Trabzon is one of the oldest and most colorful cities in Turkey, located in the northeast of the country, on the Black Sea coast.
It connects eastern Anatolia, the Caucasus and Iran, which has made it an important trade, cultural and religious center for centuries.
Today Trabzon is a unique combination of nature, mountains, sea and history, a place where antiquity and modernity live side by side.

📍 Geography and climate

• Region: Black Sea coast of Turkey

• Population: about 820,000 people

• Climate: humid subtropical

  • Summer: is warm and mild (+25-28°C)

  • Winter: cool and rainy (+6-10°C)

• Relief: the city is located between the Black Sea and the Pontic Alps mountain range, which gives it a special beauty.

Thanks to the abundance of rainfall, the region is characterized by lush vegetation, dense forests and waterfalls - not without reason Trabzon is called the green heart of northern Turkey.

🏛 History

Trabzon (ancient Trebizond) was founded by Greek settlers from Miletus in the 7th century BC.
It played an important role during the Roman and Byzantine Empires, and then became the capital of the Empire of Trebizond (1204-1461), the last stronghold of the Byzantine Empire after the fall of Constantinople.

After the conquest by the Ottomans, the city retained its importance as a port and trade gateway to the Caucasus and Persia.
This made Trabzon a multinational and culturally rich center where Greeks, Armenians, Turks and Georgians coexisted for centuries.

🕌 Main attractions

🏛 Aya Sophia (Hagia Sophia of Trabzon)

• One of the city's most famous monuments, built in the 13th century.

• Combines Byzantine architecture and Black Sea atmosphere.

• Inside, frescoes with biblical themes and ancient mosaics have been preserved.

⛪ S ümela (Sümela Manastırı)

• A famous monastery of the Virgin Mary, located on a 1,200-meter-high cliff in the Altındere National Park.

• It was built in the 4th century by monks from Athens.

• One of the most sacred Byzantine monasteries in the world and an important pilgrimage site.

🏰 Trabzon Fortress (Trabzon Kalesi)

• Ruins of an ancient fortress that protected the city from invaders.

• The walls of the Roman and Byzantine periods have been preserved.

• From the top there is a panoramic view of the whole city and the sea.

🌆 Meydan Square (Meydan Parkı)

• The center of modern life in Trabzon - cafes, stores, restaurants, parks.

• Here you can feel the atmosphere of a lively city and taste local specialties.

🌿 Nature and surroundings

🏞 Uzungöl Lake (Uzungöl)

• Uzungöl Lake is located 90 km from Trabzon.

• A stunningly beautiful mountain lake with a mirror-like surface, surrounded by coniferous forests and alpine meadows.

• A paradise for photographers, nature lovers and mountaineering.

💧 Waterfalls and plateaus

• TheHaldizen and Sultanmurad plateaus are picturesque mountain valleys with pastures and shepherds' huts.

• Çal Waterfall (Çal Şelalesi) and Çal Cave (Çal Mağarası) - one of the longest caves in the world (about 8 km).

🍽 Trabzon Cuisine

Trabzon is famous for its Black Sea cuisine, where corn, anchovies and honey play a major role.

Try:

• 🐟 Hamsi tava - fried anchovies, the symbol of the region.

• 🍞 Kuymak (Mıhlama) - corn porridge with melted cheese and butter.

• 🍯 Anzer balı - rare and expensive mountain honey from the surroundings of Rize.

• 🧀 Trabzon ekmeği - traditional bread with a thick crust, baked in stone ovens.

• 🍮 Laz böreği is a dessert made of dough, butter cream and syrup.

Drinks:

• Mountain herbal teas (especially Rize black tea)

• Ayran and local grape wine

🧿 Culture and traditions

Trabzon is known for its unique Black Sea culture, which combines ancient traditions and modernity:

• The national dance of Horon - energetic circular movements to the music of the zurna and drum.

• Traditional clothes and brightly colored scarves of women.

• Music using kamla (local violin).

The people of Trabzon are proud of their identity - they are hospitable, emotional and have a strong sense of humor.

🏨 Recreation and accommodation

• There are many hotels, boutique hotels and mountain chalets in the city.

• Popular neighborhoods:

  • Trabzon center (Ortahisar) - history, cafes, market.

  • Beşikdüzü and Yalıncak - seascapes.

  • Uzungöl and Sumela - ecotourism, mountain air, lake views.

🚗 How to get there

• ✈️ Trabzon Airport (TZX) - international flights from Istanbul, Ankara, Doha, Baku, Dubai.

• 🚗 Excellent highways towards Rize, Ordu, Giresun and Erzurum.

• 🚌 Buses and dolmushi from all major cities in Turkey.

• 🚢 The port accepts small cruise ships and yachts.

✅ Why go to Trabzon

✔ Incredible nature - sea, mountains, lakes and forests
✔ Deep history - from the Greeks to the Ottomans
✔ Byzantine and Orthodox architecture
✔ Authentic cuisine and culture of the Black Sea
✔ Opportunities for secluded vacation and pilgrimage
✔ Hospitable people and colorful atmosphere

📌 Conclusion

Trabzon is an oriental fairy tale on the shores of the Black Sea, a city where the ringing of the bells of Sumela merges with the sound of the waves and the sounds of the Huron.
Here you can see Turkey differently - green, cool, spiritual and deep.
It is a place for those who seek not only beaches, but also inspiration, history and the power of nature.