Trabzon

Trabzon is the largest city in Turkey's Eastern Karadeniz (Black Sea) region, with a population of 323,000 in the city proper and another 500,000 in the surrounding towns. Once known as Trebizond, it ruled an independent empire around the eastern Black Sea from the 13th to 15th centuries, and its cosmopolitan trading heritage remains visible in its architecture, cultural institutions, and the character of its people. Founded around 756 BC by Greek settlers from Sinop, the city occupied a naturally sheltered port with a defensible tableland between two ravines—its ancient name Trapezous meaning "table."

The city's strategic position on the trade routes between Europe, Persia, and China made it a Silk Road nexus. Marco Polo passed through, and its rulers styled themselves "Emperors of Trebizond." The Ottomans captured it in 1461, but the city's multicultural character persisted through Greek, Armenian, and Latin communities until the upheavals of the early 20th century. Today Trabzon is a lively, modern city with good visitor facilities, anchored by the remarkable Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) and the dramatic clifftop Sumela Monastery in the nearby mountains.

The province encompasses a dramatic landscape of coastal strip backed by steep, forested mountains that rise to over 3,000 meters. This topography creates a wet, humid climate with lush green vegetation, tea plantations, and hazelnut groves. The mountain villages retain distinctive Black Sea architectural traditions, including wooden houses with overhanging roofs, and the region is famous for its "bird language" (kuş dili)—a whistled communication system used in remote mountain communities.

Summer (June–September) is the best time to visit Trabzon, with warm temperatures, frequent sunshine, and the mountain passes open. The coast can be humid, but the highland plateaus (yaylas) offer cool relief. This is the season for visiting Sumela Monastery and exploring the mountain villages.

Spring (April–May) brings wildflowers to the mountains and fewer tourists, though rain showers are frequent. Autumn (September–November) is the wettest season but brings the hazelnut harvest and vivid fall colors in the mountain forests. Winter (December–March) sees near-freezing temperatures with occasional warm snaps from the south; the mountains receive heavy snow, and some highland roads close.

The Trabzon International Film Festival (usually September) and the Hamsi (anchovy) Festival in December celebrate the city's cultural identity. Plan around these events for a richer experience.

Trabzon has no railway station—the largest city in Turkey without one. The airport (TZX) receives hourly domestic flights from Istanbul (IST and SAW), plus daily services from Ankara, İzmir, and Adana. International flights connect to Saudi Arabia, the Gulf, and Northern Cyprus. Havaş shuttle buses run from the airport to downtown.

The D010 coastal highway connects Trabzon to Sarp (Georgian border) in 2.5 hours and Samsun in 4.5 hours. The E97 inland highway crosses the mountains to Gümüşhane, Bayburt, and Erzurum. The D915 from Of to Bayburt is scenic but challenging—avoid in winter. Buses from Istanbul run several times daily taking 18 hours; from Erzurum, 4 hours with ten daily departures.

Within the city, walking covers the main sights from Meydan to the bazaar quarter and walled city, all within 1 km but with significant elevation changes. Dolmuşes ply throughout the city and to outlying towns, departing from the dolmuş gar on Çömlekçi Cd or from Meydan. The bus station (Otogar) is 3 km east of the city center, with a free shuttle bus to downtown.

• Trabzon — the regional capital with Hagia Sophia, the bazaar, and the historic walled city
• Maçka — the mountain town gateway to Sumela Monastery and the Altındere Valley
• Çaykara — home to the stunning Uzungöl (Long Lake) and highland plateaus
• Akçaabat — a coastal town with a fine waterfront and traditional fishing heritage
• Vakfıkebir — known for its famous oversized pide bread and Black Sea coast

Trabzon's cuisine is shaped by its Black Sea climate and mountain geography. Pide (Turkish flatbread pizza) is the regional specialty, with Vakfıkebir pide being the most famous—a large, boat-shaped bread filled with cheese, egg, and butter. Karalahana çorbası (black cabbage soup) is a hearty winter dish, while mısır ekmeği (corn bread) accompanies most meals. Hamsi (anchovy) is prepared in dozens of ways—fried, baked, in bread, or as köfte—particularly popular in winter when the anchovy season peaks.

The Meydan area and the streets around the bazaar offer numerous lokantas and pide salons. Balık (fish) restaurants along the waterfront serve fresh Black Sea catch. Tahin pekmez (tahini and grape molasses) is a popular breakfast combination. The region also produces excellent honey from the mountain forests and tea from the coastal plantations.

Trabzon's cultural identity reflects its Greek, Armenian, and Ottoman heritage, blended with the distinctive Black Sea traditions of the mountain communities. The kuş dili (bird language)—a whistled communication system—is practiced in mountain villages between Trabzon and Giresun, and represents one of the world's most remarkable linguistic phenomena. Black Sea folk music features the kemençe (a small fiddle) and tulum (bagpipe), accompanying the vigorous horon dance.

The city's architectural highlights include the 13th-century Hagia Sophia, originally a Byzantine church converted to a mosque, and the clifftop Sumela Monastery founded in 386 AD. The annual Hamsi Festival in December celebrates the anchovy harvest with food competitions and folk performances. The Trabzon International Film Festival in September showcases regional and international cinema.

Visit Sumela Monastery, a spectacular Byzantine monastery clinging to a cliff face at 1,200 meters in the Altındere Valley, founded in 386 AD and restored after decades of closure—reachable by road from Maçka with a short hike to the entrance.

Walk the historic bazaar quarter, one of Turkey's oldest and best-preserved market areas, where traditional trades continue in restored Ottoman caravanserais and covered streets dating back centuries.

Explore Uzungöl (Long Lake) in the mountains above Çaykara, a glacial lake surrounded by alpine meadows and forest, accessible by a winding mountain road that offers increasingly dramatic scenery.

Taste Vakfıkebir pide at its source, the coastal town famous for producing the region's signature oversized boat-shaped bread, filled with cheese and egg and baked in wood-fired ovens.

Experience the kuş dili (bird language) tradition in the mountain villages between Trabzon and Giresun, where villagers communicate over long distances using whistled sounds that mimic their spoken language.