SAMSUN

Governorship of Samsun

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Publisher

Governorship of SamsunTel: +90 362 431 64 75 - Fax: +90 362 431 64 77www.samsun.gov.tr

Prepared by Samsun Culture and Tourism Directorate.

Has been sponsored and published by the Middle BlackSea Development Agency

Samsun Culture and Tourism DirectorateTel: +90 362 431 00 14 - Faks:+90 362 435 65 48

Samsun Urban DirectorateTel: +90 362 444 7 555 - Fax: +90 362 437 08 55www.samsunilozelidare.gov.tr

PublisherEkin Group

Halaskargazi Cad. 145/1 Kat:8Osmanbey 34381 / İstanbulTel : +90 212 296 22 22Faks : +90 212 247 44 60E.Posta: ekin@ekinyazim.comwww.ekinyazim.com

Managing DirectorHalim Buluto€lu

DirectorPeriodicals and BooksCihan Yi€in

TextBaki Sar›sakal (Samsun central text)Dilek Safer

Art DirectorMurat Kezli

PhotoMetin ‹fller, Tansu TekinEkin Group archiveSamsun Culture and Tourism Directorate archiveSamsun Metropolitan Municipality archivefienol KocatepeÇarflamba, Kutlukent, Ladik, Ayvac›k, Tekkeköy, Asarc›kdistricts officers archives

Printed bySeçil PrinthouseTel:+90 212 629 06 15

4th print, September 2011

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Samsun, the place where the Great Leader Atatürk started the NationalLiberation Crusade and the place where he took the first step towards it, isone of the cities of the Black Sea Region with the highest potential of tourismthanks to its natural, historical and cultural richness, and its sea, land, airand railway transportation capabilities.

Samsun has a 6000 year old history which has been the host of manydifferent cultures and has become an important cultural and trading centerof Anatolia since its establishment.

Samsun, which has such an historical background, presents its guestsmany tourism activities from winter tourism to thermal tourism, from healthtourism to nature and sea tourism

It is the most important city of the Black Sea region by means of Socialand Cultural life with its State Opera and Ballet, State Theater Stage ofSamsun, State Classical Turkish Music Chorus, Galleries, Museums andLibraries.

Samsun still isn’t at the point is deserves today in tourism despite its200 km seaboard, natural beaches, numerous archeological sites, registeredstructures, hardwood mosques, 17.426 archeological and ethnographicartifacts exhibited in museums, hundreds of endemic plants, plateaus,mountains, forest waterfalls, lakes, and trekking, winter skiing and grassskiing, paragliding and water sports possibilities.

Our goal is to promote Samsun the future City of Tourism to its rightfulposition.

The latest investments in tourism in the recent years have raised hopesregarding this subject.

I would like to thank and to present my compliments to all of those whoparticipated in this study which I believe will contribute to the presentation ofour city that has a rich historical background and is in a fast developmentphase in terms of social, economical, cultural and touristic life. I also wish forthis study to gain Samsun new companions.

Hüseyin AKSOYGovernor of Samsun

Samsun

Hüseyin AKSOYGovernor of Samsun

Samsun City Center . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Two Samsuns in history . . . . . . . .14

Center of Samsun / Museums . . .26

Monuments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Prominent religious buildings . . . .34

Parks, gardens and walking paths . .38

Beaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Atakum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

İlkadım . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Canik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Cumhuriyet square and its surroundings48

Bankalar St. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Saathane square . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Municipality square and its vicinity 61

Bulvar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

The bazaar district . . . . . . . . . . . .72

İstiklal A., Ülkü S., Osmaniye A. . . 74

Lise St. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Yakakent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

Alaçam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Bafra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

19 May›s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

Tekkeköy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .142

Çarflamba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .152

Terme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164

Kavak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174

Havza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .182

Vezirköprü . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .196

Ladik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212

Asarc›k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224

Ayvac›k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230

Sal›pazar› . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236

Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250

Contents

Samsun City Map

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

Scale

Black Sea

SAMSUNSamsun is the largest city in the BlackSea Region of Turkey.After all, it is situated in the centre of theBlack Sea Region. The highwayconnection from the centre of Turkey,Ankara, to the Black Sea region isensured via Samsun.The land route also goes from Samsunto Sinop in the west and Ordu, Giresun,Trabzon, Rize, and Artvin in the east.In addition, the largest airport of theregion is in Samsun on that beautifulplain between Samsun and Çarflamba.The port of Samsun is one of the oldest

ports of the region. The port of Samsunis also the port at which Mustafa KemalAtatürk, the great leader of Turkey’snational independence war, set foot inAnatolia, to initiate the war ofindependence. At that time there were noport facilities, it was just a dock whichcould serve only small boats. The“Band›rma” steamer, which broughtAtatürk to Samsun, became the symbolof the national independence war.However, this symbol was notappreciated and preserved; it was soldfor scrap metal in the 1950’s.Now, a replica of that beautiful ship has

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been built and it is exhibited in themuseum at East Park, on the easternedge of the port.

Samsun had longforgotten the sea; butnow the two arereunited...The port of Samsun was established atthe huge gulf where Samsun meets thesea from one side to the other, as if toseparate the land from water. Moreover,there was a railroad between the sea andthe land, allowing the people of Samsunto forget the sea for about 40-50 years,merely watching the dirty waters of the

port from a distance or from thefairgrounds.Now this is changing, and the people ofSamsun are reuniting with the Black Sea.The constructions at the port and EastPark are finished, and those at West Parkare almost complete. This place hasbecome a recreational site includingsightseeing terraces, mile-long walkingand jogging tracks, a zoo, sports fields,water parks and, of course, many cafesand restaurants. In addition, the formerlyfoul-smelling water has been cleaned, bystopping the flow of wastewater to theport and the sea and by building wastetreatment facilities.Now, fish can live in the port and this hasincreased the number of fishermen whostand along the shores with their fishinglines. A shoreside sculpture of afisherman, which was built by theSamsun Metropolitan Municipality,salutes everyone. He is there as if to say,you will be able to fish here for manyyears to come.

Lost traces of greathistoryThe city of Samsun has a 7000-year-long history. It was called Amisos inantiquity but the settlements in theregion date back to even earlier times.Traces of this settlement in the tumulusat Dündartepe which is in İlkadımregion. Also some founding can be seenin the region of Bafra, and in thetumulus covered by Kızılırmak delta.

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The most fertile plains ofTurkeySamsun has two huge plainscreated by two rivers, one of whichis the longest river in Turkey. Oneis the K›z›l›rmak Delta and the Plainof Bafra; the other is the Yeflil›rmakDelta and the Plain of Çarflamba.These are two of the very few largeareas which the Black Sea Regionofffers between the steepmountains.These two rivers have fertilized theland for thousands of years with thealluvial deposits they carry. These

two plains have been Turkey’s fruitand vegetable garden. The richnessstill endures. The points wherethese two deltas meet the sea haveformed little lakes and wetlands,and these have become home tomany birds. The Delta and wetlandof Bafra has especially rich fauna.These two wetland fields, which aresituated on the migration routes ofthe birds, are also a perfect placefor bird watchers.

PlateausWhen we think of the plateaus of theBlack Sea Region, the plateaus of theEastern Black Sea Region come first tomind.The plateaus of Trabzon, Rize, Orduand Giresun are very famous.Transhumant culture is almost specificto this region. However, even if theyare not famous, the plateaus of

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Samsun are beauties that are worthseeing.The plateaus of Ladik and Vezirköprü,especially Kunduz and Akdağ, are thefirst plateaus to mention. In plateausat Kunduz and Akdağ there are perfectplaces for nature lovers and campers.Nature lovers from Samsun especiallyprefer those nearer to the city centreand within Yakanet for walks in nature.

Samsun is on the brink oftouristic regionaldevelopmentRecently, alternative tourism optionshave started developing in Samsun.Nature tourism is popular and has

potential for various touristic activitieswith the sea, the unique sand, thevery green forests, mountains that aresnow covered in the winter, the lakes,long rivers, curative thermal springs,the delta of K›z›l›rmak, which is one ofthe largest wetlands of Turkey, and its340 bird species.The number of hotels in Samsunand its districts is increasing incomparison to previous years. Thenumber of hotels, which is currentlymore than 27, will increase furtherin the years to come upon thecompletion of those underconstruction.

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New hotels are being planned incompliance with the demand.Maybe many things will change in thenext few years. The MetropolitanMunicipalitiy, Governor’s office andChambers of Commerce are workingtogether on infrastructure for fairs andconference tourism. Samsun Airport isa busy place for Turkish Airlines andother airway companies.

Endless coasts andbeachesSamsun is situated in the Middle BlackSea Region of Turkey. The Coast ofSamsun is 120 km in total. This coast,which lies from Alacam to Terme Miliç,includes a beach that reaches a depthof 200 meters at some points. This isa beautiful beach with fine sand.Unfortunately, the number of beaches

with developed infrastructure is limited.Nevertheless, the number of beachesis increasing. This increase will initiallybe at the centre of the city andespecially Atakum. The numbers ofhotels along the coastline were few.However, new hotel constructions havebegun in the Atakum and 19 May›sregions.Samsun is expected to be named as atourism incentive area with allocationsfor the construction of large holidayvillages and coastline hotels after thestate develops the infrastructure. Thereis no other alternative for Samsun butto take advantage of its longcoastline–almost half the length of thecoast of Bulgaria-for coastline tourismand to benefit from this mostdeveloped type of tourism.

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Festivals and fairsLocal festivals and fairs have beenlong standing traditions in theseparts, but the recent addition ofinternational cultural events havebrought a new dimension to localfestivities.The international folk dancingfestival is held here every July, withvarious neighbour countries takingpart. Samsun also hosts the May19 Festival, commorating the dateof Atatürk’s arrival in Samsun in1919.

New excursion routesWe have made suggestions to travelagencies and domestic travellers. It isup to them whether to implementthese suggestions or not.Middle and Eastern Black Sea RegionTour (by bus or plane)To Samsun airport by plane.Samsun city tour. (See the pagesabout Samsun centre for excursionroutes; these pages include alternativetours for those who are going to spendmore than one day in Samsun.)To Ünye, Perflembe and Ordu by bus.Spending the night at Ordu. Historicaltour of the city of Ordu.Plateau tours in Ordu. A popularoption in recent years has beendriving in small Volkswagens.City tour in Giresun. The road toBolaman Stream, Plateaus, etc andTrabzon. Tour of the Sumelamonastery.

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Two Samsuns inHistory‹lker Sever

In his work called Geographika,Strabon states that the city of Amisos(Samsun) was founded by the peopleof Miletos arriving from Sinop,changed hands for three times andwas an important city of its era whichwas well-organized.Between the fourth and ninthcenturies, Byzantines and Arabsconstantly fought for Samsun and itssurroundings; then the Turkomanstook over the city in 1072. After ashort time, the city was brought underByzantine rule, but was constantlyattacked by the Daniflmento€ullar›principality, which was subject to theSeljuk Sultan, Süleymanflah. Most ofthe region was conquered after MelikDaniflmend Gazi’s death. By 1081,the attacks were even fiercer. By1084, the entire region except Amisoswas conquered. The Byzantinegovernor of Amisos resisted for a long

time and was able to evade conquest.Having failed to take over the city, theDaniflmento€ular› founded a city on asite, which was a stone’s throw awayfrom Amisos and now called KaleMahallesi (Castle Quarter). Thepeople of this new settlement namedthe people of the old one “Kâfirler”(Infidels). After some time,commercial relations began betweenthese two cities and their relationshipgradually increased.The Seljuk dominion was ratherweak during the reign of SultanMesud, and Daniflmento€ullar›became more powerful than theother principalities, but they beganto lose their power because ofsevere competition for the throne in1143. In 1178, Seljuk Sultan K›l›çArslan II ended the rule of thisprincipality in that region. Inaddition, Amisos, the “InfidelSamsun”, was brought under Seljukrule. After this, the Byzantine fleetsattacked the region from time totime. The most severe attack was

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The investigations carried out inSamsun area reveal that theearliest signs of the homo sapiensappeared in Tekkekoy. Worksbelonging to the sub-paleolithicage ( 400.000-10.000 BC), to themesolithic age (10.000-8000 BC),to the Bronze Age and the HittitePeriod were obtained as a result ofthe excavations and investigationscarrid out in the rock shelterscaves and flat settlements.The scientific excavations carried out in Tekkekoy, Dundartepe,Kaledorugu and Ikıztepe where the late chalcholithic and bronze ageswere located reveal that all the settlements were in the village style andwere founded by small groups. It was revealed that the folk lived inframe houses; lived on hunting, fishing and husbandry; was familiarwith fabric and leather trade; made weapons, ornaments and tools first

SAMSUN FROM PAST TO PRESENT

during Süleymanflah II's reign. It wasan ambush organized by Alexios III.After the Crusader Invasion ofConstantinople (1204), the Byzantinedynasty of Lascaris and Komnenosfounded their new states in ‹znik(Nicaea) and Trabzon (Trapezounda)respectively; and the Komnenosexpansion over the Black Sea regionwas disturbing the Lascaris dynastyand the Seljuks. Trade in the BlackSea was also greatly affected by thissituation. Trade caravans used to

carry goods from Syria and Egypt tothe ports of Samsun and Sinop(Sinope), using the routes passingthrough Kayseri and Sivas; thosegoods were than transported to otherports. However, Sinop was taken overby the dynasty of Komnenos, andSamsun was besieged. Therefore,commercial activity at the portsstopped. Iznik (Nicaea) recognized thedomination of the Byzantine Empireand asked for help. The one whosaved Samsun and Sinop from the

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from blister and then from arsenical copper. They were burried withthe things they used in their daily lives in simple earth funeraries.It was determined that the Samsun area was in close relationship withthe the Eastern Aegian Islands, Southern Greek, Bulgarian andRomanian cultures. Such relationships show that there was coastalsailing in the Black Sea.According to the ancient sources, Amisos (Samsun) was a settlementestablished before the Greeks. Writers of the antique age indicate thatthe first name of Amisos was Enete. In the early 6 BC, a group fromMiletos arriving from Sinope conquer the small settlement called“Amisos” and found the emporion. During the first half of 6 BC, thecappadocians arrive and settle inAmisos. In the middle of 6 BC,the cappadocian leader allowsthe Phokaians (ancient Phocaea)to settle in Amisos. In 437 BC,a group among those comingfrom Athens and arriving atSinope settle in Amisos in theleadership of Athenokles and

hands of the Komnenos Dynasty, bycooperating with the Nicean Empire,was the Seljuk Sultan G›yaseddinKeyhüsrev I. The conflict between theKomnenos Dynasty and the Seljukslasted for some time after the victoryof Seljuk.The old settlement of Christian Amisossurvived for more than 200 years; firstas a settlement subject to theByzantine Empire and thenbeginning

from the first half of the 14th century--as a colony inhabited by the Genoans.Having signed the Nymphaion Treatywith the Byzantines,, granting themsignificant commercial concessions,the Genoans had an opportunity to bein charge of the ports along the BlackSea; in addition to being able toperform commercial activities withoutpaying any custom duties withinByzantine lands. Byzantines werepaying a huge price in exchange forrenting 50 ships. After this treaty, thecompetition between Venice andGenoa became fiercer, focusing onByzantium, but the Genoans were thesuperior force in the Black Sea;thanks to the treaty. Having takencontrol of the key commercial centerson the coast of the Black Sea such asKefe, Sinop, Fatsa, Trabzon andSamsun, the Genoans became aswealthy as the Venetians.fierafettin Turan states that the exactdate of Genoan settlement in Samsunis not known, but Samsun was writtenas Simisso and depicted with a

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change its name as Peiraieos.It is predicted that, in the midst of 6 BC, Amisos paid taxes to thePersians, just as the other Greek cities did, as Anatolia fell under thehegemony of Persians.In the early 4 BC, Amisos was conquered by the Cappadocian SatrapDamastes; thus, establishing Persian domination in the area.The Persian domination over Anatolia comes to an end upon the defeatof the Persians by Alexander the Great in 334-333 BC and Amisosgains independence. After the death of Alexander the Great,Alexander’s clerk, Eumenes, isawarded with the position of thesatrap of Cappadocia andPaphlaonia-Pontus. After thedeath of Eumenes, Kassandrosconquers Amisos in 315 BC.Antigonos saves the city bysending his nephew Ptolemaiosthere and the satrapy isreconstituted.Amitos is put under the

Genoan flag in a map dating back tothe year 1351.Amisos was just another maritime citythat had been brought under Genoanrule, just like Heraklia (Ere€li) andAmastris (Amasra). Samsun had abusy commercial port, even thoughsomewhat overshadowed by the portof Sinop (Sinope). In addition, theextent of the hinterland of the port ofSamsun increased its importance.Walls surrounded Amisos, animportant maritime city, and agovernor appointed with the title"podesta" by the Genoans was incharge of it. Moreover, the residentsof Muslim Samsun were benefitingfrom the shipyard and maritimeexperiences of the people of Amisos.The Seljuks, who were interested incommerce on the Black Sea, werealso performing commercial activitiesthrough the port of Amisos, which wasa commercial centre. Moreover,Genoans were purchasing commercialgoods like fabrics, carpets andmaterials of all kinds from the Muslim

merchants. In addition, the Genoangoods coming to the port of Samsunwere being marketed to Anatoliathrough these Muslim merchants.In the middle of the 14th century,Muslim Samsun and its surroundingswere under the domination of theEretna principality. During the reign ofG›yaseddin Mehmed, the principalitybegan to lose power and another one,Kubado€ullar›, seized control of the

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domination of the Republic of Pontus by Mithridates Kitises in 302BC. Amisos is conquered during the reign of Mithridates II (225-220BC). Amisos undergoes its prime during the reign of Mithridates IV (120-63 BC). Throughout the running wars between the PontusKingdom and the Roman Empire, Amisos is conquered by the Exarchof Kilikia and Asia of Rome, Lucullus, in 71 BC. The city, whosepeople were killed, turns into a wreck. Lucullus orders the restructuringof the city by setting the survivors free.Pompeius comes to Amisos in the spring of 64 BC and makes newarrangements. The city, which falls to the share of the ByzantineEmpire when the Roman Empire was divided into two, becomes a

center of bishopship going by thename Amisos. In 10 BC, thename of the city is mentioned asAmisos in a command of theEmperor KonstantinPorphygenitos.Two different cities in the sameplace: Muslim Samsun andAmisos.

region. In 1398, Cüneyt Bey fromKubado€ullar› left the city to Bayazid Iwithout any resistance. After that, thecontrol of Samsun and itssurroundings was left to Alexander,the Muslim son of the Bulgarian Tsar(fiiflman). During that time, Ottomansdid not touch "Infidel Samsun”, whichwas a Genoan colony, for not only thepeace between Genoans andOttomans, but also the services andtaxes that were collected from theGenoans were important for theOttomans. The presence of an article

in a treaty signed in 1403 betweenthe representative of the Ottomans,Suleiman Çelebi, and therepresentatives of Byzantium, Venice,Genoa, Rhodes, Chios and Naksosabout the abolition of tax obligationsfor the Genoans in the Black Seasupports this. Furthermore, if this portbecame damaged or if the Genoansholding a great trade colony there leftSamsun, economical and politicalcrises would likely occur. In 1403,Ruy González de Clavijo, the emissaryof Henry III, sent an ambassador to

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When Turks began to settle in Anatolia after the battle of Malazgirt,Daniflmento¤ullar›, a Turkish principality, came to the Canik area andbesieged Amisos, but they could not conquer the city. Muslim Samsunwas founded by the sea in the form of a castle in order to watch overAmisos.After the battle of Köseda¤ (06.06.1243), the Mongols divided Anatoliainto two, and the Canik area was part of the region left to K›l›çarslan,who was the Sultan of Seljuk.

After that, Canik came under theGreek Empire of Trabzon(Trapezounda.)As for the Muslim Samsun that hadcome under Mongolian rule, it wasconquered by Mesut, leader of theTurkish principalityPervaneo¤ullar›.

Timour, traveled from Istanbul toTrabzon through the Black SeaRegion.In his travel journals, he mentions thedual structure of Samsun, stating thathe visited Samsun in 1404 afterleaving Sinop:“We left Sinope on Saturday April 5th.We spent the whole night at sea. Atnoon the next day, we arrived atSamsun. The Turks were in chargehere. There are two castles inSamsun; one belonging to theGenoans, the other to SuleimanÇelebi. We did not enter the port butstayed at sea. The weather wassuitable so we arrived at Ünye at noonthe next day.In 1404, Samsun was under the ruleof Suleiman Çelebi, the son of BayazidI. After some time, the Candaro€ullar›principality took control of the city.Even though the area was destroyedby Tamerlane’s troops, after thedefeat of Bayazid I in the Ankara War,the part of the city under Genoandomination survived.In 1419, “Infidel Samsun” faced adisaster. A small fire spread out

gradually and flames surrounded theentire city. The Genoans evacuatedthe city immediately. The podesta incharge fled to Kefe, another Genoancolony. Being notified that the city wasevacuated, Mehmet Çelebi orderedBiçero€lu Hamza Bey, who was incharge of the governorship of theOttoman lands in Asia Minor, tocapture Amisos. Having been mostlyevacuated after the fire, the city wasconquered without any resistance.Turkish troubadour Afl›kpaflazade tellsthe conquest of the Infidel Samsun asfollows:

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1358: The Muslim Samsun came under the control of Suleiman (theleader of the Turkish principality, Hac› Emiro¤ullar›). Suleimanaccepted the domination of the State of Kad› Burhanettin Ahmet.1389: Kubato¤lu Cüneyt Bey controlled Samsun.1389: Bayazid I, also called Y›ld›r›m Beyaz›t, brought the city underOttoman control without any bloodshed, in that Kubato¤lu Cüneyt Beyhad escaped; and he appointed Alexander (the Fat) as the governor.Bayazid does not touch Amisos but lays it under contribution

1402: When Timur (Tamerlane)gave the lands of the AnatolianTurkish principalities back, after thebattle of Ankara, Muslim Samsuncame under the rule of Emir AhmetTacettin of the Tacettino¤ullar›principality.Then Kubato¤ullar›, Taflano¤lu

The control of Samsun was not theonly thing to change after the fire. Thetitle “Infidel" was also forgotten. Thenew title of that part of the city was“Dark" from then on. The Muslim parthad now become the centre.The port of Samsun was an importantport where slaves, wine and all kindsof material and grain were traded.However, commercial activity was notas intense as in the old days.Historical sources state that theGenoans left the city after the fire, but

it is difficult to say that every one ofthem definitely left.It is obvious that commercial relationsbetween Genoans and Samsun didnot end. In a document, dating backto 4 December 1423, there is anauthorization for rebuilding the castle,which had belonged to the Genoancolony in Samsun. This authorizationwas granted at the request of theGenoans who helped the Ottoman

Sultan Murad II with the rebellion ofPrince Mustafa.

