like a crown upon the city.
From the castle, the beaches of Giresun, stretching
out like cords of gold are unforgettable. The Roman
general Lucullus saw cherries for the first time in
Giresun and liked them so much we had them
introduced into Europe.
Another important commercial
port on the Black Sea is Trabzon. As the beginning
of Iran's transit road, it connects with the ports
of the other countries on the shores of the Black
Sea. The Trabzon Castle was founded on an area
shaped like a table and the architecture which has
grown up around the castle reflects Byzantine,
Commagene and Ottoman styles. The most important
structure in Trabzon is the Ayasofya Museum. The
interior is decorated with frescoes and on the
exterior are a number of reliefs. The panoramic
birds-eye view of the city which can be had from
Boztepe Park and the Ataturk Mansion are splendid
indeed. Near Macka inside the Altindere National
Park is the Sumela Monastery. The Sumela Monastery,
which is perched on high cliffs overlooking the
Altindere valley, was founded in the 14th century by
Alexius III. Inside the monastery is a church, a
library, various other rooms and a sacred spring.
The area around Rize is
the part of the country which receives the most
precipitation. In this region where every
conceivable hue of green can be see, tea is grown on
terraced fields set into the mountainsides. It is
the center of tea production in Turkey and the view
from the Agricultural Park is as much like heaven as
anyone could imagine. Hopa is the last Turkish port
before reaching the Russian border. South of Hopa is
the province of Artvin. Artvin was established on
the terraced heights overlooking the Çoruh River
valley. Artvin's highlands are very famous and there
are still Georgian museum and churches in the area.
Çoruh , an area full of wild beauty, is ideal for
river sports of all kinds.