Trabzon

Understand

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

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 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 i

Getting there

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 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. (updated Jul 2025)

By road

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 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.

Getting around

"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 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

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 the pagan temples were replaced by churches, of which the oldest survivor is St Anne's. 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 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) Trabzorspor Museum, Hüsnü Aybay Sk 6 (opposite City Museum). Daily 09:00-17:00

Do

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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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 5 Royal Sinema, Yavuz Selim Blv, ☏ +90 462 323 3377. The city's main cinema. Some films are western with Turkish subtitles. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025)

Mountains

Activities in the Pontic mountains include

Buy

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. (updated Jul 2025) 3 Forum Shopping Center, off Devlet Karayolu Cd. Daily 10:00-22:00. Large modern mall. (updated Aug 2025) Cevahir Outlet is a large mall in Yomra 10 km east, next to the Novotel.

Eat

Local cuisine 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 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. (updated Aug 2025) Sebnem Cafe, Uzun Sk, ☏ +90 462 326 7705. Daily 07:30-21:00. Burgers, meatballs and similar. (updated Aug 2025) Rengârenk Balık Evi, Temel Sokak,. Small no-frills fish meals at a low price 250 TRY. (updated Jan 2026)

Mid-range

Cemilusta, Atatürk Alanı 6 (north side of Meydan), ☏ +90 462 321 6161. Daily 08:00-23:30. Popular restaurant by Meydan square. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) Kalender Lokanta (20 m south of Trabzon Museum). M-Sa 08:30-20:00. Cozy cafe / restaurant. (updated Aug 2025) 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. (updated Aug 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Bahce Cafe, Halkevi Cd 41, ☏ +90 462 500 0500. Daily 08:30-23:00. A relaxed garden cafe with a small menu. (updated Aug 2025) 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 & nightlife

Water from the tap is safe to drink but heavily chlorinated, you may prefer bottles.

Cafes

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. (updated Jul 2025) 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 Biravoo, Kunduracılar Cd 13 (50 m northeast of Meydan). Central and serves food. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) Barikat, Kahramanmaraş Cd (short block west of Meydan), ☏ +90 541 221 6861. Daily 12:00-02:00. Rooftop sports and rock bar. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025)

Sleep

Budget 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. (updated Jul 2025) Hotel Horon is central at Sıramağazalar Cd 125.

Mid-range

1 Hotel Nur, Doktor Kemal Dursun Sk 15, ☏ +90 462 323 0445. Simple downtown place. B&B double 2000 TL. (updated Jul 2025) 2 Ural Otel, Güzelhisar Cd 1, ☏ +90 462 321 1414. Basic place near the ferry port. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025) 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. (updated Jul 2025)

Splurge 5 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. (updated Jul 2025) Movenpick is next to the Ramada at 22 Rize Cd. 6 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. (updated Jul 2025) 7 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. (updated Jul 2025) 8 Radisson Blu, Numan Gül Cad Çamlık Sk 2, ☏ +90 462 261 6666. Smart modern hotel on Boztepe hill. B&B double 5000 TL. (updated Jul 2025)

Go next

Akçaabat is a small resort 18 km west. 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.