These prove the Genoan presence inSamsun despite the decline ofcommercial activity. Öz states thatItalian sources mention a Genoancolony in the city in the year 1424.Moreover, Öz claims that a group offive people called “Frank Market”which was recorded in the militarydocuments of the year 1485 is theremnant of Genoan presence in thecity.

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Ahmet Bey and Cüneyt Bey, the son of Emir Ali Çelebi ruled thecity for short periods respectively.1419: Then H›z›r Bey, the son of ‹sfendiyaro¤lu Kötürüm Beyaz›t(Bayazid the Cripple) conquered Muslim Samsun.1419: A huge fire broke out in Amisos. The entire city was in flames.Genoans evacuated the city. In addition, the podesta in charge fled toanother Genoan colony.Having been informed that the city was evacuated, Mehmet Çelebi,

ordered Biçero¤lu Hamza Bey, whowas in charge of the governorshipof the Ottoman lands in AsiaMinor, to capture Amisos. The citywas captured without anyresistance.After Biçero¤lu Hamza took overAmisos, he began to fight against

Unfortunately, the fortification of thecastle of Muslim Samsun has notsurvived.

The remains of the fortification weredemolished during the reconstructionof the city in 1870. As you see, duringthe Anatolian conquest, there weredual settlements in ‹zmir (Smyrna)and Samsun (Amisos); and the othernamed one of the two settlements inthis dual structure “Infidel”.This is because of the fact that the

Turkomans saw the neighboringsettlements as "the other",distinguished them by using areligious term, calling them Infidels.Thus, the city where they live wascalled Infidel. However, the fact thatthe Byzantines and the crusaderscalled the Turks “infidele” should alsobe remembered.

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Muslim Samsun, which was under the rule of ‹sfendiyaro¤lu H›z›rBey.1419: Mehmet Çelebi took control of Muslim Samsun and Amisos forthe last time. H›z›r, son of Yörgüç Pasha, was appointed to thegovernorship of the city.1526: After him, Sarraç Ali held office as the governor.1760: Samsun became a small administrative district (Muhass›l›k) andwas joined under the Province of Trabzon1869: While governor Arab Hakk› Pasha was in charge, the great fireof Samsun broke out.Between the years 1874-1882, Samsun was an independentgovernorate.1882: Samsun joined the Province of Trabzon once again.1910: Samsun became an independent governorate once again19t May 1919: Mustafa Kemal Pasha landed at Samsun to initiate theNational War of Independence.

The Year 1919: MustafaKemal is in Samsun, thecity where the NationalWar of Independencewas initiated.

From 19 to 25 of MayHaving set foot in Samsun on 19 May1919, Mustafa Kemal informed theVizier’s Office on May 20 by telegraphthat a national resistance woulddefinitely be initiated in Anatolia.“Neither the nation nor the army willyield or accept this unjust violationdirected against their existence.”On 20 May, Mustafa Kemal visitedBad›ll› village where there were armedconflicts between Greek Ponticmarauders, and told the villagers in aplace called Çimenlik (Grassland) thatthey must take up arms against themarauders.On 21 May, he visited Avdan villagenear Samsun and made inquiriesabout the Pontic marauders nearthere. He spent the night in Halit’shouse in the village and then returnedto Samsun.By 21 May, he started to contact thecommanding officers of the armycorps. His aim was to detect the

location and strength of the troops,arrange movements andreinforcements, informing thecommanders about necessary militaryprecautions against possible enemyattacks from any possible direction,encouraging the commanders todevelop militia forces, and preparingthem for the idea of a nationalorganization.

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Atatürk and his wife during their visit to Samsun

Atatürk opening ceremony of Samsun-Çarflamba railway

He prepared a report includinginformation about the activities ofPontic marauders around Samsunand sent this report to the Vizier’soffice on 22 May. If read carefully, thereport shows traces of the idea of theNational Independence Movement.1. Turks will not tolerate any kind offoreign administration2. For Turks, ‹zmir is as important asIstanbul.3. No invasion will be permitted,especially an invasion by Greece.4. Greek Invasion in ‹zmir istemporary; the Greeks will definitelybe sent away.Mustafa Kemal, who was ordered tomaintain public order around Samsun,mentioned the salvation of the Turkishnation and the Turkish homelandentirely and stated in the reports hesent to Istanbul that it was necessaryto count on the nation’s tenacity anddetermination. The presence of Ponticmarauders, foreign army officers andEnglish intelligence officers and thefact that Samsun was under militaryoccupation were making it dangerousfor Mustafa Kemal to stay in Samsun.Greeks had surrounded the hotelwhere he was staying (MantikaPalace).

On 24 May, Mustafa Kemal Pashainformed Istanbul that he wanted tomove to the more central areas withinhis inspection zone, in order to carryout investigations related to his officialduty.On 25 May, after breakfast, he set outto Havza (a southern district ofSamsun) with a commission of 18delegates that constituted theInspection Quarter of the army.

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Atatürk his colleagues arriving Samsun Port (Gazi Museum)

Views from Atatürk’s visit to Samsunand Çarflamba

A journey of hardship:from Samsun to HavzaMustafa Kemal’s party set out fromMantika Palace Hotel and arrivedinitially at Subafl› through fiüküro€lu(now Mecidiye) Avenue.The weather was gloomy. It started todrizzle while the party was getting awayfrom Samsun and the sea. Theyclimbed up the Unkapan› hill and wentpast the military barracks. Then theyreached Avdan through K›ran village.They had their first rest in Avdan SusuzHanlar, and then they set out toMahmur Mountain.The region between the MahmurMountain and Susuz Hanlar was thezone where Pontic Marauders most

often prepared their attacks. There waswoodland on the right and left sides ofthe area, and because the region wassurrounded with Greek villages, thePontic Marauders were raiding caravansand killing the merchants.Canbuto€lu Ekrem from the Karl› villageof Kavak (Ekrem the Circassian) and hismen were in charge of the party’ssecurity. Born in Kavak in 1887, Ekremthe Circassian set up the first nationalguerilla organization against the Ponticmarauders around Samsun in 1915.The governor of Samsun, Kemal, wassecretly supporting him.Ekrem the Circassian was maintainingsecurity of the road from Samsun to thecentral parts of Anatolia.

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Atatürk’s visit to Samsun

On the Samsun-Kavak road, MustafaKemal's car broke down many times.One of those times, he approached avillager who was working in his fieldand said:“My compatriot! The enemy is goingto land in Samsun. They will evenclaim your harvest. But you aresowing your land, indifferently.”“Pasha, Pasha! What are you talkingabout? I had two brothers and twosons. They all died in Yemen,Caucasia and Çanakkale. I am theonly one alive; and I am useless inthat there are three widows andeight orphans I have to look after.They all live on my harvest.Therefore, my homeland is no morethan this field. Don’t expect anythingfrom me until the enemy comes tomy field.”These words demonstrated thedepression, hopelessness andhelplessness of the Anatolianpeople.In Kulup›nar, near Kavak, the carbroke down again and the partycontinued on foot.Ekrem the Circassian was amongthose welcoming Mustafa Kemal. InKavak, the party met the prominentpersons of the district in the city

hall. They discussed the nationalindependence movement.Ekrem the Circassian and his 200cavaliers were going to guard theparty on the way to Havza.(You can see photos of MustafaKemal of the first days of thenational independence movement,on display in the Gazi Museum.)

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Atatürk visit the commanders of 16. Divison

MUSEUMS

Gazi MuseumSamsun’s Gazi Museum ison Mecidiye Avenue. Thebuilding was constructedasa hotel, with four shops onthe ground level. Thebuilding stands on an area of 509m2, and was constructed by JeanIonnis Mantika in 1902.This building was the first placewhere Mustafa Kemal, the inspectorgeneral of the 9th army, and hisentourage spent the night when theylanded in Samsun on Monday, 19May 1919.Later, in 1926, the key of the MantikaPalace Hotel was offered to Mustafa

Kemal Pasha, on behalfof the people of Samsun,as a token of that day.During his third andfourth visits (on 16-18September 1928 and 22-26 November 1930) toSamsun, Mustafa KemalAtatürk stayed in this

hotel, which was given to him as giftfrom the people of Samsun.The building opened as Gazi Museumin 1940, through the efforts of theMunicipality of Samsun. It was thentransferred to the Ministry of Culturein 1995 and reopened in 1998 aftersome reorganization.The Atatürk Museum, which is next tothe Archeology and EthnographyMuseum, opened in 1968.

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The collections of the Gazi andAtatürk Museums were consolidatedin the Gazi Museum after a massiverestoration, and Gazi Museumreopened in 23 May 2006. Thewaxworks of Mustafa Kemal and hiscomrades, and photographs from theperiod when he landed in Samsun on19 May 1919 constitute the majorholdings of the museum. Variousdocuments, records and accuratereplicas of Mustafa Kemal'sbelongings are among the otherobjects that are on exhibition.

Archeology andEthnography MuseumSituated in front of the old fairground ofSamsun and near the new Governorship

Building, the Archeology andEthnography Museum opened in 1981.The middle entrance hall and the right-hand side hall display archeological finds,and the left hall contains ethnographicpieces.At the entrance, a floor mosaic found atthe excavations around the antique cityof Amisos greets visitors. The mosaicdates back to the time of AlexanderSeverus (BC 222 - 235), the RomanEmperor, and it seems to haveundergone restoration at a later date.There is a scene in the middle of themosaic depicting the Trojan War withAchilles and Thetis; and around it, thereare images depicting the seasons. The

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most valuable and interesting exhibit inthe museum is the Amisos treasury,exhibited in glass cabinets right behindthe mosaic panels. Tomb chambers werediscovered during a road expansion inthe centre of Samsun. The square-shaped tomb was 5x5 meters and 2.30meters high and it included five graves.The family tomb, believed to belong to ahigh-ranking officer of the PonticKingdom, concealed a treasure, most of

which consisted of pure gold.The findings arouse great excitement.Investigations by the Director of theSamsun Museum and the researchersrevealed that the earthenware, glass,metal and marble works found in thecaves dated back to the early 3 BC.In terms of both number of items and

historic value, the treasure is consideredthe most important collection excavatedduring the Republican period of Turkey.In the hall to the right, objects found in

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archeological excavations aroundSamsun are on exhibition. These areobjects that date back to Chalcolithic,early Bronze and early Hittite periods.The most valuable item in this section isthe bronze sculpture of a naked athlete,dating back to the 1st century A.D. Thissection mostly consists of amphorae. Inthe ethnography part of the museum,ethnographic materials that demonstratethe social life and the commercialactivities of Samsun in the near past arealso on exhibition.Furthermore, the works found in the

Oymaagac excavation are exhibited in therooms adjacent to the ethnographysection.

Band›rma Ferry SteamerThe “Band›rma” ferry was a small boatbuilt in Paisley, England. The steamer,which once belonged to a Britishcompany, was first named "Trokodero"then "Kymi" and it became “Pandarme”after a Greek from Istanbul purchased it.Finally, the steamer was named“Band›rma" when it passed to Seyr-iSefain (Ottoman Maritime Lines).

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From Istanbul toSamsun with theBand›rma Steamer,1919.During the days when most regions ofthe country, including Istanbul, wereunder occupation. Mustafa Kemal andhis comrades were holding meetingafter meeting in his house in fiiflli. Theydiscussed ways to save the nation fromoccupation. The only way was to leaveIstanbul on duty, going to Anatolia. Atthe same time, news suggested thatthe Greek Metropolite was complainingabout Turkish attacks on Greek villagesand that the occupying forces wouldappeal to the Sublime Porte to takecontrol of the situation and that if thelocal authorities failed to maintainorder in Samsun and nearby villages,the occupation forces would do so.Mustafa Kemal was the one of the firstamong the commanders that theSublime Porte trusted to maintainorder. Damat Ferid Pasha and MustafaKemal met at the Foreign AffairsPalace on 1 May 1919 and discussedthe situation. On 12 May 1919,

Mustafa Kemal was appointed as theInspector General of the 9th Army.Sultan Vahdettin had welcomedMustafa Kemal in his office andordered him to find solutions to theproblems put forward by the British.The Sultan appointed Mustafa Kemalas an aide-de-camp.With close friends at the house in fiiflli,he made plans for what to do afterarriving in Samsun and preparationsfor the journey.. The naval forces hadbeen heavily damaged and the existingfleet had been sent to Germany formaintenance and repair. The 41-year-old “Band›rma” steamer, which hadsailed only across the Marmara Sea,was assigned for this expedition. IsmailHakki Durusu was appointed captain ofthis ferry steamer, which had littleresistance to the rough waves of theBlack Sea. The ferry was to follow aroute as close to the coastline aspossible. The aim: to reach land in thefastest way, at the same timeprotecting itself from potential enemyattacks. The voyage would end inSamsun; however, the steamer couldgo on shore in Sinop in case of danger.On the morning of 16 May, Mustafa

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Kemal and his command boarded theship. The “Band›rma” was stopped atthe Sirkeci Dock and underwent aheavy inspection by the British. Afterthe steamer had left Istanbul, adestroyer was sent by the British forcesto force back or sink the steamer.However, because the “Band›rma” didnot follow the route planned by theBritish occupying forces, it escaped. On18 May 1919, around 12 o’clock, the“Band›rma” steamer entered the Portof Sinop. When the Governor of Sinop,Mashar Tevfik Bey, who was a guest onboard, went on shore in a rowboat;Mustafa Kemal Pasha and his friendswere considering to land in Sinop andthen going to Samsun by land. Thisway, they would escape from thewarship following them. However, whenthey realized that the land route wouldbe more difficult than the sea routedue to road conditions, they decided tocontinue their voyage by ferry.On Monday morning, 19 May 1919 at08:15, the “Band›rma” ferry steameranchored at Dil Dock, Samsun.Mustafa Kemal Pasha and hiscompanions-at-arms boarded single-masted boats and went ashore at theDil Dock (Reji), built by the French.Today the First Step (‹lk Ad›m)

Monument stands there, betweenSamsun Grand Hotel and Yaflar Do€uSport Center.Nobody knew that this young generallanding in Samsun on 19 May 1919was going to start the Independencemovement. His official duty was to putorder to and gain control ofrevolutionary gangs in and aroundSamsun. His official title was Inspectorof the Army.

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STATUES

Statue of HonorAtatürk’s bronze statue, thesymbol of Samsun, was made bysculptor H. Kriphel as acommission from the people ofSamsun. The statue was broughtto Samsun by a German ship on15 November 1931. H. Kripheland an engineer called Mayerfrom Vienna were also on board.At 2 o’clock in the afternoon on15 January 1932, a large crowedattended the unveiling ceremonyof the Statue of the Gazi.Samsun’s Statue of Honor is

8.85cm high including its baseand 4.75 cm high without it.Atatürk, in all his majesty, isriding a rampant horse. His eyesare filled with honor anddetermination, gazing west, farahead. His erect position on thehorse expresses fearlessness andthe might of the Turks. A hardsteel arm is reaching for a sword.There are bas-reliefs on two sidesof the base and texts on the othertwo.One of the bas-reliefs showspeople carrying guns andammunition, near a rowboat on adock with a carriage behindthem, indicating that the bas-relief depicts the moment ofbattle.In the middle of the other bas-relief, Atatürk stands tall as asymbol of great victory. His faceis turned towards the people as

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he joins hands with them. He issurrounded by the Turkish nation;villagers, city folks and elders.The texts on the base of thestatute read as follows:

a) Gazi Mustafa Kemal landed inSamsun on 19 May 1919 toinitiate the National Resistance.b) This statue was erected on 29October 1931 by the people ofSamsun.

First Step Monument(‹lk Ad›m An›t›)

The sculptor Hakk› Atamulu made theFirst Step Monument for thecentenary of Atatürk’s birth (1981-1982) at the Reji Docks, whereAtatürk first set foot in Samsun on 19May 1919.The three figures on the front of themonument symbolize the landing ofAtatürk and his comrades. TheNational Independence War wasinitiated at this spot.

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PROMINENTRELIGIOUS BUILDINGS

Great Mosque(Büyük Cami)

The Seljuk commander H›d›r (H›z›r)constructed this wooden mosque in 1300as the mosque of the Samsun Castle.The building was destroyed during thegreat fire of Samsun in 1869, and Hac› AliEffendi of Batumi from theMenzilcio€ullar› family rebuilt the present

day mosque.It was also called Valide Camisi (SultanaMosque), since Pertev Nihal Sultan,Sultan Abdülaziz's mother, renovated themosque; other names given to the GreatMosque are Hamidiye Mosque andMosque of Kebir. The building has asingle dome.Because the building has manywindows, the inside feels spacious andis filled with daylight. The windows arehigh and the ones in the congregationarea have wide, round arches. Those atthe other side are rounded. In addition,the high windows in the form of three-pointed stars are stained glass.The inside of the dome is adorned withengravings. There are bas-relief star andmedal motives on the pulpit wood.The chamber where the shrine isplaced, is the centre of the building.The shrine is pink marble and its heightconforms to the height of the dome.This shrine has three faces and aprotruding arch. This arch is placed onthe high leg of the lower part and theshort leg of the higher part. The nicheof the shrine is curved and has simpledecoration.People enter the mosque courtyardthrough an archway. There were alsotwo columns on each side standing ondark bases, but they no longer exist.The mosque has two minarets, whichare made of stone. To go upstairs, onemust climb 110 steps.

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The Catholic Church ofMater Dolorosa (MaterDolorosa Katolik Kilisesi)Capuchin priests from the GeorgianChurch, which was built in 1661, foundedand maintained the churches of Trabzon,Samsun and Erzurum. The church ofSamsun, which was also built in 1661,was made of wood and it was 879.24meters.On 1 January 1845, Tsar Nicolas expelledItalian Capuchin priests from the Churchof Tbilisi. The priests went to Trabzon andestablished the Santa Maria Church there.Some of them came to Samsun, and,with authorization granted by the OttomanSultan at the request of the French consulin Istanbul, the Catholic Church wasrebuilt in Samsun in 1857.Dr. Francesco Saveri O Marcoaldi fromSamsun contributed to the construction ofthe Catholic Church of Samsun. Histombstone is preserved in the garden ofthe church.

The Church TodayThe Second Mater DolorosaCatholic ChurchKnown by the public as the European (orrather French) Church for a time, theMater Dolorosa Catholic Church is stillactive today with one priest and onenun.The church is located at theintersection of Baghdad and Kad›köy

Avenues and it is constructed from stoneand brick. The front facade of the church isdesigned in three parts with columns. Atthe very top there is a triangular front plate.There are entrance gates in the middle andbelow. In the upper part, there are singleand dual windows. In the side galleries,there are niches below and one circulararched window above. The church has agable roof and a vaulted interior. The topof the vaults are decorated with circularwindows.

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Parks, Gardens andWalking PathsThe city centre of Samsun is filled withlarge open spaces, parks, gardens andwalking paths thanks to recentcoastline planning. However, there isstill work to do. Within 2 years, it willbe possible to travel from the easternto western ends of Samsun withoutleaving the coastline.

The Kurtuluş Road andthe Tutun PortThe piece of land the Great LeaderAtaturk and 18 friends of him set theirfeet in Samsun to light the first torchof the War of Independence on 19May 1919 has achieved the prestige itdeserves. The road extending from theTutun Port, on which Ataturk and his

18 friends set their feet, to the MıntıkaPalas hotel was made into the“Kurtuluş Road” by the SamsunMetropolitan Municipality and was putinto the service of our people on 19

May 2009. The Protokol Road; whichwas built by way of reconstructing the

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Tutun Port, where Ataturk wentashore, and building a symbolicBandirma Steamer, as well; is 45meters in width and 400 meters inlength. There are decorative poolsrepresentative of Ataturk and his 18friends along the road and ceramicreliefs on the left side.

Atatürk ParkRight next to Cumhuriyet Square there is apark in the middle of which the Statue ofAtatürk sits. This park was the first park inSamsun. With a nicely planned environment,fountains, and, of course, the statue ofAtatürk, it is the first destination for travelers.

East Park (Do€u Park›)This area, on the eastern side of Samsun,between the coastline and the highway,has been reorganized. Playgrounds,sports fields, rest areas and smallgardens full of flowers are in the area thatlies between the mouth of the Mert Riverand the entrance to the harbour wherethe “Band›rma” steamer dropped anchor.The area is also largely forested. Therecreation facilities of Samsunspor (thesports club of Samsun) are also here. Inaddition, nice walking and jogging pathsattract people of all ages to this area.The Band›rma Steamer Museum is alsohere. (Check the Monuments andMuseums part for detailed information.)

Fairground and PortThe coastline between the Mert River andthe port of Samsun has also beenreorganized. In the past, the Fairground wasjammed between the port and the railroad. Itwas arecreation area, but it was not asbeautiful as it could have been. In addition, itwas seldom used through out the year,usually only in the summers. The coastlineis now open to both cars and pedestriansthanks to the renewal work, and there aremany paths for walking and jogging. TheSevgi Park lake and recreation areaand thezoo are two important facilities recentlyconstructed by the Metropolitan Municipality.Inside Sevgi Park there is a large pondsurrounded by restaurants and rest areas.Moreover, the zoo is a new focus of interest

for the people of Samsun. Among theanimals in the zoo, there is a lion, a tiger, agiraffe, an ostrich and a bear…

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The New StrandThe port is no longer dirty. Thanks to thewater treatment plants, the water of theport is once again clean.The area is now good for coastal fishing.It is significant that although Samsun isnot rich in sculptures, a Fisherman'sstatue was erected there by theMetropolitan Municipality.

The road next to the sea is now called“the new strand” by the people ofSamsun.Horse carts travel along the strand, justlike in ‹zmir. There are also restaurantsand cafes there to satisfy populardemand.

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The historic steamer “Yalova," formerly aferry steamer of the IstanbulMetropolitan Municipality, is a café-restaurant.One of Samsun’s famous fishrestaurants is just ahead of the steamer.

West Park, cable car andBaruthane(Gunpowder Factory)Restorations in West Park, thewestern edge of the port and the city,are continuing. The Sailing Club,formerly at the port, has moved to thenew harbor with better sailingactivities and club facilities. Therecarved up an island in memory ofamazons which were an importantfigure in the history of Samsun.Between island and the mainlandtouring with boats and canoes.WestPark and Samsun have a new cablecar that carries people from WestPark to the tumuli and sightseeingterrace on Baruthane Hill, offering apanoramic view of Samsun.The sightseeing terrace of thegunpowder factory also includesfacilities constructed by theMetropolitan Municipality. Withinthese facilities, there are cafes andplaygrounds. Right next to these,there is the excavation site ofBaruthane and Kalkanca tumuli. It isenjoyable to see the historicalremains in the excavation site. Eventhough they are not extremelyimportant remains, the tombs andfortification remains are the onlyheritage of the 2000 years' history.

Baruthane Tumulusses,the Archeological Parkand Amisos HillTombs located under two bulky hillscalled the Baruthane Tumuluses wererevealed by way of rescue excavationswith the support of SamsunMetropolitan Mayor, Yusuf Ziya Yilmazin 2004, 2005 and 2006.

MausoleumMausoleums top-dressed with bulky soilbuilt for kings symbolize the glory,divinity and immortality of the king. Itappears that the Baruthane Tumuluseswere built in the Hellenistic Period, inwhich the Mithridates dynasty reigned.Prof. Dr. Sumer Atasoy claimed theresponsibility for the scientificconsultancy for the scientificexcavations carried out by the SamsunMuseum and the Istanbul Universitytogether. As a result of the excavationworks carried out in the tumulusses,two separate tombs were found andopened to visits.The tomb under the southern tumulusis predicted to be the single paintedcoated example ever found in thecoasts of the Black Sea and that itbelongs to wealthy and elite peoplehaving lived in the city of Amisos.

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The tomb under the southernTumulusA two-room carved tomb is locatedunder the Southern Tumulus, which is15 meters high and 40 meters wide.The total length, width and height of thetomb formed by carving theconglomeration layer are 6, 2.5 and 3meters, respectively. The walls, ceilingand the floor of the rooms are coatedwith 3 cm thick cream coating.An image of seven rows of stones wasdrawn on the walls of the front chamberscraping the plaster in order to make itlook like a stone wall and then thescraped lines were filled with navy-bluepaint. Two horizontal lines were drawnabove these fake stone wall lines withred paint. Day beds lie along the sidewalls in the room. The door of the burialchamber is closed after the dead bodyhas been buried and the friends of thedead person sit on the day beds anddrink wine in memory of the deadperson. Yellow painted niches werebuilt on both sides over the top part ofthe door leading to the back room inorder to place candles.A 70 cm high death bed is situated inthe back room. It is understood that thefront part of the bed is decorated witheggs in black and red. Unfortunately,these decorations have been destroyed.There are two red horizontal lines on

the walls of the room. Pieces of potsand pans, jugs, scent bottles, bonedecorations and bronze nails werefound in the tombs during theexcavations. The findings and theirarchitectural structure show that thetomb was built during the HellenisticPeriod (300-30 BC).

The tomb under the northern Tumulus:A tomb structure with 3 rooms one afteranother was found under the NorthernTumulus, which is 30 meters wide and8 meters high. The total length of thetomb structure is 10 meters, its width isbetween 2.80 and 3.25 meters and itsheight is 2.50 meters. No plaster hasbeen used in the rooms, they are justdecorated with fake half columns. Nofindings were chanced upon in thetomb during the excavation. Thearchitectural features thereof imply thatthis tomb belongs to the HellenisticPeriod, too.

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BeachesSamsun is also a city of summertourism. Do not believe thosewho say that the Black Seasummer is only 2 months or thathalf of August is winter. The bestmonth is September; it is a warmand pleasant end to the summer.Summer residences started 30years ago in the Atakum district.This region was called Matasyon.The sand between the west of thecity centre and the end of the 19May›s district offers high-qualitybeaches.The Metropolitan Municipality hascompleted beach improvements,especially in the Atakum district,as well as Mert River, and EastPark. Two areas near the

outskirts of the city center,Mertpark and East Park, openedin 2006. In addition to the beachand recreation facilities,Samsun’s first aquapark openedin East Park. Together with newbeaches which were opened inrecent years, Samsun residentsand visitors from all around theworld will be able to swim at anypoint on the coastline around thecity centre.

When these improvements arecombined with those carried outby the 19 May›s districtmunicipality, the new beacheswill accommodate over 100,000visitors with changing rooms,chaise-lounges, beach umbrellas,restaurants and cafes.

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Beach Cabins (Hamams)

Beach cabins were set up in Samsun, Derbent, Fener, around theGovernment Mansion and at Gaz Dock, although locations changedfrom time to time, and they were placed as far away as possible fromone another. Men and women walked over a wooden bridge to get totheir section of the beach.These beaches were surrounded by wood and people bought entrytickets from a cabin on the wooden bridge. There were cabins bigenough for one person to stand up at each corner and they were usedas changing cabins. Early on, men would go into the sea in theirunderwear or even wearing only a loincloth. There were 4-5 mossywooden steps, which were very slippery; used for going into the sea.Sometimes drums and horns were brought to these closed beaches forentertainment.Because sewage mixed into the sea and since there were dangerousholes in some places, the municipality made announcements from timeto time about which places were safe for going in the water. Placesprohibited for swimming included the frontt of the Government House,between the Electricity Factory and the Gashouse Dock, later on thefront part of the Race Area, that is, the sea front until themouth of theMert River and the Castle ruins. Yet, a 75-meter area towards the GazDock and the sea was determined to be a safe sea-bathing area.Later on, the Municipality of Samsun replaced these covered areaswith municipality beaches around Derbent and Gashouse Dock. On25 July 1944 the municipality initiated passenger boats to thebeachesfor a fee of 30 kurufl, making it easy for the public. Theseboats would leave at 8:00, 9:00 and 10:00 from the Park Dock, go tothe Merkez and Yolcu Docks and lastly to the Gashouse Dock. Theywould return to the Park Dock passing by the same docks at 11:00,12:00 and 13:00.

Samsun step by stepSamsun city centre is around thebay spread out like a half moon.The topography of the city starts toelevate approximately 100 metersafter the shore and rises up to 60meters.To get familiar with Samsun we startfrom the Cumhuriyet (Republic)plaza.The history of Samsun that can beobserved from various points withinthe city unfortunately goes back only150-200 years. There are almost noremains of the historical Samsunfort. We will get to learn about the

important structures of this 150-200years old history in our city tour.We will visit the Samsun museum ofarchaeology and ethnography (tekmüze mi?), stop by the museum forthe Band›rma Ferry which hasbecome the symbol of our national

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war of independence at the eastpark, go to the zoo that has justopened up at the entrance of theharbor, take a horse carriage tour(by the new kordon) along theshoreline, go up to Baruthane by acable car at the west park, watchthe excavations at the Baruthaneand Kalkanca tumuli, say hello to1500 years of history at the remainsof the fort and tombs, and end ourtour at the famous fish restaurantsof Samsun.At lunch, we will make sure we trySamsun pide.

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THREE NEW DISTRICTSThree separate districts were foun-ded in the Central District of Sam-sun in 2008. The names of thesethree districts in the borders ofGreater Municipality of Samsun areAtakum, ‹lkadim and Canik. You'llfind detailed information of the pla-ces to be visited in coming pages.Here, we would like to give some ofthe features of these three new dis-tricts collectively.

ATAKUMAtakum District which lies betweenthe districts ‹lkad›m and 19 Mayishas a population of about 106 thou-sand. 95% of this population is loca-ted in the city center and the rest islocated in villages. A relatively plan-ned urbanization is to be seen inthe district which is placed on a flat

terrain on the Samsun-Sinop road.Excursion and entertainment areasand indispensables of the coastalareas: summer housings are placedon the district’s beach area whichhas the longest coastline in the Cen-tral and Eastern Black Sea region.Beach volleyball and beach soccertournaments and International FolkDance Festival are the events whichare organised every year.

ILKADIMThe population of this district which isfounded in 2008 in the city centre ofSamsun is about 312 thousand. Thedistrict is placed along a coastal stripwhich is approximately 7.5 km longand the main economic activity in thedistrict is trade. Within the boundariesof districts there are two museumsand two libraries about which you willfind detailed information in the comingpages. Events of State Opera and Bal-let under the Ministry of Culture, Sam-sun State Classical Turkish MusicChorus, Turkish Folk Music Choir, Yo-uth Choir of Turkish Art Music and Tur-kish Folk Dance are maintained regu-larly.Furthermore, the Samsun Stage of theState Theatre having been opened,plays will be staged on Tuesdays andWednesdays in AKM.

CANIK

Its population is about 89 thousand.This word which is used as “Cenik”between the local people means ho-le area where flocks shelter in win-ter and more represents a geograp-hical and administrative region. Ca-nik name is lately given to Sancakwhose center is Samsun. Canik Dis-trict until 1960s was consisted ofHasköy, Hac›ismail, Teknep›nar vil-lages and several farmers' homesas residential areas. These villageshave been the areas where peoplecoming from Balkans in the exchan-ge after the Independence War we-re located. Following the develop-ment of Ordu-Ankara highway andestablishment of small industrial si-tes öenmli created an importantmovement in the region and resi-dential areas have grown rapidly.19 May Stadium, East Park, Ampli-fier Theater, Band›rma Ship Muse-um, Toptepe Tumuluses are in thecity boundaries.

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Typical Black Sea climate featu-res can be seen in Samsun citycentre. Although the rainfall andthe temperature differences canbe seen continuously, summersare generally rainy and warm,and winters are rainy and soft.Spring is the season which recei-ves the most rainfall. In the cen-tre of the province where the ave-rage annual temperature is 180C,the highest temperature in July ismeasured as 38,50C and the lo-west temperature is measured as–50C.

Climate

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Cumhuriyet Squareand its surroundings1. Mevlevihane, 2. Reji and RejiAvenue, 3. MetropolitanMunicipality Culture Directorate(the old Polihron Hotel and MilitaryHospital), 4. The Armenian Theatre,5. Aristophanes Theater, 6. GaziMuseum (the old Mantika PalaceHotel).7. Cumhuriyet Square, 8. TekelDirectorate (the old Austro-Hungarian Empire Consulate),9. Istiklal Business School.Reji’s Cigarette Factory

In 1867, the French Company Rejifounded a cigarette factory in Samsun.Between the years 1887-1897, 500workers and 12 supervisors wereemployed at the factory.It was the third largest cigarette factory(after Cibali and Izmir factories) interms of production until the 1970’s.The production was nearly 8,000 tonsduring the 1970’s, but during the1980's the factory’s importancediminished and the productiondropped to 2,000-3,000 tons peryear. The cigarette brands of this

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factory in 1991 were: Sipahi Oca€›,Madalyal› Mülkiye, Mebus,Galatasaray, Türk Ensari, Yenice, 19May›s Hat›ras›, Asker, Bafra, Birinci,Bahar, Filtreli, Samsun and FiltreliBafra.This factory closed upon the openingof the Ball›ca Factory of Samsun on 14June 1997.After the factory buildings aretransferred to Samsun MetropolitanMunicipality ther have been startednew facilities. There also planning anew shopping mall.

MetropolitanMunicipality CultureDirectorate (the old PolihronHotel and Military Hospital)The old military hospital, which nowfunctions as the Culture Directorate ofSamsun Metropolitan Municipality,was in the title record of 1890 asfollows: Formerly a lot, then a buildingwith a masonry bulding (HotelPolihron) above and seven shopsbelow. Americans managed thebuilding under the name “Rum Dar’üleytam›” (“the American friends ofGreek children”). When the Greeks leftSamsun after the exchange of

populations between Turkey andGreece, it was abandoned and left tothe state treasury.The building functioned as theSamsun Judicial Court between theyears 1930-1940. After that, it wasturned into a military hospital. Whenthe military hospital moved to a newplace, the building was renovated andturned into the Culture Directorate ofthe Metropolitan Municipality.The four-storey building has a veryshowy frontispiece facing the avenue.The first floor is the entrance. It isseparated into sections withrectangular windows. In the middle ofthe second floor, there is a largebalcony. This floor has large spaceswith rounded arches above them. Thethird floor also contains large areas,but these have oblate arches abovethem. On the other sides of thebuilding, there are various kinds ofwindows. Some of the windows haverounded arches placed on small

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Reji Street, today and before

columns with a triangular facade onthem. Others have either oblatearches or rectangular shapes.

Gazi Museum (the oldMantika Palace Hotel)The building of the Gazi Museum wasone of the grandest hotels (MantikaPalace Hotel) of Samsun in the past.The building’s title deed was registeredon March 1325 with the number 35,under the name Varani Nikolai (acitizen of Greece).The manager of the hotel was JeanMantika. European and Easterncuisine was served at this hotel, whichhad a nice sea view. All foreignlanguages were spoken in this greatestand cleanest hotel of Samsun.

Architectural Features of theBuildingThe main entrance of the cornerbuilding is on the avenue side. Thewindows of the first floor are squareand iron-grilled.The windows of the second and thethird floors are the same.These floors have balconies on twosides with iron supports. On the left

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Municipal Cultural Directorate

Gazi Museum

and right of the balcony gates, thereare stone-framed sash windows.Each floor has vents above thewindows. A narrow eave roof coversthe structure.

Tekel Head Directorate(the old Austro-Hungarian EmpireConsulate)The Austro-Hungarian EmpireConsulate was in the building whichnow functions as the Tekel HeadDirectorate.The imperial consuls had rights toengage in trade in Samsun. Theconsuls had representative offices andagencies like the Lloyd PartnershipCompany.

‹stiklal Pilot (Numune)SchoolThis is the place where Atatürk’s famouswords “The truest guide is science” wereuttered.In 1890, Samsun’s first high schoolopened. In 1921, a primary school(‹stiklal Pilot School) consisting of fiveclasses, was opened in this building bythe Special Administration in order toteach foreign languages and end thenecessity for foreign schools in Samsun.The school taught in Turkish in themorning and in French in the afternoon.During his second visit to Samsun,Mustafa Kemal attended a tea party inhis honor hosted by the teachers of the‹stiklal Business School on 22September 1924, which was a Monday.Delivering a speech at the party, heuttered these famous words:“The truest guide for everything in theworld, for civilization, for life, for successis science. It is a deviation from the wayto the truth, negligence and ignorance toseek another guide.”

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‹stiklal Trade School (right), Austrian Consulate (below)The Building is now used by Monopoly Directorate (below)

2. Bankalar Avenue1. Bankalar Avenue, 2. Selanik(Thessalonica) Bank, 3. Reji TobaccoDocks, 4. Duhan Market, 5. VaryeteCinema, 6. Ottoman Bank, 7. CentralBank, 8. Patl›can (Aubergine) Market,9. Meflrutiyet Theater, 10. Atina(Athens) Bank, 11. The Castle ofSamsun, 12. Market (Bedesten:market where antiques, objets d'arts,jewelry etc. are sold) of Samsun, 13.Hotel Palace, 14. Kale Mosque, 15.Grand Hotel Mastika

Selanik (Thessalonica)Bank

On Bankalar Avenue, the three-storeySelanik Bank building was left tothe state treasury because of disuse afterthe population exchange. The building issituated opposite the Tobacco Centre.There is a shop on the ground floor. Thesecond floor has three rooms and thethird one has four rooms. The buildingalso has a basement. In the past it hadbeen used as the Nemizade Bank andHotel Ayla.

Varyete CinemaSimyoniki of Çarflamba constructedVaryete Cinema in 1907. Koçu Effendiran the cinema. The building is arectangular masonry buildling consisting

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Old Thesselanoki Bank (left)Old Varyete Cinema (below)

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of two-and-a-half storeys. The front of thebuilding is on Kaz›m Pasha Avenue.

Ziraat Bank (the oldAthens Bank)Operating now as the Special OperationCentre of Ziraat Bank, the building wasopened in 1909 as the Athens Bank witha capital of 50 million Francs. The bankhad two other branches in the Black SeaRegion, one in Trabzon, one in Giresun;but the central building was in Samsun.Jorj Aviyerino, a former director of theSamsun franch of the Ottoman Bankbecame director of the bankIn 1923, during the republican period, theAthens Bank was closed and the Samsunbranch of Selanik Bank, established in1900, moved to that building.The Government Lending Agency alsooperated in this building for some time,and, later, Samsun’s headquarters ofZiraat Bank.

The windows of this one-storey building’sbasement have oblate arches and stoneframes. The entrance to the building isthe monumental gate on the avenue side.The two columns on both sides of thegate form a square above it. The columncapitals are square and adorned withherbal motifs.The bottom of the narrow eave isdecorated with a stone frieze all throughthe building.

Central BankThe entrance to this building, made oftwo-layered hewn stone, is through thelarge gate in the middle of the

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Ziraat Bank (Old Athens Bank)Central Bank (right)

Garanti Bank (Ottoman Bank)

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frontispieceOn the first floor, there aresix windows on each sides of the gate.On the second floor, there are eightequally spaced windows.The eave of the building is narrow,and there is a dentil designsurrounding the building.

Garanti Bank (the oldOttoman Bank)The building of the oldOttoman Bank situatedon Government Avenue(Hükümet Caddesi) wasregistered under thename of Monsieur JulesVofe, a French citizen.After his death, hisdaughter Jan Dölamajiinherited the building,and in 1929, the buildingwas registered under the

name of Ottoman Bank.The buildingtoday the Garanti Bank-was made of hewn stone and consistsof a basement, a main floor and anupper floor. The interior plasterornamentation on the ceiling and wallshas been restored. The entrance to themain floor is round-arched andindented. The upper part of the top-floor entrance is shaped like a tower.There are two symmetrical roundwindows on either side of the tower.This side of the building has many bas-relief motifs.

Market (Bedesten)Kâtip Çelebi (1608-1659) wrote in

“Cihannüma” that a “Sûk-u Muhtasar-›” (smallbazaar) was present whichmeans there was a marketin Samsun in the 17thcentury.There was a market next tothe right side of thefortification of SamsunCastle, which containedtwenty-two shops on bothsides. There was anarched roof covering the

Two gates of historical Bedesten

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Samsun Castle

Samsun Castle wasfirst mentioned inhistory in a list ofcities owned byRüknettin Suleiman,who settled in theTokat region and wasone of sons of theAnatolian SeljukSultan K›l›ç Arslan II(1156-1192), whoconquered the country of Danishment and distributed it amonghis eleven sons. According to this, it is clear that SamsunCastle was built after the Daniflments laid siege to AmisosCastle and failed. The Daniflments, not wanting to leave thiscoastline, built Samsun Castle on the coastline, in the middleof a swamp, in the opposite direction from Amisos Castle, a“stone’s throw away” to watch the Amisos Castle.The Castle, which constitutes the origin of today’s Samsun,covered the area stretching from Saathane Square to theBedesten and from the area on the coast where Ziraat BankSpecial Operation Center is situated to the site near MaarifCafé (Kiraathane).Expanded as need dictated, the SamsunCastle stood with its strong body, towers and loopholes; thatis, in all of its magnificence, until the great Samsun fire of1869.The huge, high gates of the castle were solidly built, and itsthick woods were covered with plaques of wrought iron andnails. Including the west and the east gates, there were threegates with the one opening to the sea named Kumkap› Gate.The walls of the castle on the coast side were strengthened byspurs put every 12 steps, so that the walls would endure thewaves for a longer time. In the 1960’s these spurs could beseen from one side of the Central Bank that overlooks the seaand from a little further away from the Great Mosque. InAugust 1869, a fire broke out in the madrasah just oppositetoday’s municipality building. A great portion of the villagewas burnt down overnight. The Governor of Trabzon, EsatMuhlis Pasha, made attempts at rebuilding the city. A Frenchengineer from Switzerland was invited and the plan of today’sSamsun was drafted. With the implementation of this groundplan, all the walls of the castle, of which only one fourthremained, were demolished. Thus, the first castle that wasbuilt on the coastline by the efforts of the Turkish nation wasdestroyed.

market. In 1864, the market wasrenovated and some shops were replacedwith gates to make the market morespacious. The seven gates included oneopening to the inside of the castle, fourgates to the east, and iron-clad gates atboth ends of the market.Even though there are spaces forepigraphs above the gates, none remain,so when exactly these gates were built isnot known. There were shops sellingobjets d'arts, antiques, draperies, jewelryand gold and silver work. But in thecourse of time, some artisans left themarket, moving their shops inside thebazaar and leaving the place to smaller-scale businesses.The popularity of the Market graduallydiminished. For some time the place wasused as a Meat Bazaar. In 1910, the roofwas demolished and some shops wereintegrated into big buildings after 1914.Today only two archway gates remainfrom the Market, in the Castle Quarters.One is the gate opening to Ziya GökalpAvenue and the other one is the oneopening to Nam›k Kemal Avenue. Thisarea is still a commercial centre.

Palace Hotel(Saray Oteli)The main entrance to the building isthrough an archway gate opening toKaz›m Pasha Avenue. There are shopsnear the left side of the gate.The facades of the second and thirdstorey are the same. There are two largebalconies protruding from the middlesection of the frontispiece.There are symmetrically placedrectangular windows on each side of thebalconies. The corners of the windowframes are designed with Corinthiancolumns. On the facades, there arestone moldings separating the floors, andthere are various motifs used asdecorative elements. These make thebuilding look very rich in terms ofdecoration.

The Small Mosque(Mescit) of Castle Gate[Castle Mosque –Kuyumcular (Jewelers)Mosque]The mosque is in the CastleQuarters, at the beginning of theopen bazaar and at the end ofNam›k Kemal Avenue. Because it issituated just inside the western gateof Samsun Castle, it was called thesmall mosque of Castle Gate.Thanks to the Arabic epigraph above

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Saray Hotel

the gate, we know that EmirTimurtafl Pasha, ‹lhanl›lar’s famousgovernor of Anatolia, constructed itin 1323. The epigraph is 53cm longand 48cm wide. There are four linesin Arabic.

Translation of theEpigraphThe thinnest person in the world,called Evhat, son of MevleviMahmut, constructed this holy smallmosque during the reign of Ebu SaitKhan –may God make his reign lastforever- and the time of TimurtaflNoyan.The structure has gone throughmany renovations, modifications andadditions.

Remains of theFortificationFew traces of the fortification remaintoday. You can see these remains in theconstruction site of a rooftop parkingspace, which was constructed by theMetropolitan Municipality.

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There were 13 consulates in Samsun

Samsun had undergone rapiddevelopment in the second halfof the XIXth century and hadbecome an importantcommercial center. AfterIstanbul and Izmir, Samsunhosted the third-largest numberof consulates.These countries had consulatesin Samsun: England, France,Austria-Hungary, Russia, Iran,Greece, Sweden-Norway, Italy,USA, Germany, Finland andBelgium.

Old German Consulate

Walls of Samsun FortressGrand Hotel Mastika (below)

SAATHANE SQUARE

1. The Mosque of Kebir,2. Muvakithane, 3. Saathane Square,4. Clock Tower, 5. The Building of‹ttihat and Terakki (Union andImprovement) Party, 6. The BazaarMosque, 7. Faz›l Kad› School(Dede Havlu), 8. Ottoman HealingPharmacy, 9. Ahali Journal,10. Samsun Municipality Building theMunicipality Square,11. Süleymanpafla Mosque andSüleymaniye Madrasah,12. Taflhan (the stone inn),13. Yal› (mansion) Mosque andAbdullah Pasha Fountain,15. The Old Passenger Docks 16.Hançerli Mosque

The Great Mosque(See religious buildings section)

Clock TowerA clock tower was built in the DocksSquare of Samsun in 1886, for thetwenty-fifth anniversary of AbdülhamitII’s ascension to the throne. TheClock Tower was constructed by aFrench engineer of Belgian origin andthe tower gave its name to thesquare.

The name of the square was recorded asthe Docks Avenue or Fruit Bazaar inTrabzon’s City Yearbook.Apart from indicating the time, thebuilding also functioned as a fire andobservation tower.It had a polygonal base and body. Therewas a prayer section [fierefe: a smallstructure surrounding the minaret of a

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mosque for the call to prayer (ezan) bythe imam] up above and a light abovethe dome. A new clock, which wasplaced on the tower in 1933, operateswith an electrical system and has a sirensystem used by the fire department. Thetower is in the form of a minaret.It suffered considerable damage in theearthquake of Samsun in 1944 and wasdemolished due to the fact that it couldnot be repaired; the clock was sold to themunicipality of Ladik. The Saathanesquare did not have a clock tower until1977, when the Samsun MetropolitanMunicipality constructed one designed byarchitect Kemal Taner. The clocks on itwere from Switzerland.In 2001, Saathane Square was renovatedby the Samsun Municipality and a clocktower very similar to the old one wasconstructed.

Bazaar PoliceHeadquartersThe party building of ‹ttihat ve Terakki(A former Turkish party, Union andImprovement)Formerly the Samsun office of ‹ttihatand Terakki and later the centralheadquarters, the building nowserving as the Bazaar policeheadquarters has great significancein the history of Samsun. The first

storey of the two-storey lath-and-plaster (a type of construction withwood) construction is used as ashop.

Small Mosque (Mescit)of the Bazaar Gate(Bazaar Mosque)The mescit called Bazaar Mosquetoday was built by the ‹lhanl›lar in the14th century.

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Pazar Mosque

It was recorded in the army records of1485 as belonging to the Quarter ofBazaar Gate Mescit.In 1819, the mosque underwent alarge-scale restoration initiated byHaznedarzade Suleiman Pasha. Insidethe mosque, there is a rectangulargathering hall with a wooden ceilingand floor. The shrine is three-faced,and the simple niche of the shrineresembles a curved hull. Theunadorned pulpit is also wooden.The main entrance of the mosque isthe gate in the north side. TheMosque has another entrance in thenorthwestern corner but it is not in itsoriginal form.This additional part of the buildingwas connected to the main structureby altering the windows on thewestern façade. These windows arehigh, wide, and made of stainedglass.

Dede Havlu(Faz›l Kad›) SchoolThe entrance of the buildingconstructed in 1903 is situated in themiddle of the overhanging part,which is formed by round columns.These columns support the first floor.The part above the gate protrudes

about half a meter.This part extends through the upperroof and forms a room. The middlepart with Corinthian columns on thecorners ends in a triangular facadeornamentation. The garnish on theedges of the ornamentation is veryattractive.. The edges of the windowsare marked with Corinthian columns.There are vents above the windows.The ceiling is high inside, and thefloor, gates and ceiling are made ofwood. Outside the wall in the YeniHamam (New Turkish Bath) Street,there is a fountain, which hasstrikingly beautiful stonework..The plaster fountain’s marble basinand taps no longer exist.

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Dede Havlu School,today Faz›l Kad› School.

Municipality Squareand its vicinitySamsun MunicipalityBuildingIn 1913, the mayor, Mustafa NecipEfendi, constructed this beautiful

structure from stone; it is now used asthe Samsun Metropolitan Municipalitycentre.The building has undergone somerenovation, and the windows of thesecond floor were replaced with newones. On the first storey, there is an

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The Story of the Municipality Bulding’s Opening

The story of thebuilding’s openingceremony is quiteinteresting:Many people attendedthe opening ceremonypresided over by MayorGebilizade MustafaNecip Effendi: civilofficials and militaryofficers, intellectuals, religious leaders in Samsun, authorities fromthe Italian Consulate in Samsun, English Consulate Officer ofSamsun, French Consulate Officer of Samsun, Samsun Consul ofAustria-Hungary, Samsun Vice Consul of Russia, Samsun Consul ofIran, Samsun Vice Consul of Greece, Samsun Vice Consul ofBelgium, United States of America Consulate Officer of Samsun,Samsun Vice Consul of Germany, Samsun Vice Consul of Sweden-Norway, and the public of Samsun. The ceremony started around 10o’clock with the arrival of the Governor of Canik, Suleiman NecmiBey Effendi. In front of the decorated municipality building, all theattendees joined the prayer of the madrasah teacher Sükrü Effendi bysaying amen.

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entrance marked by the columns thatsupport the balcony of the second floor.There are shops on both sides of theentrance. On the second storey, there isa balcony in the middle and there aresymmetrical groups of windows on eachside. The upper parts of the windows arein the form of an arch.Some windows lie on both sides of theprojection on the third storey. The upperparts of these windows are in the form ofan oblate arch, and there is a triangularfacade ornamentation above them.The face of the projection is marked bythree point-arched openings. Suchformations can be seen on the othersides of the building.The epigraph of the building is asfollows: "Constructed between the years1329 -1331, during the reign of hisExcellency Sultan Muhammed Reflit Han,during the chairmanship of GebilizadeNecip Efendi.” The brief history of theconstruction is as follows:Mayor of Samsun Mustafa Necip Effendiexpropriated Nalbant Inn for a newmunicipality building by paying 1.700(Turkish) liras in March 1911. The inn,which belonged to the noble family ofSalih, stood on 563 meters (828 arfl›n).With an estimated cost of 539,300 kurufl(1/100 Turkish Lira), the construction ofthe building was put out to tender and

offers were submitted. An Italianengineer called Angelini, the engineer ofReji Monsieur Wilson, and Italianarchitect Monsieur Riçi (who introducedthe first cinematograph in Samsun), bid539,100, 534,124 and 539,050 kuruflrespectively. Monsieur Riçi’s bid wasaccepted and the building wascompleted on a Thursday, 26 December1913.

Süleymaniye MadrasahThe building is used as the CharitiesRegional Directorate today.The madrasah belonging toHazinedarzade (head of the statetreasury) Suleiman Pasha CharitableOrganization was constructed by LazeriKalfa.

Suleiman Pasha Mosque(Madrasah Mosque)Constructed in 1767 by HazinedarzadeSuleiman Pasha, the mosque is oppositethe Samsun Metropolitan MunicipalityService Building.There is a mosque belonging to thesame vak›f (?) (charitable organization)across from the two-storey building,which is composed of one stone (thefirst) and one masonry (the second)floor, in the shape of a horseshoe. Theonly entrance to the building is in the

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Süleyman Pafla Mosque

middle of the facade and it opens to alarge hall. Arched windows decorate thetwo facades of the building.Against the gate, there are stairs goingup to the second floor.There is a large hall when you goupstairs, which overlooks the courtyardthrough the arched windows (anadditional hall covers the front side).Straight corridors lie on both sides of thehall. The rooms on both sides open to acorridor.There are no ornamentations on thebuilding except the arched gate andwindows. The added building spoiled theappearance, by covering the decoratedfacade.Even though there are no epigraphs totell us the construction date of thebuilding, we can assume that thestructure is about 200 years old as itsdonation date is 1813 and theconstruction date must precede that.

Taflhan

Taşhan built around 1508, two-storey.It is on ‹skele (docks) Avenue andbelongs to the Ali Pasha CharitableOrganization. It was restored between1974-1975, by the General Directorateof Charitable Organizations. The outerwalls of the rectangular structure aremade of brick planked rubble stone.The appearance of the building wasspoiled when the facade on the avenueside was cemented over. The side wallsare made of braided stone. There arecells (shops) with archway entranceslined up on the avenue side.There is one other entrance at the back.This gate is made of iron and it is inlaidwith nails. The central courtyard issurrounded by vaulted cells on eachside. The stairs to the second floor werebuilt later and are made of concrete.There are cells with overhanging parts on

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An old view of Samsun with Madrasah and Kulliye

the second floor. Columns of theoverhanging parts are four-cornered andarched. (Made from brick, in the form ofeaves) The entrance of the shops andthe inn are round arched. Taflhan is acommercial center today.

Yal› (Mansion) MosqueYal› Mosque is in the HançerliQuarter, Bu€day Pazar› (wheatbazaar) District of Samsun. The twoArabic lines on the epigraph of themain part state that HodjaHayrettin constructed the building

in 1485. The centre is single-domed, made from a layer of brickand a layer of stone. The entrancepart of the mosque was renovatedlater. This part contains the archedwindows. The mosque appears tobe multi-storied because of theeave lines and ornamented stonemoldings.The inside of the Mosque includesa stone shrine, which is quitesimple and unadorned. Thestructure is a square-shaped, single

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Another important component in thecommercial life of Samsun, apart frommarkets, cloth markets, bazaars and fairs,is the role of inns. Inns were usually nextto the bazaars and market places. Theinns performed multiple functions likesheltering travelers and their animals,providing various office services andstoring goods and merchandise.Inns were used for longer stays. Merchants who were in towntemporarily would both stay and keep their goods here. Some smallinns were just areas with a covered roof containing high divansalong the wall. Travellers would sit on these sofas and the animalswould rest in the middle area. In some inns, small windows wouldenable travellers to watch how their horses and camels weretreated.

Inns

Taflhan

domed building. Because of therestorations it underwent, someparts of the Mosque have changed.The dome, which was previouslycovered with tiles, is covered withlead now. The honeycomb systemsof pointed arches are also notoriginal. A gathering place for thecongregation was added to thenorthern side, but it does not fit thegeneral style of the Mosque. Themain walls of the building aremade of one hewn stone and threehorizontal brick layers. The eavescornices are (kirpi saçak) eave,designed as three lines in the drumand two lines in other places. Thelower windows are original. Theseare pointed arched, in a rectangleformed by a two-profiled molding.The systems are made of wroughtiron.The walls are unattractive on theoutside because the stone andbrick structure was painted over.Even its stone moldings aremissing.Its minaret has a base and acylindrical body shape. Itshoneycomb design collapsed andthis collapse had formed somecracks, which were mended.

Hançerli MosqueIt is in Hançerli Quarter, on NecipBey Avenue.The mosque burned downcompletely in 1869 and was rebuiltby a man called Mehmet Reflit; thearchitect was fiahbazzade of Bafra.The minaret of the mosque camedown in the 1939 earthquake. In1943, a bigger one was built in itsplace.The old minaret was leftuntouched. It still exists as theoldest minaret of Samsun.

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Yal› Mosque and in front Abdullah Pafla Fountain (old and new)

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The houses in Samsun hadno water in the early times.Some neighborhoods hadfountains. Those wishing todrink water would usecopper or brass bowls, tiedwith a long chain to a placeclose to the tap of thefountain. The distancebetween the fountain and ahouse could be very long.Therefore, there were water-sellers who earned money by walking aroundthe neighborhood and selling water. They would sell water in tin potsloaded on horses, donkeys or mules. The best water of Samsun wasAbdullah Pasha (Kocada€) water.When the Municipality of Samsun began water delivery, they putautomatic fountains in some neighborhoods. They sold two tin pots ofwater for one kurufl. The Municipality also built fountains for the publicfor free water.According to the 1870 Trabzon Province Yearbook, there were 54fountains in Samsun. The register of Samsun numbered 1755 states thatthe fountains located in Samsun were “Hodja Yellow Fountain”, “HodjaWater Fountain”, “Yeni (New) Fountain” and “Abdullah PashaFountain”. Today Hodja Suyu Fountain is known as Gözsuyu Fountainand it is just below the stairway near Çarfl› Police Station, situated on theBoulevard way.

Il›ca Fountain (Ismail Efendi Fountain)

Built in 1854 it was one of the fountains belonging to Es Seyid El Hac‹smail Effendi. Currently, the Municipality of ‹lkad›m has built a newfountain in its place and the epigraph of the old fountain has beenplaced on the marble wall.

Historical Fountains of Samsun

Alemdarzade Fountain

The Boulevard

1. City Museum Residences2. Selahiye Quarter, the oldArmenian Quarter, 3. Mikail Streetand Venüs Cinema, 4. The oldArmenian orphanage, 5. The oldArmenian Saint Nigo€ayos CatholicChurch)6. Acem Tekkesi (Persian Lodge).7. Samsun Müdafai Milliye(National Defense) Barracks.8. Kurflunlu Mosque.

Selahiye QuarterResidences

In spite of the damage caused during theconstruction of the boulevard, Selahiye Quarterresidences can be seen in some streets. This

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Armenian Catholic Church

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was the old Armenian quarter. Armenian SaintNigo€ayos Catholic Church was situated in theplace where the 30 A€ustos Primary School isnow. There were many minority churches inSamsun. Armenian businessmen, the Gazaryanbrothers, contributed much to the constructionof the Armenian Saint Nigo€ayos CatholicChurch, which was built on high ground in1849. In appreciation for their contributions,the names of the Gazaryan Brothers werewritten on the walls of the church.

City Museum ResidencesThere are two identical masonrybuildings near 30 A€ustos PrimarySchool. One of them collapsed; the otherone needs restoration. After therestoration, the Metropolitan Municipality

will turn these identical kiosks intoSamsun City Museum.

Acem Tekkesi(The Persian Lodge)The Tekke is in Hançerli Quarter on100.Y›l (100th year) Boulevard. Itsfrontispiece is on the avenue side.Double-sided stone stairs go up to the firstfloor (the building consists of one floorand a basement) there is also a hipped

City Museum Houses (old view in right)

roof on the square-shaped masonrybuilding. There is an entrance, a kitchenthat opens to it, a room and a large hallfor religious services on this floor. Thebasement, which is connected to the Hallfor religious services by a staircase, isempty. Wooden posts support the woodenfloor of the first storey. The windows of thebasement have oblate arches and thewalls are quite thick. The buildingbelonged to an Iranian, and then it wasleft to the treasury. Religious services wereperformed here every year. Rumor has itthat a holy man is buried there.

Kurflunlu MosqueSituated on Boulevard Street in theBazaar Quarter around the ‹lkad›m (firststep) Municipality, Kurflunlu mosque wasbuilt in the 1810’s by Sheikh Hac› HikmetEfendi, son of Mullah Fahrettin.The structure is a square-shaped, single-domed building. The main walls are madeof smooth hewn stone. The central dome,supported by pendentives, is placed on anoctagonal drum.. On the southern side,there are two windows with arches, andon the eastern side there are two and onthe western side, three windows. Theminaret is made of smooth hewn stone,adjacent to the northwest corner of the

building. Its body on the square pedestalhas a cylindrical shape, and the minarethas one praying place (flerefe). Thewooden pulpit is on the right side of theshrine. The Mosque underwent severalrenovations. The left side of the Mosque’sentrance is an addition.Adjacent to the mosque stands theKurflunlu Tekkesi (Dervish lodge). In1943, the finial of the minaret fell ontothe dome because of the earthquake andbounced onto the roof of thecongregation place, causing it tocollapse. This damaged the entrance andthe congregation place.The public financed the repair work. Themosque also includes the graves ofMüftüzade (mufti) Ahmet Effendi (1841-1890), Müftüzade Mehmet fievki Effendiand Müftüzade Ahmet Hulusi Effendi inthe boulevard side.

Kurflunlu Mosque

The Boulevard andthe upper part ofthe SelahiyeQuarterIsa Baba (Father Jesus) MosqueHamidiye Fountain, HamidiyeHospital

Isa Baba MosqueIn the past Christian sailors built smallchapels on some of the shores theyvisited. There are the remains of achurch built in the name of St.Theodoraon the southeastern part ofToraman Hill. The Muslims later usedthis church as a small mosque. Thisbuilding must be the ‹sa Baba Mescit inCedit Quarter. According toinformation sources from the 1940’s,there is a family tomb at the back of thesmall mosque. Isa Baba’s tombstoneand epigraph are there, together with histurban. The small mosque is older thanthe graves.Especially on Fridays, people flock to the

tomb of Isa Baba Türbe. Single boys andgirls and the unemployed perform tworekats (a section in the namaz) and hopethis will bring a special person or fortuneinto their lives. They also leave towels orrosaries here, pray and make wishes. Inorder to leave their wishes in the holytomb (türbe) they tie threads, rags, andcloth pieces to the branches, bindingtheir wishes tight.

Gureba Hospital(Hamidiye Hospital)Today a mental hospital, Gureba beganconstruction in 1895 by the order ofCanik's governor Hamdi Simavi and wascompleted in 1902. It was a very beautifulhospital, considering the circumstances atthe time. In honor of the twenty-fifthanniversary of Sultan Abdülhamit II’sascension to the throne, the hospital wasnamed Hamidiye. [Hamidiye means(Abdül) Hamit’s place]After the official announcement of thesecond Constitutional Monarchy, the nameof the hospital was changed to ‘Canik

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‹sa Baba Mosque and Tomb

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Gureba Hospital’. (The habit of changingnames when periods change seems tohave started then.) This name surviveduntil the official announcement of therepublic. The stairway entrance of thebuilding is on the front and is enclosedwith iron fences. The two columns thatsupport the projection on the second floorreach down to the entrance.There are three windows with a pointedarch on the front side of the second floor’sprojection. The arches on the windows arecovered with bas-relief wood and thedownsideslower parts of the widows aredecorated with crosswise bas-relief strips.There are columns made of hewn stone inthe corners of the building with Marseilletiles, hipped roof and broad, woodeneaves. The building is integrated with otherstructures in the back.

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The Story ofFoundation

The son of Arzu TodorakiBey (President) and HüseyinBey from the Yelkenci family(Second President) wereelected to preside over theconstruction board of theHospital; and Hamdi beyfrom Nemli family, son ofKaplan Kostaki Bey andCiftciyan Bey were electedas members of the board.15000 square meters of landwere bought from YakopBey, son of Gülef.(Thebuilding was built on 865square meters of this landand the rest was left as agarden.)Urban architect MonsieurValeri drew up the plan andthe project of the hospital.The people of Samsun, somefoundations, and fairsorganized on behalf of thehospital financed thehospital.

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The Bazaar District

1. Subafl› Primary School,2. Subafl› Fountain, 3. Hac› Hatun Mosque4. Mecidiye, 5. Latin Church, 6. FrenchSchool, 7. Friars’ Seminary School, 8.Kurflunlu Mosque

Latin Church(see religious buildings)

Hac› Hatun MosqueThe epigraph of the Hac› Hatun Mosque atSaathane Square in the Subafl› district tellsus that Hac› Hatice Hatun, daughter of‹brahim, constructed the building in 1694.

The structure is square-shaped with asingle dome. The dome covers the entirebuilding. The building has beenrenovated and changes have occurreddue to this. An additional entrance onthe eastern side has been constructed;

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originally, the only entrance to thebuilding was the old one on the northside. The additional entrance leads to theinside of the modern, house-like building..The base of the minaret is inside themosque, in the northwest corner.The minaret stands on a dark base thatcarries its short, thick, cylindrical body.The consoles that support the flerefe(prayer place) are three-leveled and areextraordinary to look at. Both the insideand outside of the mosque are quitesimple.There is not much decoration.The pulpit is wooden. The handrail andpediment of the stairs are ornamented.

Bazaar districtSubafl› is considered the old commercialcentre of Samsun. The region aroundSubafl›, Saathane Square and Mecidiyeis still lively. The region has developedcommercially thanks to the fact that thedocks are near each other. The OldMarket is also in this area. There arealso many bazaars.

MecidiyeThis is the busiest bazaar in Samsun. Theavenue and the streets that join theavenue are also full of shops of all sizes.You can find anything you want, from thecheapest goods to the highest quality.

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Gaziler Square and Mecidiye

İstiklal Avenue(Çiftlik), ÜlküStreet, OsmaniyeAvenue1. İstiklal Avenue, (the old ChurchStreet), 2. Yol ‹fl Trade UnionBuilding (the old French consulate)3. Health Center, 4. Metropolithane,5. Social Sciences High School (theold School of Greek Çinekliyon,6. Greek Nursery School, GreekHigh School for boys), 7. GreekOrthodox Cathedral, 8. Türk Oca€›(gathering place for Turkishnationalists), 9. Tourism Directorate(old Borluo€lu Residence), 10. CityClub

Yol ‹fl Trade UnionBuilding (the old FrenchConsulate)The building belonged to Efeniye, thedaughter of Yeflef, and Anastas, theson of Simonaki from Çarflamba. Thenit fell into disuse when the Greeks leftSamsun because of the populationexchange. Therefore, the building

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It can be seen that the Christians, especially the Greeks, settledin Canik and the vicinity in the second half of the 19th century.The Greek population started to increase in the second half ofthe 19th century. According to the 1869 Trabzon ProvinceYearbook, there were 22,286 Greeks, 5,021 Armenians, and64,770 Muslims in Canik and its vicinity.In the same year, Çarflamba, which was half of this region, had apopulation of 26,763 Muslims, 1,036 Greeks, and 4,034Armenians. In 1872, the population of Canik, excludingÇarflamba, was 42,154 Muslims, 23,213 Greeks, 5,006Armenians and 8,172 Caucasians.This density of the non-Muslim population in Samsun broughtwith it an increase in the number of religious buildings, namelychurches. One building that did not survive is the GreekOrthodox Cathedral on Çiftlik Street, formerly known asChurches Street. The cathedral, which used to be where today’s23 Nisan Primary School is, was built in 1872.

Churches

Greek Cathedral andold view of

Metropolitan

became the property of the statetreasuryThe entrance to the old FrenchConsulate was on the ‹stiklal Avenueside. The building is used as the Yol ‹flTrade Union building.There are three rectangular windows oneach side of the building’s two-leaf gate.The overhanging second floor issupported by four mushroom columns.The triangular pediment projection hasthree windows in the front and a windowon each side.

Social Sciences HighSchool(Çinekliyon High School)Today’s Social Sciences High Schoolused to be Çinekliyon High School.There were schools for Greek boys andgirls near the Greek Cathedral (today the23 Nisan Primary School) which was

situated on İstiklal Caddesi (the oldname was Church Street among thenon-Muslim people). In 1912, ÇinekliyonHigh School was established, thanks tofinancial support from the tobaccomerchant Hac› Dimitrakis A€a andÇineko€lu Effendi. The building was alsoused for some time as a Hilali Ahmer(Red Crescent) hospital with the consentof the Greek Métropolite GermanosKaravangelis. In the republican era, thebuilding remained an educationalbuilding under the name “Yeni ‹lk ErkekMektep” (New Primary School for Boys).Then the building became theRepublican Primary School, but beforethat, it had served as Anadolu Otelcilikve Turizm Meslek Lisesi (AnatolianSchool of Tourism and HotelManagement) for some time beforebecoming the Social Sciences HighSchool.

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Social Sciences Lycee (Old Çinekliyan High School)

Provincial Tourism andCulture Directorate

(Borluo€lu Residence - BusinessSchool - The former teachers’guesthouse)The building was constructed by a broker fromSamsun, Borluo€lu (J.). It is a detached building,containing some characteristics of 19th centuryFrench architecture. It has a basement and twostandard stories and it was made of hewn stoneand rubblework. Of particular interest are thestonework on the fences of the stairs, thetransition between the roof and the facade, andthe capitals of the columns supporting theprojection. The restrooms and lavatories aremade from original marble. The interior of thebuilding has remained mostly the same.Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourismuses the building.

City Club

The building, owned by Arzuo€lu Todoraki andthe English citizen Monsieur ‹stefanosFerankiyedis who owned a 2/3 share of it, wasabandoned after the population exchange.The first floor of the two-storey building, whichwas used as the Greek Merchants Club, ismade of hewn stone; and the second floor islath-and-plaster. Today it is used as the CityClub of Samsun.

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Culture and Tourism Directore (old Borluo€lu House)

City Club

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Civil Architectural Buildings

HHoouussee ooff AAbbdduuflflooğğlluu IIzzzzeett HHoouussee ooff AAnnddaavvaalllliiooğğlluu

CCeemmaaaattooğğlluu HHoouussee:: This house was leftby a Greek called Cemaato€lu. It is atwo-storey masonry structure built on abasement.

HHoouussee ooff AAğğaabbaallii

EEsskkii ÇÇaarrflflaammbbaall››llaarr CClluubb HHoouussee:: It is situated at the corner of ‹nce Street and Osmaniye Avenue.

YYeennii ÇÇaarrflflaammbbaall››llaarr CClluubb HHoouussee::Left to the Treasury, due to disuse after the population exchange (of Greeks and Turks),the building was sold to Ahmet fiahin, the son of fiahinzade Remzi Bey. Çarflambal›larClub House is in this building on Sanat Street now.

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Civil Architectural Buildings

KKöökkççüüooğğlluu SSttaattiioonneerryy::The first floor of this two-storeybuilding is completely changed and it isused as an office. It is situated on thecorner of Mecidiye Avenue and fiafakStreet.

PPaaflflaall››ooğğlluu SSaarraaffiimm HHoouussee:: The buildingbelonged to Trandofile and Marika, thedaughters of Paflal›o€lu Sarafim before itwas abandoned. Osmano€lu AhmetEffendi, who was an immigrant fromKavala, his wife Safiye Han›m, his sonAhmet Effendi and his daughters Ayfleand Kerime Han›m were placed in thebuilding afterwards.

KKuu llee llii EEvv SSüü ttuunn lluu eevv

TTaarrhhaannllaarr HHoouussee Situated on Hamdi Pasha

(Çiftlik) Avenue, theabandoned building belonged

to Vasil, Son of Arapo€luSimyon, and his wife Piflmani.Today, the restored, building

is used as a restaurant.

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Ülkü StreetÜlkü Street is one of the most importantand most beautiful historical streets ofSamsun. There are many old houses onthis street. Most of them are protected.You can find a section about thesebuildings in the pages of “CivilArchitecture in Samsun”.

The Committee forProtecting Cultural andNatural Values buildingAfter the Greeks left Istanbul because ofthe exchange, the building was allocatedto Ahmet Kamil and his family (his wifeZeliha, their children Akif, Hüseyin andNilüfer), who came to Samsun fromDrama after the exchange. Later, thebuilding was purchased by the statetreasury.

Osmaniye Avenue, Cumhuriyet Avenue1. Boduro€lu Cinema, 2. Social Police Headquarters (Abac›o€lu Yanko Residence Provincial Community ServiceDirectorate) 3. Park cemetery, 4. Government Mansion, 5. Samsun Jail, 6. DDY (StateRailways) Guesthouse

Social PoliceHeadquarters (Abac›o€lu Yanko Residence Provincial Community ServiceDirectorate)Built by Abac› Yanko (the cloth seller) in1900, the building was later left to thestate treasury, after Yanko wascondemned to death by theIndependence Court for being a Ponticpartisan.There are four rectangular windows, onthe side of the first floor that overlooksthe courthouse passage; one window inthe middle, on the left side of the gate;the other three on the right side. Thereare iron fenced rectangular lamps abovethe entrance gate and windows. Beneath the narrow eave, some bas-relief motifs were used as decorativeelements.

Ülkü Street Houses (Art Street)

Directored of Social Services

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Atatürk Park (Old Park Cemetery)The site, which includes Atatürk Park,was the old Park Cemetery. Theboundaries of this cemetery, opened inthe early 1800’s near the sea, begin infront of Government Mansion, enclosethe avenue, pass through the frontside of Tekel Head Directoratebuilding, takes in all of CumhuriyetSquare, the Ziraat Bank ProvincialDirectorate building and Vidinli Hotel. The cemetery was turned into a park in1924, during theMayoral term of fiefikAvni (Özüdo€ru) andthe Governorship ofKaz›m (‹nanç) Pasha. This is the briefhistory of this park,

which is situated in the centre ofSamsun and containsthe famous GaziStatue.

The old GovernmentMansion (Provincial Administrative Court)According to an 1858 map, thefirst government mansion knownin Samsun was situated near Yal›Mosque. The mansion burneddown completely in the greatSamsun fire of 1869.

The two-storeyAbdullah PashaMansion (today’sAbdullah PashaPrimary School)was used as theGovernment

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Mansion. Vizier Emin Pasha (governor of Samsun in 1875)built a government mansion onBankalar Avenue, where thepost office had been situated.In the fire of 1883, the Mansionwas greatly damaged. In 1884Osman Pasha from Trabzon, thegovernor of Samsun,constructed a GovernmentMansion (today’s ProvincialAdministrative Court). Thefortification of the Amisos Castlewas used in the construction ofthe building.Tophane Bastion was situatedon the park side of the building.Next to it was the Samsun

Muslim Cemetery. A well wassituated between TophaneBastion and GovernmentMansion. The well was thenturned into a pool. The seasideof the building was directly on

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Old Governer’s office (Above and below) Now District Administrative Count.New Governer’s Office (below)

the sea and the waves used tohit the walls of the old Mansion.Samsun Prison was there too,on the judicial courtside of theGovernment Mansion. Becausethe capacity of the prison wasnot adequate, the ground levelof the Government Mansion wasused as a prison cell until the60's. The building, which served as theGovernment Mansion of Samsunfor years, became inactive afterthe new governorship buildingwas constructed. Then it wasused as a health center forteachers. Today the place is the

Provincial Administrative Court ofSamsun.

TCDDY (RailroadsDirectorate) Building.The two-storey building on IrmakAvenue was built on a stonebasement. Wooden supports hold theprojection in the middle of the secondstorey. The middle of the side facadeis overhanging on the first and secondfloors. There is a balcony supportedby the stone backing situated in theentrance part of the first and secondfloors. The entire building wascovered with wood.

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Houses of Railway Adm. (above) Railway Directored (below)

High School AvenueLise Avenue

1. Samsun Business HighSchool (Samsun HighSchool-Atatürk Anatolianhigh schools)

In 1908, Samsun became anautonomous city, the first Directorate ofEducation was formed, and in 1911 theconstruction of Samsun High School(today’s Atatürk Anatolian High School)was initiated. Samsun High School was turned into abusiness high school. The new buildingserved as a military hospital when World

War II broke out. After two semesters (one schoolyear),the business high school was turned intoMekteb-i Sultani in 1914 and moved tothe monastery building (This building,once used as the Military DivisionCommanding Office, now functions as anArmy Officers’ Camp).In the 1926-1927 term, the schoolmoved to the building that wasabandoned (today’s Atatürk AnatolianHigh School) after the Orphanage, Dar'üleytam, was moved to Amasya. The two-storey school building's first floor servedas the business school and the secondfloor as secondary school in the schoolyear of 1926-1927. The building was constructed as a two-

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storey masonry over the basement withindents in the middle and projection onthe side. The front part of the buildingincludes three windows on each cornerand on each storey. In the mainentrance, there are rectangular windowsnarrow in the middle and wider on thesides. Inside the building, there are stone stairson both sides. There is a largerectangular hall surrounded byclassrooms. The ceiling and the floor inthe rooms are made of wood.

2. fiahinzade Remzi BeyMansion (MunicipalConservatory)It was the house where Mustafa KemalPasha stayed during his second visit toSamsun in 1924. Two symmetricalbuildings are joined together with abalcony. It is now used as the municipalconservatory.

Other majorbuildings

Seyyid KutbiddinThe tomb is inside the Old Cemetery(Seyyid Kutbiddin Cemetery) inUnkapan› Avenue in the southern partof the city.

One of the sons of Abdülkadir Geylani(Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani) of Baghdad,Seyyid Kutbiddin’s real name wasIbrahim. Fighting for God had becomehis custom. On 15 February 1322 he died a martyrand was buried there. Young girls andtheir mothers seeking miracles often visitthe Tomb of Seyyid Kutbiddin. Memduh Bey, the grandson ofSuleiman Pasha from the Haznedarfamily, built the Seyyid KutbiddinMosque in 1895.

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Municipal Concert Hall (above)Seyyid Kutbiddin (below)

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The British Consulate

The British Consulate is one of theoldest consulates in Samsun. Seven people worked full-time in thisconsulate, which did not have anysub-units. This building in Kad›köy, Samsun,was then used as a recruiting office.In a record dated 1302, from theArchives of Samsun Land Registryand Cadastre District Directorate, thetitle deed numbered 7 and dated 7Junenamed the proprietor of the lotas Arif Efendi, son of Mehmet.The building is a two-storeysymmetrical lath (ba€dadi)construction. The first floor is thecellar. The overhanging part of thesecond floor covers this facade. Thefront column carries the overhangingpart. At the center of theoverhanging part is a wood door,with a low arch. On both sides of thedoor there are fourteen (seven oneach side) low-arched andrectangular windows. Decorativeelements are above the door. The two Corinthian columns in thegate of the garden, which issurrounded by iron balustrades, areparticularly striking.

Historical Hotels ofSamsun

Sahil PalaceIt was built as a stone building in1930. Still used as a hotel, thebuilding is situated on a cornerwhere two streets meet; therefore,the building has three facades. Theentrance is through an arched dooron the narrower side. The wide windows next to theentrance gate and on the otherfacades of the building have beenrestored. On the second floor, there is acircular balcony above the door. The third floor has the samestructure, and the windows on theother faces are rectangular andhave some decorations on them.The entrance sections of the secondand third floor are overhanging. Theoverhanging part is supported byhalf-buttresses. In the third floor,over the balcony is a brow-shapedfrontal.

Old English Consulate now Military Recruitment Office

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The Turkish Baths inthe city were aroundKale ‹çi, Hançerlineighborhood, SamanBazaar and theMarket. The biggest ofthese were Y›ld›zHamam, Çifte Hamam,Grand Hamam (Büyük Hamam), Tahtal› Hamam, also known asYeni Hamam. For the women of Samsun, the Hamam meant gettingtogether and entertaining as well as having a bath and cleaning up.Arrangements would be made a couple of days before, and variousfood and drinks would be prepared at home for the hamam day. Thenthey would go to the hamam, together with their children and bags.One child would be sent to the Turkish Bath earlier in the morning toreserve one or two of the hottest parts of the hamam (halvet). Uponarrival in the hamam, they would hang their towels on the doors ofthis section. After being nicely scrubbed by a female bath attendant (nat›r), theladies would sometimes go out to sit on the heated marble platformfor a couple of hours. Then, when it was time to eat, they would serveand eat the food they brought with them, laying them out on atablecloth they would put on the heated marble floor. As littlechildren blew soap bubbles, young ladies, prospective brides wouldsing and keep a tempo on their exquisite and silk Keflan clothsstretched between the bronze and copper bath bowls: The hamam isyours/ Marble basin ours/ Let us sit in pairs.

Turkish baths (Hamam) of Samsun andfiifa Turkish Bath

Samsun 19 May›sUniversityInstalled in 1975. The Ondokuz MayisUniversity conducts education andinstruction totally in 10 faculties such asa Medical Faculty, a Dentistry Faculty,College of Literature and Science,Agriculture Faculty, Divinity School,Education Faculty, School of economicsand administrative sciences, VeterinaryFaculty and Faculty of Laws and 1conservatory where 89 licence programare conducted, 2 colleges, 9 vocationalhigh schools ( of 2 years) by conducting62 two-year degree programs areconducted and, 4 institutes ( SocialSciences, Science, Medical Sciences andFine Arts).Furthermore, The Canik BasariFoundation University of which thefoundation was laid in the Canik district ofthe Samsun Province shall also ensureSamsun to become one of the prominentcentres of our country in the field ofeducation.

Promenades ofSamsun The promenades in Samsun today arethe Hasköy Sylvan (Mefle Tesisleri)operated by the Municipality of Canik inTop hill, Çak›rlar grove which is a restingare very close to the sea and on theSamsun- Bafra road. Alaçam Forest Lakeand Vezirköprü Kunduz Forest Regionare also nice excursion places.

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Campus of Samsun 19 May›sUniversity

AtakumAtakum is the summer resort ofSamsun in the west, along theSamsun Bafra road. The two storeysummer resort houses along thecoast, turned into the newresidential area, with settlementmoving west; the number of storeysincreased and it developed towardsthe mountain ridges. Those wishingto escape the city center arechoosing housing complexes withtwo storey houses, overlooking thesea, and this demand is increasingthe settlement density on themountain ridges of Atakum and 19May›s.Residents of Samsun still raid thecoast and beaches of Atakum,especially in the summer months.

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Yakakent

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

YAKAKENTYakakent, the most westerlydistrict of Samsun, is 79 kmaway from the city centre andalso neighbours the city of Sinop.Heavy traffic may await you onthe Samsun- Sinop highway, asYakakent is situated along it,6km from Alaçam and 33kmfrom Bafra. Approximately10,000 people live in the district,

with the population equallydivided between the city centreand rural areas.

No signs of settlement have beendetected, other than tumulusknown as Pilavtepe, as enoughresearch has not been carriedout in the town of Yakakent. Withreference to the other examplesin the area, the Pilavtepe

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Yakakent, a view of the district

Pilavtepe Barrow

Yakakent factcardPopulation 9.560

Area 150 km2

Yakakent District Office 611 24 38

Municipality of Yakakent 611 21 04

tumulus can be dated back tothe Hellenistic Period (33-30BC).In the 1500’s Byzantines ruledYakakent, or ‘Kominos’ as it was

called at the time.It is widely thought that Ottomanemperor Yavuz Sultan Selimpillaged Kominos in 1514 on hisway to one of the greatest groundbattles of all time, Çald›ran, whenthe Byzantine townfolk refused torecognise his empire. TheOttomans, after capturingKimonos, renamed it Gümenez,and the town was known by thatname until 1963 when theestablishment of a municipalpresence led to its contemporaryname, Yakakent.Yakakent earned district status in1991.

Founders of YakakentYakakent gradually became asettlement in the 1800’s when afew families immigrated toGümenez from the Sinop districtof Gerze, but it was during theyears of the Russian occupation,1893-1895, that Yakakent saw agreat rise in population, as astream of refugees from theEastern Black Sea coast flowedinto the area, followed by asecond wave of immigrants fromSalonica in 1922.

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A view of Yakakent from the sea

Legend of the ancientcastleYakakent residents believe anancient castle exists hidden amongstthe dense foliage of the mountainousareas in the south, but this claim isyet to be verified as no detailedstudies have been carried out in thearea.

District centreTravellers immediately findthemselves in the town square,which boasts an Atatürk statue

facing away from the sea. To theright of the square is the townhall, and to the left are five-storeybuildings with shops on theground floor. The only thingreminiscent of the past in thissquare is a two-storey woodenbuilding with a coffee shop onthe ground floor.A promenade, running in front ofthe five-storey buildings on theleft, is ideal for long walks alongthe beach.

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Sunset

Yakakent town hall

Yakakent coastline

Yakakent Atatürk statue

Yakakent beachIf you are looking for somepeace and quiet by the sea, thenyou have come to the rightplace. Yakakent boasts a 14km-long pristine beach, embracingthe perfectly clear waters of theBlack Sea. Yakakent’s naturalbeauty makes it one of the keyareas in Samsun with tourismpotential. The private sector has

already embarked on a series ofinvestments in the area todevelop touristic trade, andKumluk Beach is one of them.Kumluk Beach offers an idealopportunity to relax by the sea.You can take long walks innature and come back to tastedelicious seafood by the waterwhile viewing a mesmerizingsunset.Bars, clubs and cafes and livemusic awaken the sleepy resort

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at night, a real treat for thoselooking for a bit of traditionalfun.

Turkey’s largest fishing-boat harbourYakakent has the largest fishing-boat harbour in Turkey, as eventhe jetty can accommodate six25-meter boats docked alongsideit. The crescent-shaped bayopening to the sea has a warmatmosphere, with quaintboathouses lining the water,offering safe shelter for the boatsduring the harsh winter months.

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kent Fishermen’s port

Some of the boathouses havesmall wooden piers extendinginto the sea.There are three seafoodrestaurants along the bay,perched on the top floor of theboathouses.If you decide to eat there, makesure you sample turbotf: theexquisite taste will make animpression.It seems Yakakent’s seafront isto gain importance in years tocome, as a marina project isunder way.Yakakent is to become a keystopover for yachts sailing theBlack Sea.

Towards Çam LakeIf you are at Yakakent, then werecommend you take a short tripto Çam Lake, just 4km awayfrom the centre. The roadrunning parallel to the waterfrontoffers guesthouses andrestaurants on the left-hand side.When the wind allows, it is alsopossible to set up camp withtents.

Çam LakeIf you are up for some swimmingand dining outdoors on woodentables under the cover of ancientpine trees, then Çam Lake is theplace for you. The complex isopen all year round and theexcellent footpaths are ideal for

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Çam Lake facilities

walks. The area is packed full ofpeople when the weather is nice.

Kunduz Fish LakeKunduz Fish Lake is a favoriteplace for campers, especially inspring and summer. The spot isideal for both caravan ownersand those with tents.

If you prefer to stay away fromthe heat, why not take advantageof the cool breeze blowingthrough the mountain pastures?Uzunk›z, Elikbuyran and NecatiBat› high plateaus offer theperfect opportunity for picnicsand nature walks. We guaranteethe experience will be amemorable one.

Guesthouses in YakakentYou can find plenty of family-run guesthouses in Yakakent.Inaddition to the 20-bedmunicipality-run hotel andrestaurant, there is a 12-roommotel right next door. Another

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Çam Lake picnic area

option for overnight stays is oneof the motels and guesthousessituated by the Çam Lakepromenade entrance.

The crystal clear waters ofYakakent are abundantlystocked with fish, and even anendangered species, sturgeon,continue to breed in the area.

Seafood exports to Japan andFrance are an important sourceof income here. Stingray, shark,scallop and whelk products areprocessed and frozen beforethey are shipped abroad.Yakakent is especially aliveduring the month of July whenthe town plays host to severalcultural events and activities.

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Family-run guest house, Yakakent

A view of Yakakent festivities

The last week of July sees aninflux of tourists fromneighboring districts. Sportstournaments, concerts, andculinary competitions liven upYakakent, with Japanese-

Turkish friendship activities andstands adding anotherdimension to the festivities.Yakakent is officially twinnedwith the Japanese town ofKushimoto.

SultanAbdülhamitreturned acourtesy visitto Japan in1880, followingthe JapaneseEmperor’suncle’s visit to‹stanbul. TheSultan sent the“Ertu€rul”frigate to

Japan under the command of Osman Pafla as a goodwillgesture but the ship was doomed. The Ottomans receiveda warm welcome to Yokohama harbour by a localcrowd, but during the return journey, the “Ertu€rul”was caught in a severe typhoon near the Funakaracoast, eventually crashing into rocks near the Pacificcoastline of the Kushimoto (Kashino) island. Although581 sailors lost their lives in the accident, 69 were savedby islanders who fought the waves to bring them back toland.Two Turkish parliamentarians, who were members of theJapanese-Turkish parliamentary friendship committee,visited Kushimoto in 1963 when the idea of a specialfriendship tie between the fishing towns of Yakakent andKushimoto emerged. The two towns and their localprimary schools were officially twinned in 1997 after aformal agreement was signed.

Turkish-Japanese Friendship

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TraditionsCustoms and traditions areimportant to Black Sea folk, butthey have undergone certainadaptations to fit in with thetimes.

Most weddings at Yakakentused to be held at boathousesor wooden shacks 40 years ago,but now people opt for weddingsin teahouses, wedding halls andgardens.

Bridal Veil DayA special custom in the area isbridal veil day when friends ofthe new bride visither home theday after her wedding.

The bride, wearing her weddinggown, serves food and displaysher trousseau for closeexamination by her friends, andthe women dance.

In the old days, five or sixrecently married women wouldhost the bridal veil day togetherwith the new bride, all dressedup in their wedding gowns.

Wedding Gift CollectionForty years ago, wedding giftswere collected on a specialbrass tray which was carriedfrom door to door to pick uppresents from friends, relativesand neighbours in the village.People would place a note withtheir names on their gifts andcover them up with colouredscarves before sending the trayoff to the next house.

A young boy from each housewould carry the tray to the nextcollection point until all thepresents were gathered. The

crowd would then walk to thegroom’s house, where the newcouple would be living, topresent the gifts.

In the meantime the groom-to-be would have a pre-weddingshave in his garden duringwhich people would attachmoney to his outfit. Thesetraditions, however, are nolonger in existence.

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The most famous local dishis “içli mant›”, a specialtype of ravioli with walnutfilling, served on a bed ofgarlic yoghurt. Seafood isexquisite all year round,and fish is prepared in avariety of ways rangingfrom pan-fried to steamed.Chicken and duck dishesfeature heavily on the menuand “tirit” is another localdelicacy.

Culinary delights

Alaçam

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

ALAÇAMIf you head east past Yakakent onthe Samsun - Sinop highway, youwill eventually reach Alaçam,which lies 78km from Samsuncity centre. The district has a totalpopulation of 30,000; two-thirds

of whom live in rural areas, therest in the district centre. Alaçamsummers are cool and the wintersare cold.

In July, temperatures can top35C, while the month of Januarycan be as cold as -5C.

Begining to HistoryChalcolithic Age(BC. 5500-3000)The history of Alacam dates backto the ancient times. During the

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Alaçam factcardPopulation: Approx. 30.351

Area 632 km2

Alaçam District Office 622 00 21

Municipality of Alaçam 622 00 02

surface surveys carried out in thisarea; 3 mounds, 1 flat settlementand 2 tumuluses were located.Mound style settlements in thesouth of Alacam, chalcolithic firstand middle bronze age iron andmedieval ages in Dedetepe in thevillage of Yenice, the first andmiddle bronze age in theGökceboğaz hill or Aliosman hillin the village of Gökceboğaz ,chalcolithic first and middlebronze and stone age.

Seljuks took over the regionaround 1100AD, followed by theBafra Principality.

Alaçam was a subdistrict of Bafra,until 1944, when it was givendistrict status.

Four cultures – fournames:Alaçam’s first known name isZelikus, as Miletians called it in the5th century BC, when they settled inthe area after emigrating fromcentral Asia. Then theDaniflmentliler used the nameTralköy after taking over the districtand the Seljuks later changed thename to Uluköy.The ‹lhanl›lar finally named itAlaçam in 1385.

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The ancient pine trees liningthe Uluçay brook are thoughtto have given rise to thename Uluçam (grand pine)which eventually becameAlaçam.

The history behindthe name of Alaçam

Historic Rum Houses

District centreAlaçam district center is reached byturning left from the main highwayand continuing uphill. The entranceto the district is lined with two- andthree-storey houses with shops onthe ground floor. The road gentlycurves to the left as you drive on.The mosque, named after theAnatolian Principality chief Sadi Bey,can be found in the centre of town.Its exterior is completely coveredwith modern mosaics, which makesit difficult to identify it as a historicalmonument. Beyond the Sami BeyMosque lies a typical town square,with an Atatürk statue on the southside and shops on the west side

bustling with trade. The square isalso used as a bus terminalproviding transport to surroundingdistricts and cities.

GeyikkoflanThe road into central Alaçam is linedon one side with planted pine trees

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Sadi Bey Mosque

Municipality-run Geyikkoflan Motel

Geyikkoflan H›d›rellez Festival

Alaçam Square

over 2.5m tall. The other side of theroad, which faces the sea, is calledGeyikkoflan, an ideal leisure spotwith a pristine beach, and tables, aswell as poplar, cherry and laureltrees overlooking the water. It ispossible to camp here, as there is aspecially designated camping areaand a guesthouse, AlaçamGeyikkoflan Ö€retmenevi, which is

near the seaside. Daytime guestsare also welcome here and are ableto dine at the restaurant and makeuse of the beacht.

Vital sources of income:farming and fishingMost Alaçam residents make a livingby farming and fishing in the area.Major crops grown in the region are

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A table used for drying tobacco

Alaçam Geyikkoflan seafront

tobacco, wheat, hazelnut, barley,and rye as well as various sorts ofvegetables and fruits.Fish stocks are abundant in Alaçamwaters where fishermen catchanchovy, horse mackerel, bonito,blue fish, grey mullet, red mullet,whiting and turbot.

Town architectureA number of old houses still stand,which typically have two floors. Theground floor is made of stone,whereas the top floor is usuallywooden.They are ideal candidates forboutique hotels, as they tend tohave large gardens as well.

Horon and Rumeli folkdancesThe majority of the residents areimmigrant from the Balkans andtherefore Rumeli folk dances suchas Zigofl, Debreli Hasan, VardarOvas›, Topal A€a are popular,especially for weddings.

Local handicraftsThe locals are skilled in kilimweaving, wickerwork andwoodcrafts, as wood, reed andwool are abundant materials in thearea.

Alaçam weddingsThere is great importance placed onweddings in all sections of Turkishsociety, and the joining of two handsin matrimony and creation of a new108

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A beautiful example of Alaçam architecture

family is celebrated by variouscolourful rituals.

Wedding traditionsThere are various traditional rituals forthe bride and groom, and the weddingmay last several days. Many of theserituals are slowly dying out because ofchanging life styles in the area. One ofthese customs, Güvey Çimdirme(Hamam Day), for the groom is now athing of the past. Most people opt fora shave and taking bath at the localbarber nowadays rather than a day offestivities at the hamam (Turkish bath)

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Herse, a chicken dish;the Circassian specialtyAlufl; Kapakl› pide,made with raw mincemeat and spices; andstuffed vine leaves withbonito are all worthtasting. In the springmonths, a special cheesemade with sheep’s milkis delicious.

Alaçam Cuisine

Bafra

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

BAFRAIf you continue eastwards pastAlaçam, you will get to Bafrawhich is 51 km from Samsuncity centre. Bafra opens up tothe Black Sea coast on thenorth and borders with Kavak inthe south. Bafra plain coversthe K›z›l›rmak delta and issurrounded by the 1225m tallMount Nebiyan in the south,which extends from the Canikmountain range. Bafra’s historystretches back to 2000BC asexcavations in the ‹kiztepe ruinsconfirmed. The areacontinuously hosted humansettlements for 2300 years,until 1700BC. Various artifactswere recovered in ‹kiztepe,dating back to 2000BC.

It is widely accepted thatPaphlagons inhabited theK›z›l›rmak valley around 670BC,but the area was taken over bythe Lydians in the 6th centuryBC, followed by the Persians in546BC. ‹kiztepe also boasts amausoleum belonging to theHellenistic period (330-30BC).The Romans took over the areain 47BC followed by theByzantines. Seljuks capturedBafra in the 1071 Malazgirtbattle, and Seljuk ruler ‹zzettinKeykavus brought overTurcoman tribes to settle in thearea.

Mongol invasions, starting in1243, led to the downfall of theSeljuk empire and instigated therise of the Turkish Principalities,resulting in the establishment ofthe small Bafra SeljukPrincipality. This principalitythen came under the rule of theOttomans in 1460, and wasrecorded as a county of Canik

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Bafra, a view of the district

Bafra factcardPopulation 145,393

Area 1,413 km2

Bafra District Office 543 10 01

Municipality of Bafra 543 23 20

Sanca€› in Trabzon, and thenas a county town near the endof 1841, followingadministrative reforms.

From Bafira to BafraIn Phonecian times, the tradehouses built in the bayssurrounding the mouth of theK›z›l›rmak delta were calledBafira, which eventually gaverise to the name Bafra.

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Evliya Çelebi’s famous travel journal,"Seyahatname", mentions Bafra and theK›z›l›rmak River cutting through it and addsthat it houses two mosques, two hamams.

Bafra through the eyes of Evliya Çelebi

The Hittite heritageThe Hittite civilisation, which ruledAnatolia around 2000BC, positionedtheir capital in Hattuflafl (Bo€azköy)on the wide meander of theK›z›l›rmak River. It seems theHittites accessed the Black Seacoast via a road through Havza - Il›ca- Demiryurt – Çak›ralan-Kap›kaya,and finally Bafra along the sea.Archeological studies revealed thatanother Hittite city called Zalpuwa(Zalpa) existed in the area, and themajority view among archeologists isthat it could have been positionednear ‹kiztepe.

Central BafraIt is obvious that much thoughtand effort has gone into thelayout of the road andsurrounding areas as you enterBafra. The pine trees and flowerspleasantly welcome you into thedistrict centre as you enter Bafraand the houses alongside theroad increase in number as youdrive down a slight incline. Thepleasant and well-maintainedentrance to Bafra immediatelyreflects the well-developed natureof the area, as the district is aleading agricultural centre, withhighly developed tobacco,vegetable and fruit farms. Redcabbage, watermelon,honeymelon, and rice, as well asVirginia tobacco, are grown here.Virginia is a large-leaved speciesof tobacco and needs watering.Turkish tobacco, on the otherhand, has smaller leaves, anddoes not need watering.Bafra is one of Samsun’s mostdeveloped districts. Cumhuriyet

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Efraima€a MansionAn old Rum house in Gazipafla

Bafra’s Cumhuriyet (Republic) Square

Square is the most active spot inthe area, as the park in the squarecentre and the shops surroundingit are continuously bustling duringthe day. The park boasts anAtatürk sculpture in its centre.Many old houses still stand, andare generally two-storey buildingsmade of stone, but there are alsosome made of wood.Bafra locals tend to opt for 19 May›sand Yakakent districts for summerholidays and people tend to travel to‘Kolay’ resort for day trips.

‹kiztepe sheds light ontoancient AnatoliancivilisationsK›z›l›rmak estuary and itssurroundings have a 7000-year-oldhistory, dating back to 5000BC andthe area is the cradle of manybygone civilisations. A 1971exvacation unearthed ‹kiztepe ruins,57 tumuli, six ancient settlements,

25 antiquity ruins, five rock tombs,three cemeteries, one castle, onepublic bath and a bridge.

Largest ancient cemeteryin AnatoliaAnthropologic and medical studiescarried out on the 690 skeletonsrecovered from the ‹kiztepecemetery, which date back to

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We came across a narrow and long tobacco shop in aside street of Bafra, where sacks of various types oftobacco were lined up in the shop’s interior. The owneris clearly very fond ofhis job and happilyrecommends suitabletobacco products forindividual tastes. Thepavement in front of theshop is brimming witheager shoppersawaiting their turn.Even if you are not asmoker, we definitelyrecommend a visit tothe shop for a friendlychat and look around.

Bafra tobacco shop

2300-2100BC, revealed thatskillful skull surgery was carriedout on eight of them. It appearssome were able to survive 10years or more following surgerywhile others died immediately.The spot where the cemeterystood, the highest hill in ‹kiztepe,was later used as a mausoleumin the Hellenistic period (330-30BC). The mausoleum here ismade of hewn stone and boastsone large and one small burialroom after passing through a 9m-long vaulted hall. Excavationsalso revealed that people used tolive in wooden houses near thesite and sustained themselves byhunting, breeding cattle andfishing. The mausoleum hasbeen pieced back together and isopen to the public.

History of mining inAnatoliaGuns, tools, jewelery, ovens andstone molds recovered inexcavations reveal that ‹kiztepe’s

ancient folk played an importantpart in the development ofmining in Anatolia. Metallicobjects have been alsounearthed, which were madeusing a mixture of arsenic andcopper. It appears the copperwas extracted from the Merzifonarea whereas arsenic was wasmined in Gümüflköy.The collection of copper-arsenic

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There are various moundsand tumuli found in thearea, baring traces of anumber of ancientcivilisations. A few of thesehistorical sites have beenstudied by archeologists, buta large portion remainsuntouched. A list of thesemounds and tumuli sites inthe Bafra area are as follows: Bö€ürtlen Höyü€ü, Elmal›kTepe Höyü€ü, Hac›baba Tepesi Höyü€ü, Tepecik Höyü€ü,Tepe Tarla Höyü€ü, Tödü€ün Tepe Höyü€ü, Zahna Höyü€ü,Külcüler Hill, Hac›baba Hill, Hill Area, Som Hill, SorgunluHill, Özü Büyük, Afla€› Hill and Tingiller Hill.

Mounds and Tumuli

artifacts recovered from ‹kiztepe isone of the oldest and mostimportant collections of its kind inAnatolia.The ‹kiztepe ruins and thesurrounding area have comeunder the protection of theGovernment, as it was made afirst-degree archeological heritagesite.Excavations also unearthedweaving tools, confirming thatweaving was a popular trade inthe area.Over 6000 artifacts recovered

from ‹kiztepe including bones,earthenware, stones and horns,are now on display at theSamsun Archeology Museum.

Changing landscapes‹kiztepe was initially placedimmediately at the mouth of theK›z›l›rmak River on the west side,but the settlement now stands7km away from the Black Seaand 2km further in than theriver.

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‹kiztepe, the largest tomb in Anatolia

‹kiztepe ruins

Derbent DamTo reach Derbent Dam you passthe Çetimkaya Bridge and followthe directions to Kolay, andcontinue for 35km to get to AsarKale. New waterways alongsidethe road accompany the road allthe way, and farmlands continueright up to the mountain peaks,unfortunately not leaving anyroom for the forest. If you seethe K›z›l›rmak River on your left,

it means you are getting close tothe dam and will see organiccorn crops along the way. Becareful, there may be severaltortoises crossing the road in thisarea! The Derbent Dam lake issurrounded by farmland and thetombs carved into the rocks area sight to behold.

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Kolay, Derbent Dam and lake

Fish traps in the dam lake

KolayThere are fish farms in Derbent. Ifyou follow the side of the dam,you get to the Kolay resort, wherethe Neyzen Tevfik festival is held

every year.There’s also a touristic complex bythe lakefront, with severalrestaurants serving delicious trout.There are also two attractivemosques along the road with only150m between them.

Asar CastleAsar Kale is a structure built upona giant mass of rock. Stairs carvedinto the entrance of the cavegradually lead you up.

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Zalpa was the third-largest city of the Hittitecivilisation (2000BC) after Hattuflafl and Kanefl. Acuneiform belonging to the Hittite era mentions thecity of Zalpa where the K›z›l›rmak River meets theBlack Sea.There is no concrete archeological evidence toconfirm the existence of such a city, but initialinvestigations have pointed to an area emcompassingthe four mounds in the ‹kiztepe village as the possiblelocation of Zalpa.

Zalpa (Zalpuwa)

A close-up view of Asar Kale Asar Kale entrance via a tunnel

Rock tombs in Kolay

Büyük Mosque(Cami-i Kebir)Central Bafra hosts the BüyükMosque, which was noted byEvliya Çelebi in his journals of300 years ago. Bafra Principalityhead Emir Mirza reputedly builtthe wooden mosque to provide acentral space for worship to thetownspeople. The inscription onthe mosque wall today, however,states it was built by KöprülüMehmet Pasha’s daughter, AyfleHatun, in 1670.

Merkez Tayyar PaflaMosqueThis mosque was commissionedby Tayyar Pafla in 1801-02 andan extension was built in recentyears to increase space forworshippers. The single-balconiedminaret has kept its originalbeauty and the mosque is soon toundergo a restoration project toexpose and protect the originalwall decorations.

BazaarA 17th century vaulted bazaarstands on Hac›nabineighbourhood’s Tekel Avenue.The structure has entry pointsfrom the east and west, and alsoholds three rows of outdoorshops.

The bazaar is still in use today,with butchers, fishmongers,jewelers, clockmakers andvarious other shops.Public fountains were of greatimportance during the Ottomanera and till 1960, as most of thetownspeople obtained theirwater from local fountains. Thelocal fountains which havesurvived to the modern day areas follows: Ali Bey Fountain,Mescit Fountain, Taçl› Fountain,Tafll› Fountain ve Aynal›Fountain.

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The real name of thenational poet Neyzen Tevfikis Tevfik Kolayl›. Thesurname Kolayl› means‘from Kolay’, referring tothe Kolay resort nearBafra. This poet’s fatherwas born in Kolay.

Do you knowTevfik Kolayl›?

Cami-i Kebir

Merkez Tayyar Pafla Mosque

Bafra’s oldest fountain:AlibeyAlibey fountain was built in 1751and has undergone restorationrecently. Alibey stands next to theKaymakam’s office byCumhuriyet Square. There aretwo incriptions on either side ofthe fountain.

Kad› FountainSahib-ül Hayrat Kad› Ali Efendicommissioned this fountain in1778 and it is situated at theintersection between Tekel,Alaçam and Bulvar Avenues.Locals believe people who drinkfrom this fountain will not be ableto leave Bafra.

Hüseyin Bey FountainHüseyin Bey fountain is situatedin the middle of CumhuriyetAvenue and its delicate formcatches the eye at once.It has a hexagonal structure andits corners are made of helicalcolumns while each of the sixsides has a small envelope-shaped niche with a plant motif

painted on it.The inscription on it states that itwas built by Hüseyin Bey, andcommissioned by Kazan Hac›Abdurrahman Agha.

Mescid FountainThis fountain was commissionedby Bafra chief Haznedar-ZadeNecebetlü Hamdi Beyefendi.

Tafll› FountainTafll› is the second fountaincommissioned by Bafra chiefHaznedar-Zade Necebetlü HamdiBeyefendi in 1840 and is situatedat the top of Hac› ‹zzet A€a Street.

Emir Mirza Bey TombThe Emir Mirza Bey shrine issituated 5km away from Bafracentre, in the village of Türbe. Atfirst sight, the shrine groundsresemble a family burial site. Itwas built by Bafra’s chief of thetime, Emir-Mirza Bey, about 600years ago.The building is made withunhewn stone and is closed offwith a tent-like dome. The

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Hüseyin Bey FountainAli Bey Fountain

inscription on the wall indicatesthat it was built in 1381 and thatthe people buried here had diedof the plague.

The shrine itself is hidden amongtrees and its interior has beenbadly damaged by treasurehunters and quietly awaitsrestoration.

Emir Efendi TombBafra Municipality restored this oldtomb in 1995. The interior iscovered with Turkish style motifson tiles (Çini), all the way up tothe domed roof. Emir Efendi’ssarcophagus is placed in thecentre of the structure, where youare likely to come across prayingvisitors throughout the day.

H›z›r Bey TombH›z›r Bey Tomb is situated inKümbet Tepe northwest ofÇetinkaya, 2km away from Bafra122

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Houses did not have bathrooms in the old days, and onlythe wealthiest of the townspeople had private hamams intheir homes. The prominent Hacikabaflar family was onesuch family who had a domed hamam with floor heatingand three marble basins.The hamam in homes usually tended to be inside thelarge cabinets of chimneyed rooms, where a stovewould boil water which was then mixed with cold waterto bathe.Even those with hamams at home would visit thehamam once a week. People would sweat, and thentellaks (attendants at hamams) would scrub them downfrom head to toe with a special exfoliating cloth (kese)followed by loofah. The cleansing ritual would endwhen the tellaks called for towels.The bathers would then be wrapped up in towels andshown to a relaxation area where they would beoffered coffee.The hamams would be most crowded on Fridaymornings.In time, the ritualistic aspects of the hamam culturefaded away, as people started having bathrooms intheir own homes.

Turkish Bath (Hamam) Culture

Emir Mirza Bey Tomb

district centre. Another name for thetomb, therefore, is Kümbet Dede.H›z›r Bey, son of chief Candaro€lu‹sfendiyar Bey, H›z›r Bey, lies here.Constructed in 1411-20.

fiifa Turkish Bath(Old Hamam)This hamam is a typical domedstructure built 15th century. The holesin the ceiling, especially created to let inthe sun rays, looks just like the surfaceof the moon when viewed from above.Although the bath is quite narrow, it isone of the largest hamams of this time.fiifa bath has stood the test of time, butthe acacia tree growing towards themiddle of its dome, urgently calls forpreservative action.

Çetinkaya BridgeThis 650m-long wooden bridge wasused to connect the banks of theK›z›l›rmak River until 1937. A new250m bridge was built in 1937 withthe support of the then transportminister Ali Çetinkaya. The structure,which boasts a total of seven arches,is one of the great examples of earlyrepublican architecture.

All newly-weds cross theÇetinkaya BridgeAll couples who wed in Bafra andnewly circumsized boys, crossÇetinkaya Bridge for good luckand throw stones into theK›z›l›rmak River to fend off badluck.

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Emir Efendi Tomb

Çetinkaya Bridge

Bafra’s K›z›l›rmakK›z›l›rmak originates from Sivas K›z›lMountain and meanders throughCentral Anatolia, and then cutsacross Bafra to reach the Black Sea.Several lakes line the river mostly onthe east side of K›z›l›rmak. They are:Dutdibi, Liman, Hay›rl›, Çernek,Uzungöl, Tombulgöl, and ‹ncegöl.There’s also Karabo€az Lake on thewest side.The lakes are mostly surroundedby marshland and reed, butsome areas also are underforest cover.

K›z›l›rmak DeltaK›z›l›rmak Delta, stretching outover 60km of the Black Seacoastline, is one of the mostbountiful agricultural lands inTurkey. The delta is dotted withfish lakes, islets, grasslands,muddy flats and farmland.The delta provides key shelter forthe bird population, especially inthe winter months.

LakesTop quality carp is farmed in the 33lakes scattered around the delta,including Karabo€az, Bal›k, Liman,

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K›z›l›rmak Delta fish lake

There are three hamams in Bafra. These are:Pafla Hamam in Cumhuriyet Square, EskiHamam, opposite the electricity plant and UzunHamam situated next to the Büyük Mosque, whichwas called Han Hamam until 50 years ago. EskiHamam be longed to Lawyer Mahmut Nedim, butwas actually run by Emin and Nihat Bey whoimmigrated to Bafra from Boyabat. Uzun Hamamwas managed by Toduklar.

Hamams in Bafra

Dutdibi, Uzungöl, Hay›rl›, ‹nce,Çernek, Tombul lakes. The region isone of the key water ecosystems inthe country and is an important eco-tourism spot. Bird watchers areparticularly fond of the area, as themarshland and reeds surroundingthe lakes provide ample opportunityto observe birds in their naturalsurroundings.

Local and internationalseafood exportsThe region has a major crayfishindustry, exporting entirely toforeign markets since 1985,

while they supply fish for variousparts of Turkey.

The lake that meetsthe seaLiman Lake, very near the BlackSea coast, sometimes meetsseawater in windy weather, thelarge waves of the Black Seacrashing into the sweet waters ofLiman.Various salt-water fish aretherefore able to survive in thelake.

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Da€yeli (meaning mountainbreeze) is what the Bafraresidents call the south andsouthwestern wind blowing pasttheir district. Bafra’s humiditylevel is relatively low comparedto the surrounding districts, asthe dry and cool mountainbreezes disperse the humidity. Inthe summertime, it is anorthwestern and northeasternlywind called Poyraz that keepsthe heat at bay in Bafra.

Bafra’s southernwind: Da€yeli

Reeds of K›z›l›rmak Delta

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The town which is a ‘’bird paradise‘’ is the biggest wetland of theKizilirmak Delta that has achieved to protectthe natural properties of the Nord SeaCost. The fact the life medias such as sea,river, lack, sand dune, reed bed, marshyground, forest and agricultural fields takeplace in a healthy ecosystem ensures the‘’Bafra Bird Paradise’’ to havebiologically a huge richness and variety. Itis ascertained that 340 ones of the 420 birdgenders in Turkey leaves in this delta and140 ones of these genders realize theirpopulation in this field. Of the 24 birdgender under risk all over the world, 24bird genders were ascertained in this delta.

From these genders, only big sea sandpipers, North Pearl Bird ( Kuzeyincikuşu), Little berry bird ( kucuk kiraz kusu) and White Berry Bird (Akkiraz kuşu) are seen only in the Kizilirmak Delta for the last 20years. Some of the bird genders of which the generation is under riskand which are seen in the ‘’Bafra Bird Paradise’’ are respectively:Dalmatian Pelican, Dwarf Cormorant, Goose having red neck, Birdwith vertical tail ( dikkuyruk), Shah Eagle, Sea Eagle, Little Kestrel,Tarda. Among them, Sea Eagle, Dalmatian Pelican, Black Stork, Stork,Crane, Kingfisher, Duck Yagmurcan and Singer Bird Passeriformestake also place. The fact that 100.000 birds leave therein is the bestindicator showing that the delta is rich in respect of food subtract andfauna elements.The Kizilirmak delta harbors 1 piece Visitors Centre, 1 pieceAdministration Centre and 2 piece Bird Observation Towers. A personvisiting the delta for purpose of excursion is supplied information aboutthe delta through Image Monitoring Centre in the Visitors Centre, theExhibition Hall and the Sale Stand where particularly regional productsare promoted. The images being obtained in the image monitoringcentre by four piece cameras placed in different points of the delta maybe seen by a desiring visitor and also a curious bird observing personmay also watch such birds from the Bird Monitoring Tower.

The Kızılırmak Delta Bird Paradise

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K›z›l›rmak Delta and bird paradise

Lake Tourism:Alt›nkaya and DerbentDam LakesAlt›nkaya and Derbent dams,built over the K›z›l›rmak River,are popular spots for rod fishingenthusiasts. The lakes host carp,rainbow trout, sweet-waterseabass, sheatfish, grey mullet,rudd among various otherspecies. If you can spare thetime, a 3.5km trip up thewaterway will allow you to fishon the K›z›l›rmak River itself,where an annual fishingcompetition is held.There are also lake safaris heldthroughout the season.For those who want to rest, a

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Fishing boats of the delta

Alt›nkaya Dam, fiahin Canyon

trout restaurant is open year-round by the lakeside.

fiahin Canyonfiahin Canyon, which extendsfrom Alt›nkaya River, is truly anatural wonder to behold. Therock canyon barely allows a four-car capacity ferry to zigzagthrough the narrow passageway.Once the ferry comes out of thecanyon, you will be greeted bythe breathtaking view of theKunduz Forests of Vezirköprü.One of the most awe-inspiringthings about the ferry crossing isthe 80-meter-long stairwaycarved into the rocks. Peopleuse the stairway to fish for carp

and sheatfish these days. It isalso possible to camp withcaravans and tents on thehillside overlooking the canyon.

Fun, Bafra-styleThe night of the 14th day ofRamadan is when the Sele-sepetfestival is held and it very closelyresembles trickortreating onHalloween night.Parents buy their young onespaper lanterns called ‘sele’ andthe children visit houses in theirneighbourhood one by one,where they are offered candy,small change and fruit.

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Alt›nkaya Dam lake

Restaurants by the dam lakeside

Agricultural Fair- aspecial occasionThe fair is held in July every yearand melon-growing competitionsare held.

May 7 traditionBafra locals hold celebrations allday long on 7 May in thecountryside and throw stones inthe K›z›l›rmak River in themorning to make their wishescome true.

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11.. GGaatthheerriinngg rreeeeddss ffrroomm tthhee ddeellttaaThe local handicraft of zembil used to bepopular in Köytepe especially until 20 yearsago, but now it is on the verge of dying out asonly a few people practice it today. Zembil isweaved out of reed and corncob leaves withthe help of a 50cm steel wire bent in halfserving as a needle. Natural dyes obtainedfrom onion peel and green walnut shells arealso used.

WWeeaavviinngg zzeemmbbiillCorncob leaves are softened with water, andafter being cut into three equal longitudinalpieces, they are woven around the reed stalks.The leaves are dyed and even decorated withpatterns.

Zembil: a local handicraft

Outdoor leisure sports and festivals

Henna NightsIt is long-standing tradition tohost henna nights the eve of awedding when the groom’s family(women only) come to the bride’shome bearing henna, flour,butter, sugar and halva as wellas a dress for the bride. Candlesare lit on plates and henna isapplied first to the sole of thebride’s right foot and then thepalm of her left hand. In themeantime, guests throw moneyinto the henna tray placed infront of the bride-to-be. Thecandles are waved above herhead in rhythmical moves beforethe rest of the guests applyhenna to their hands and formqueues and dance along to livemusic.

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Henna night

Bafra is well known for itspide (Turkish pizza),meatballs, nokul (madewith walnuts and driedraisins wrapped in dough)and honey and cream icecream. An exquisite prune dishmade in the local area isunfortunately fastbecoming a thing of thepast. It is diced red meatfried with dried prunesand butter, which is veryeasy on the stomach.

Bafra Cuisine

Woman harvesting tobacco.

19 May›s

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

19 MAYISIf you drive eastwards past Bafra onthe Samsun - Sinop highway, you willget to 19 May›s district with apopulation of 25,000, 33km awayfrom Samsun. 19 May›s boasts a20km-long Black Sea coastline and is

therefore a popular holiday spot for thepeople of Samsun, and is renownedfor various festivals.The district centre is situated east ofthe K›z›l›rmak delta and resembles ameadow. The presence of hundredsof bird species living by the nearbylakes gives the area a specialatmosphere.The region saw three waves ofimmigration, the first from theCaucasus and Dagestan regionsbetween 1877-78, followed by aninflux of people from theMediterranean and Aegean regions in1905 and finally a 1912 immigration

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19 May›s factcardPopulation: 24.959

Area 362 km

19 May›s District Office 511 31 00

Municipality of 19 May›s 511 44 88

19 May›s, view of the district

wave from Greece and Yugoslavia.Some Turcoman tribes settled in thearea after the Malazgirt battle in 1071and the region came under the rule of

the Melik Daniflment Gazi principalityset up after the war, but was passed 135

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19 May›s, views of the district

19 May›s shoreline

The moud in the village of Beylikdating back to the first Bronze Ageand the Hazir ilyas mound takesthe history of the town back to3000 BC. And the other historicalplaces are the Kofteroglu tumulusin the village of Cetinlipinar, thetumulus in the mountain village,the tumulus near the town ofYorukler.

History

back and forth between theDaniflments, Byzantines and Seljuksuntil it became part of the Ottomanempire in 1428, during the ÇelebiMehmet era. The area saw a secondwave of immigration following the1877-78 war when Caucasians andDagestan emigrants settled here.Finally, the Ottoman Turks set uphome in the villages in 1915, followingthe Balkan wars. There were alsoSalonica Turks who arrived in the areaafter the Independence War, as part ofa population exchange with theGreeks.

District CentreA sculpture of Atatürk and the town hallwelcome you to the district centre. Theold and delicate clock tower is in 19May›s Square.To reach the seafront, take a U-turn fromthe right side of the town hall.. Thecoastal road is wide, but in poorcondition. About 1km along the shorelineis the Ball›ca Tekel Factory and the roadeventually ends at the beach, whichstretches as far as the eye can see ineither direction, and then you arefacingthe energetic waves of the BlackSea. This is a great place to suntan asthe wind takes the edge off the heat.The Municipality water park along theshore is a popular fun spot for local kids,who dive into the sea via waterslidesinstalled on a long wooden pier.Traces of 19 May›s’ past can be seen in

the Ahflap Mosque, Yörükler Hamam›(Turkish Bath) and Tafl Bridge.

Ahflap MosqueThe mosque situated on Fatih Avenueis made entirely of wood and wasprobably constructed in the 19thcentury. The structure is quite plainand devoid of any decorations.

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19 May›s Square clock tower

19 May›s Aqua Park

Yörükler Hamam›(public bath)This hamam is found near the fishriver by the Yörükler neighbourhood.

Tafl BridgeThe stone bridge was built in theYörükler - Kalaba neighbourhood in the19th century by the Ottomans. Thebridge boasts a single arch and amajor portion of its supports are notcovered in earth.

Climate in 19 May›sThe local climate is influenced by thesurrounding sea and lakes, and istherefore mild and wet in the winter andcool in the summer. Frost is unheard ofin this region. 19 May›s is a rare spotwhere mountains, sea, lake and forestare all positioned side-by-side. It’s only onthe hillsides of Mount Nebiyan that fourdistinct seasons can be felt. The land tothe north of the district centre forms partof the meadows created by the K›z›l›rmak

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Nebiyan Forests

River. Engiz brook, originating fromMount Nebiyan, feeds the meadows, andflows into the Black Sea.

Economic overviewThe 19 May›s region has a variedeconomy with locals earning a living fromvarious trades including fishing, cattle,farming and even producing rush matsnear the lakeside. Farming, though, is thebackbone of the local economy here, with

hazelnut, tobacco and corn cultivated inthe area. Hand-weaving handicrafts arealso quite well developed here, especiallykilim-making.

Nature’s generosityThe highest peak of the 19 May›s districtis ideal for excursions and picnics, as it issurrounded by the Nebiyan forests. Manyfestivals take place at the top of this hill.You can swim in the cleanest water of the

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Galeniç Foest in the Yörükler neighborhood

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region here and the K›z›l›rmak delta,which is just beside 19 May›s, providesan excellent opportunity for ecotourism aswetlands, marshlands, dunes, lakes andthe sea co-exist in ecological harmony.The large number of birds inhabiting thearea creates an excellent opportunity topromote Turkey on an international scale,carry out scientific studies and contributeto environmentalism.

A reflection of a richcultureThe district people arei an interestingcultural mix, as three waves ofimmigration--from the Caucasus,Thrace, Eastern Anatolia and EasternBlack Sea regions-- brought their ownfolk songs and dances to 19 May›s.

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Nebiyan Forests

Sunset in the Yörükler neighbourhood

There is a rich food culturehere, and the region is bestknown for its keflkek andP›t›l bread dishes. Theböreks (pastries) from theBalkans, meat and rice,tarhana soup, dried meatand liver dishes, and somunbread are specialties of thearea.

Do not leave beforetasting the deliciousbörek

Tekkeköy

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

TEKKEKÖYTekkeköy is a new district in theeastern part of Samsun,overlooking the Black Sea,situated at the 13th km of theSamsun-Trabzon highway, east ofÇarflamba. Tekkeköy is an easyride from Samsun by road, withplenty of transport options. Thenew district has a population of

around 49,000, half of whom livein the centre, while the rest aredistributed among villages. A thirdof the district is taken up by theÇarflamba plain, its rich soil usedfor intensive farming of tobacco,corn and other vegetables.

From the paleolithic erato the OttomansFirst signs of civilization in thearea, just south of Tekkeköy, aredated back to somewherebetween 400,000 years to10,000 years BC, during thePaleolithic era. Archeologicalstudies have also revealedremains from the Hittites and thePhrygians, before Pontus ruledover the area in the middle of the

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Tekkeköy factcardPopulation 49.462

Area 241 km2

Tekkeköy District Office 256 04 65

Municipality of Tekkeköy 256 03 24

Tekkeköy, a view of the district

3rd century BC. Later, theRomans, Byzantines and Seljuksclaimed it as their own. In aneffort to convert the local folk toIslam and assimilate them, the

Seljuks appointed a holy man,Sheik Zeynuddin, thought to havelived between 1250-1330, to carefor the needy in the area.Zeynuddin built a shrine where hefed the poor. It is thought that thename Tekkeköy has its roots inthat very shrine, as the literaltranslation for “tekke” is “holyman’s lodge” .

In 1399 the Ottomans reignedover Tekkeköy but briefly gaveway to the Kubatl›o€ullar› clan in1402 following the Ankarawar.However, the area becameOttoman territory once again in1419 through Celebi Mehmet’swar efforts. Turks and localGreeks (Rum) co-existedpeacefully during the Ottoman erauntil after the Lausanne Treaty,which required the Turks inWestern Thrace to swap placeswith Greeks. As a result, theinhabitants of Tekkeköy today fallinto three main categories:indigenous folk, immigrants, andthe Western Thrace Turks whomanaged to preserve theircultural heritage following thepopulation exchange.

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Alt›nkaya Church

On the way toTekkeköy: KutlukentA stone church, Keltepe, awaitstravellers in the Alt›nkaya quarter,which is situated on the routetowards Tekkeköy, a fair climb offthe Kutlukent turn alongside theKirazl›k brook. The church dome,partially in ruins, is in urgent needof restoration, but the view fromthe church lays the city ofSamsun virtually under one’s feet.The local folk in Alt›nkaya aremostly of Western Thrace origin.

It is a good idea to head back tothe main road after seeing thechurch as not much else liesbeyond it.

Replica of Atatürk’shouseAn exact replica of Ataturk’s birthhome in Salonica can be seen onthe way back from Keltepe Church,at the main road intersection

Ǜkarman WindmillIf you follow the main road on theway back from Keltepe and take thefirst right after the traffic lights toreach Ǜkarman cemetery and thentake the first left after going throughthe burial ground, and you will comeacross a windmill made of stone,partially hidden behind the trees.Constructed in 19th Century.

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A replica of Atatürk’s house in Salonica

Windmill

Central TekkeköyThe Government Hall features asculpture of Atatürk in front of itand is situated beside the townhall.

fieyh Yusuf ZeynüddinMosque and ShrineIslamic holy man Sheik YusufZeynüddin, who lived during theSeljuk era, had the mosque builtin 1285, and his shrine can befound in the mosque garden.Sadly, the mosque has lost itshistorical authenticity as all itsexterior surfaces have beencovered with mosaics.

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Tekkeköy town square

Government Hall

fieyh Yusuf Zeynüddin Mosque

fieyh Yusuf Zeynüddin Mosque interior

Tekkeköy Caves(Delikli Kayalar)Caves of varying sizes and shapesare scattered among the rockstowering along the valley fed bythe F›nd›cak and Ç›narl› streams.These natural structures belong tothe Chalcolithic era (Copper Age),and some of them have beencarved to extend the interior.A 1941 excavation in the area,headed by Ankara UniversityProfessor Tahsin Özgüç led to thediscovery of several prehistoricshelters and yielded manyprehistoric artifacts including axes,cutting tools, knives, bracelets andeven needles exemplifyingadvanced craftsmanship.A large piece of rock overlookingthe intersection between theÇ›narc›k and F›nd›cak valleys isknown by the name ‘Delikli Kaya’,meaning “perforated rock”.Delikli Kaya features a series ofman-made steps, which havebeen traced back to thePhrygians.

Ǜnaralan Church andmosqueAn uphill trek on a narrow andrough pathway from the rockyskirts of Delikli Kaya leads toǛnaralan village, where aconverted church now serves as amosque.The only standing wall of anancient church was incorporatedinto the local mosque by thevillagers in 1994. Unfortunately,the redevelopment work left muchto be desired, preserving no traces

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Delikli Kayalar (Perforated Rocks)

of the ancient past.The structure is now in need ofskillful restoration work.

Costal Forest andseafrontFollow the signs to ÇarflambaAirport off the Samsun - Orduhighway, and take a turn once

again by following the signs toYeni Mahalle and Kurtulufl toreach the Costal Forest. Followingthe brook on your left side onceat the forest, will eventually leadyou to the sea where a virginalstretch of beach is dotted withholiday houses hidden among thepine trees.The Hac› Osman grove stretchesalongside the coastline; andKapakl› P›nartepesi, K›rantepe,Azman, and Asara€aç hilltops at700-800m altitude are popularspots for picnics and other leisureactivities.

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Ǜnaralan church and mosque

Coastal forest and seafront

Antyeri Church

Çakmak DamÇakmak is the only dam in thearea used to supply Samsun withdrinking water. The water ispurified in a water managementcomplex before being distributed tothe city.

Samsun has enough waterresources to last until 2035, andthe high quality of drinking water inthe area places Samsun in firstposition in terms of the drinking-water quality in the region and alsomanaged a place in the top tennationwide.

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Fishermen in theÇakmak Dam lake.

Coastal waterfront houses

Rice with goose meat, yufka (a verythin sheet of dough) with meat,mincemeat pastries (börek) andoven kebabs are popular dishes inthe area. Moreover, the localdelicacy, Black Sea anchovy(hamsi), features heavily on themenu, as it is incorporated intovarious dishes such as rice andbread, but is also popular servedpan-fried.

Tekkeköy Cuisine

KabacevizWaterfallsProbably the most prominentnatural beauty in Tekkeköy is theKabaceviz Waterfalls. Thewaterfalls are found nearKabaceviz village, 35km fromTekkeköy. The road to Kabaceviz iseasy and smooth, and the forestcover and greenery make it anideal destination for day trips.Picnic tours, trekking andmountaineering are popularactivities in the area and the threemesmerizing waterfalls are a year-round attraction for travelers. Thearea is now mostly known only toÇarflamba and Samsun residents,but it seems Kabaceviz will play amajor role in attracting foreignvisitors as well as Turkish touristsfrom across the nation.Holidaymakers and travellers canfind restaurants in Kabacevizvillage, where they can also chooseto overnight, provided they bringtheir own tents.

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Çarflamba

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

ÇARfiAMBA

Çarflamba district is 36 km fromSamsun city centre along theSamsun-Ordu highway, in theÇarflamba plain. The only way tothis district is by road. Thehistoric railway running throughthe area has unfortunately beendismantled.Çarflamba borders with Terme,Tekkeköy, Ayvac›k, and Sal›pazar›districts and opens up to theBlack Sea coast, and is thesecond most populous district inSamsun.

Like Bafra, Çarflamba plain wascreated by the deposits of theYeflil›rmak River, which cuts it inhalf. Mountains extending fromthe Canik mountain range aresituated to the south of thedistrict.Although the Canik mountains areunder forest cover, the woodlandarea in the Çarflamba plain is byÇalt› Burnu. Yeflil›rmak, which isone of the longest rivers inTurkey, flowing 416km from itspoint of origin in the KöseMountains (2801m) in Sivas toCiva Burnu where it meets theBlack Sea.Delta lakes have formed alongYeflil›rmak River where itapproaches the Black Sea coast,and they are: Dumanl› Lake,Akarak Lake, Akmaz Lake andKocagöl Lake. The lakes aremostly surrounded by reedbedsand marhshland.

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A view of the district from the riverbank

Çarflamba factcardPopulation 138.527

Area 708 km2

Çarflamba District Office 833 10 07

Municipality of Çarflamba 833 4685

No more floods inÇarflamba

There is a famous folk song aboutthe spring floods in the Çarflambaplain, but this has now become athing of the past because of twonew dams, Hasan U€urlu andSuat U€urlu, which now control

the water supply. In the old days,melting snow and spring showerswould flood the area. Nowadayssmall-scale floods occur from timeto time when floodgates releaseexcess water, but the widespreaddamage brought on by theflooding is no longer a worry forthe locals.

Çarflamba: AmazonCountry and MiletusColonyÇarflamba district used to be part ofthe Amisos (Samsun) trade colonywhich was run by sailors fromMiletus round 6th century, whonamed the Yeflil›rmak River and itssurroundings ‘Iris’. The Ordu villageand Kurflunlu area, south ofÇarflamba, was called ‘Miskere’during their reign.

According to Greek historicalsources, Çarflamba Plain washome to Amazons (womenwarriors) in the 8th century BCand then came under the rule ofPersians in the 6th century BC.The Roman Empire took over thearea in 63 BC, but it was left tothe Byzantines in 395 AD afterthe Empire broke into two.

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Sar›cal› district and Kufldo€anvillages were on the site ofmodern-day Çarflamba. A largfair was organized in theregion on Wednesdays(Çarflamba) starting from1370. It was called the‘Çarflamba Market’, and thedistrict eventually took thename of the historical market.

Çarflamba: the historybehind the nameDistrict park

When Seljuk Sultan K›l›çarslan IIshared his empire among his 11sons in 1185, Çarflamba fellunder the rule of RüknettinSüleyman fiah. After the fall of theSeljuk state, the area became partof a Canik Principality calledTacettino€ullar› before theOttomans arrived in 1428. Duringthe Ottoman era, Çarflamba wasoverseen by Yörgüç Pasha, Hac›Ali Pasha and Hazinedaro€ullar›.The district also bears traces ofearly Bronze Age settlements in‹lçede Tepecik, Kilise Tepe, andTünbütepe mounds.

District CentreLife in the town of Çarflamba hasalways been defined by the riverYeflil›rmak, as it cuts straight throughthe centre of Çarflamba, dividing itinto two distinct halves. Locals havealways lived with the notion of the‘other side’ over the river, with onlyone wooden bridge, built in early20th century, connecting the twobanks. This wooden bridge had to beconverted to stone because offrequent flooding but even the stonebridge had trouble withstanding theharsh floodwaters. Now there is a

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Old wooden bridge and the historicstone bridge built in its place (top).The bridge today (bottom)

District Centre

second bridge along the Samsun-Ordu highway, outside of the districtcentre, and construction for a thirdbridge is under way. This newbridge, south of its historicalcounterpart, will connect the oldneighbourhoods with the new. It isexpected that the town will extendtowards the south with the additionof the new bridge as Çarflamba iscurrently boxed in by the Samsun-Ordu highway.The town centre is situated on theeast bank, and all governmentaloffices and municipality buildings arefound here. The west banksettlement started around the oldtrain station and grew from there.Çarflamba middle and high schoolswere also built on the west side.

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Examples of local architecture

District Centre

Bazaar door (top), Ferhan fiensoyhouse (bottom)

Very few examples of historicÇarflamba houses survive to thisday. Çarflamba was a green districtwith one- or two-storey houses withgardens thirty years ago, but four- orfive-storey apartment blocks quicklytook over the area, creating a realeyesore in the area.The best place to visit if you want tosee some historical houses is theÇay district where famous Turkish

actor Ferhan fiensoy was born.fiensoy’s father was the mayor ofÇarflamba and Nabi fiensoy culturalcenter, named after him, is open allyear round.

Bazaar and Gö€celiMosqueThe Bazaar, which was built in1826, has kept its originalarchitectural characteristics andstill serves as an important tradecentre in the area.

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Bird’s eye view of the Bazaar

District center

Gö€celi Mosque, in the grounds ofthe Gö€celi cemetery, is a greatexample of Anatolian woodenarchitecture and was built in 1206.No one knows who commissionedthe building of the mosque. Thestructure is single-storey andelevated and can be moved in itsentirety to another location. Theexterior of the mosque is lined withplanks which are 12-18 cm thick,50-70cm wide and 12-20cm long.These planks set the mosque apart

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baGöceli Mosque in the old days

Göceli Mosque now and an interior view

from its contemporarycounterparts.

Gö€celi mosque, which survivedthrough centuries despite humidity,sun and rain, was restored lastyear and the wood decorationsinside were brought back to life.There are seven mosques in total,dating back to the Ottoman era:R›dvan Bey (1781), Abdullah Pafla(1847), De€irmenbafl› (1908), YeniKeten Mosque (end of 19thcentury) and Kanarya Mosque. Awooden mosque, Sheik Habil,thought to have built in 1619stands in Yayalar village. There are

also various tombs and dervishlodges found in the area from theOttoman and Seljuk eras. They are:Yeflil, Ç›ban, Semail, Yeflil, Ülfi,Sarl›k, Yel Lodges and, Gazi HasanBey Tomb.

It is also possible to visit theremains of the Eski Kent (Old City)Church from Byzanthian times inthe Gülören village and Sivritepehas an ancient underground bazaarwhich is worth seeing. KestaneP›nar and Ulup›nar caves are alsoworth a visit as are the old cityruins in Göller Mevkii.

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Yeflil›rmak bank

District center

Recreation along theYeflil›rmak banksYeflil›rmak used to be a historicaltransport route, but these daysriver boats are not able to maketheir way into it as the water levelshave dropped significantly.

Fifty years ago, the same raftsused for transport in the F›rat riverwere used here, but now the dikesbuilt along the river banks toprevent flooding are being used asrecreational areas for jogging andwalking, with teahouses positionedalong the walkways.

The patch of land which used to besurrounded by the two branches ofthe Yeflil›rmak River, then called‘island’, is no longer surroundedby water, and Çarflambamunicipality has plans to buildrecreational facilities there.

Karadeniz shoreline,beaches and wetlandsÇarflamba district centre issituated 10-15km away from thesea, and therefore most localsprefer to visit surrounding districtsTerme, Ünye and Fatsa for seaside

trips. In fact, Çarflamba has a50km-long coastline and anendless stretch of sand beachesinterweaving with lakes andwetlands. The district shoreline is anatural wonder waiting to bediscovered, even by the localsthemselves.

The shoreline towards Civa Burnu,situated 10-12km from the districtcentre, is especially worth seeingas it boasts fine, white sand

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District center

beaches. The Çarflamba Lakes,surrounded by reed beds, areabundant in fish stocks and shelterrich bird life, which makes theman attractive spot for hunting andfishing enthusiasts.

An agricultural hubThe Çarflamba plain, irrigated bythe Yeflil›rmak River, is a majoragricultural centre, mostlyresponsible for Samsun’s 40%contribution to corn production inTurkey. There are various othercrops grown in the region includingwheat, barley, rice, beans, soy,chickpeas, sugarcane, sunflower,peach, hazelnut and apple. A450km2 area of farmland is usedfor tobacco production, yielding 42tons of tobacco a year on average.The large arable land area in

Çarflamba also allows localfarmers to grow vegetables.

Secondary industries have alsodeveloped in the area, as there arethree hazelnut processing plantswhich ship to the USA, Germany,Saudi Arabia, Holland, Belgium,Switzerland, Italy and United ArabEmirates. There are also twoseafood processing plantsexporting products to France.

Rich cultural heritagebrought on by migrationsFollowing the Lausanne Peacetreaty, many people from Salonica,Kavala, Caucasus, eastern BlackSea coast and Georgia settled inthe area, creating a rich meltingpot of cultural heritage. The localGreeks (Rum), on the other hand,left the area for a life in Greece.

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Virginia tobacco

The folk dances of the areatherefore vary greatly in nature,including the typical Black Seadance, horon, accompanied bykemençe, Rumeli dances

accompanied by drum and hornand Caucasian dancesaccompanied by accordion music.

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Cherry tree

Corn cake, corn soup,keflkek, kaz tiridi (agoose dish) and kalesoup and stuffedleaves. You simplymust try Çarflambapide (similar to calzonepizza) made with wheatflour. In the big cities,this pide is known aseither Samsun or Bafrapide, but it actuallyoriginates fromÇarflamba. Wood ovensin local restaurants areused to bake thin-crustpides stuffed withcheese, minced meatand herbs. There areopen-pides as well (justlike regular pizza) withegg and salamitoppings.

Corn and ‘Pide’, thedual crown ofÇarflamba cuisine

Terme

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

TERMETerme is situated 58 km fromSamsun and 22 km from itsnearest neighbouring district,Çarflamba.Terme opens up to the Black Seacoast in the north, borders Ünyeand ‹kizce in the east, Sal›pazar›and Çarflamba in the west andneighbours Akkufl in the south. TheTerme brook cuts straight throughthe district, dividing Terme into twoequal parts, before flowing into theBlack Sea.

Akgöl and Simenit Lakes in Termeare situated near the Black Seacoast and are connected to oneanother via a series of naturalcanals. The lakes have salt waterand therefore are not used forirrigating farmland. Instead Akgöland Simenit are popular fishingand bird-watching sites, as bothlakes shelter various species ofbird.

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Terme Brook

Terme factcardPopulation 77.178

Area 678 km2

Terme District Office 876 10 03

Municipality of Terme 876 10 02

Many civilisations foughtover TermeHittites were the earliestcivilisation to have ruled overTerme soil, followed by thePhrygians and then theCimmerian Amazons.The mountains near Termedon(Terme Water) are sometimes

referred to as the AmazonMountains (Amazonius Mous) incertain encyclopedias and mapsbecause of its past femaleinhabitants. Old Greek coloniserswho once occupied Terme’scoast, also spoke of a women-only society ruling over theseparts.The Medes, Persians and Romansreigned over the regionsuccessively until 395, whenTerme became part of theByzantine Empire. Then came theSeljuks, who ruled over the entirestretch of the Anatolian Black Seacoast between 1219-1236. EretnaAmasya Bey, who was theregional mayor in Seljuk times,eventually set up his own stateclaiming Amasya, Samsun, Tokat,Sivas and Kayseri. When theOttoman Sultan, Y›ld›r›m Beyaz›t,took hold of the Black Sea region,Taceddin O€ullar› and CanikPrincipality chiefs acceptedOttoman rule. From then onTerme was part of the Can›kadministrative rule until the riseof the Turkish Republic.

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Terme coastline

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Amazons belonged to the legendary female-warrior tribewhich is thought to have dwelled near the banks of the TermeBrook (Themiskyra) around 1200BC. The Amazons used toride horses and were skillful with the arrow and bow. It issaid that they cut off their left breast to be able to aim theirarrows more precisely, and also used spears, axes andshields. The word Amazon means “unbreasted” in Greek,and “moon woman” in Armenian, but also has a secondarymeaning of “man killer”.Amazons used to worship head Goddess Kybele, and led anextraordinary lifestyle by modern cultural standards. Thefemale-only tribe, used men as servants and workers, andmated with captured prisoners of war before killing them off.They are also thought to have killed any emerging maleoffspring while raising their daughters with utmost care toturn them into strong and able warriors. The Amazons servedas a buffer entity between the Hittites and the Greeks, butthree large kingdoms joined up to stage a major offensiveagainst them, resulting in their fall.Greek geographer Herodotus, Strabon and famous Turkish

writer nicknamed “The Fisherman ofHalikarnassos” all mention the Amazons in theirstories. Herodotus talks of Amazonian battlesagainst the Greeks and the Scythians anddescribes how the female tribe crushed theScythians, who shockingly realised they hadfought against women when they saw the deadbodies on the battle field.Strabon, on the other hand, focused on thecultural roots and identity of the Amazon womenin his accounts, claiming the ancient cities ofEphessos, Smyrna, Kyme and Myrina werenamed by them.The Fisherman of Halikarnassos tells a similarstory in his writings, claiming many of the majorcities in the Agean region were set up by theAmazons. In one of his stories, he tells the storyof an Amazon queen called Mirin, who captures

the city of Serne. The queen kills all the men and keeps thewomen and children as slaves, and later on builds a city forthem bearing her name. Mirin also founds the cities of Kyme,Prienne, Pitane, and Mitilin in the Lesbos Island. One day,the Queen’s fleet gets caught in a severe storm on the way tothe Lesbos, and is saved by Goddess Kybele who safelyguides the ships to Semadirek Island. Queen Mirin builds atemple on this uninhabited island, as a sign of deep gratitudeto her Goddess.

Legendary Female Warriors: The Amazons

District centreMulti-storey houses greet us as we enterthe district centre. Most of these buildingshave shops on the ground floor and theroad eventually leads you to the districtsquare which opens into five differentroads. The town hall is situated by thesquare and there is also a clock tower inthe middle. You need to cross over theTerme Brook and continue along themain road to reach the Amazon statueand picnic areas. When you see a signwhich reads ‘welcome to Evci Beldesi’,

take a left, and you should see theAmazon statue right in front of you.

Çaml›k camping groundsÇaml›k has a beach in front and pineforests towards the back of thecampgrounds, where tents andcaravans are allowed. It is also prettychild-friendly here as slides and swingshave been set up in various spotsalong the beach. Çaml›k is also apopular destination for those whoprefer day-trips rather than stayovers.

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Terme is rainy throughout the four seasons and has cool summersand mild winters, which are the two major characteristics of theBlack Sea climate. Nature here has had a chance to flourishbecause of heavy rainfall, but unfortunately a significant portionof the forests has been converted into farmland in the last 30years due to population explosion in the area. It is only thepoplar and hazelnut groves which have resisted change. Gölard›Poplar Grove is one of the rarest poplar groves of its kind in theworld. The hilly landscape in the south now hosts hazelnutplantations rather than natural forest cover.

Typical Black Sea climate,forests in abundance

Çaml›k camping ground

Sö€ütlü villagesThe settlement areas on either side ofthe main road are called Afla€› (Lower)Sö€ütlü and Yukar› (Upper) Sö€ütlüvillages. If you head towards Ayvac›kon the main road and turn off intoAfla€› Sö€ütlü village, you will comeacross a coffehouse, a few shops anda municipal building on the right-handside. You can reach the Afla€› Sö€ütlüMosque by walking past the gardens ofwooden-fenced houses.

Afla€› Sö€ütlü MosqueThe mosque boasts a minaret well-proportioned to its size, but thelocals have built an additionalminaret, twice the height of themosque itself. The local imam saysthis new minaret has more‘character’. There is a nice surprisein the back garden of the mosque,where you will come across a one-storey, wooden mosque. Thisbuilding has been painstakinglymaintained and preserved by thelocals and nothing has been alteredinside it. The mosque undergoes

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Yukar› Sö€ütlü Mosque

Afla€› Sö€ütlü Mosque

annual maintenance work, where thewood work is covered with specialprotective materials to keep it fromrotting. Constructed in 19th Century

Yukar› Sö€ütlü MosqueYou need to backtrack all the way tothe main road and drive into theopposite road to get to Yukar›Sö€ütlü Mosque which sits in thegrounds of an old cemetery. You willreach the mosque if you travel along

the brook and reedbeds forapproximately 5km. The mosque hasnot undergone any restoration work,but it is open to the public forworship.

Pazar MosquePazar Camii was built in 1840 intypical Ottoman style. It is a single-storey building, entirely made out ofwood, and has a tomb right next to it,which bears incriptions on the southside. The minaret of the mosquecollapsed in 1939, and a new one wasbuilt in its place in 1961.

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eHistoric Miliç bridge

Terme Pazar Mosque

Yukar› Sö€ütlü Mosque door

Miliç Pine GroveIf you are after a bit of swimming andrelaxation under the shade of pinetrees, then Miliç Grove could be theideal place for you. The Miliç pinegrove extends from Terme’s Yal›neighbourhood to Akçay and boasts anatural beach where the trees meetthe clear-blue sea. It is a popularweekend holiday spot for Terme localsand people from nearby districts.

Tomb of Cüneyd-iBa€dad›This tomb is situated in the village ofDibekli, and there are two theoriesabout who is actually buried here.Some think it is Cüneyd-i Ba€dad›from Baghdad, and other believe thetomb is the final resting place forCüneyt Bey, a Kubato€ullar›commander. Nevertheless, the tomb iscrowded on weekends with visitorswho also make use of the surroundinggreen spaces for picnics.

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Miliç Canal

National park grounds

Akgöl, Simenit andSilindir lakesAkgöl, Simenit and Silindir lakes arenatural wildlife reserves, under theprotection of the National ParksDirectorate, and are situatedbetween Terme and the Black Sea.These lakes, which have relativelyshallow waters, serve as nestinggrounds for hundreds of birdspecies.

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Simenit and Akgöl lakes

Just as in all the other districtsof Samsun, the most famouslocal dish here is keflkek.Homemade deserts are alsopopular in Terme and dishessuch as anchovy rice, tirit cornsoup and lepsi feature heavilyon the menu. We also highlyrecommend the Terme pide(resembles pizza); you shouldnot leave these parts withouthaving tasted it.RReecciippee ffoorr TTeerrmmee ppiiddee::The dough is made using water,and the pide is baked in a stoneoven using oak wood. Unlikepides in other parts of Turkey,Terme pide is distinctly soft andrich in toppings.

Terme Cuisine

Kavak

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District Town

LEGEND

KAVAKKavak, 51 km from Samsun, issituated along the Samsun-Ankara highway which connectsthe middle Black Sea Region toCentral Anatolia. Approximately22,000 people live in Kavak, with13,000 concentrated in ruralareas. Kavak, surrounded byAsarc›k, Havza, Samsun, Bafraand Ladik, is built upon a hillyterrain. The Murat River,originating from Mount Hac, and

the artificial ponds surrounding itsupply water to nearby areas forhome use and irrigation.The local economy is dependenton farming and cattle and themajority of farmers grow cerealcrops such as wheat, corn,barley and rye. Highland villages,on the other hand, are mostlydependent on forestry in additionto chalk, brick and tileproduction.

History of KavakExcavations carried out in thearea in 1941 yielded artifactsdating back to between 3500-2000 BC, in Kaledoru€u Mound,north of the Kavak district centre.Kaledoru€u Mound was an earlycradle for civilisation startingfrom the 1st Bronze era. Various

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Kavak factcardPopulation: 21.559

Area 653 km2

Kavak District Office 741 30 07

Municipality of Kavak 741 33 12

artifacts belonging to theHitit,Hellenistic, Roman,

Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottomanperiods were also recoveredhere. Followed by the Phrygiansin 1200BC and then Miletians inthe 7th century BC. Pontus tookover the area from 333BC, untilthe Romans’ arrival. It wasY›ld›r›m Beyaz›t Han who tookcontrol over a portion of the areafrom the ‹sfendiyaro€ullar›, andthe whole area was underOttoman reign by 1410 duringthe rule of Çelebi Mehmet.

Kaledoru€u MoundIt seems that Kaledoru€u Mound,which was given national heritagestatus in 1941 after an initialarcheological study undersupervison of Prof. Dr. KılıçKökten. The area, was used asan army point to keep watch overthe road between Amasya andSamsun, because of its strategicsignificance.

Çakall› Bridge andMosqueÇakall› Bridge, a surviving stonestructure, stands 1km away fromKavak and provides an entry pointinto the district. The wooden Çakall›mosque is placed right beside thebridge where a restoration project isunder way. The mosque was builton large wooden columns as itstands near the river.

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Çakall› Bridge

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Bekdemir village mosque

Tafl Inn

Tafl Han(Çakall› Han›)Tafl Han (Inn), a Seljuk building,used to host travelers along theAnkara-Samsun road, but now itis only home to wild birds and afew beehives. The inn boasts agrand entrance and the 3.5m-talldoor stands wide open. Theinterior has a semi-circular shapeand boasts arches to the left andright of the structure.

Bekdemir villagemosqueBekdemir village is 15km fromKavak. The village mosque, awooden structure, is one of thebest-preserved mosques of itstime, as the decorative figurespainted on the interior walls withnatural root colouring haveremained intact.Constructed in16th Century.

Excursion spots andYaflar Do€u festivalKavak is surrounded by picnicspaces and leisure spots and theYaflar Do€u Festival is a social

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Interior view of the Bekdemir village mosque

highlight in the area, held inhonour of the national hero whowas born in 1913 in Kavak.Kavak folk have a special placein their hearts for the wrestlerand the wrestling competition,and the festival held in his

honour sees people from acrossSamsun flock to the district everyAugust.

"Keflik" – an old tradition‘Keflik’ is an old tradition in Kavak,whereby every family takes a turn(‘keflik’) hosting breakfast, lunchand dinner for all the villagers onthe same day. In this wayeverybody eats well and no food iswasted.

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Yaflar Do€u, born in 1913in Kavak, was one of theall-time great Turkishsportsmen. Do€urepresented Turkey invarious internationalwrestling competitionsand won the Balkan andEuropean Championshipscountless times, followedby a gold medal in the1948 Olympics. Do€u isstill etched in the memoryof the Turkish people forhis accomplishments halfa century ago.

Yaflar Do€u

Kavak excursion and picnic grounds

The most famous dish toemerge from the Kavakarea is ‘selit’, thin stripsof pastry (yufka) dipped ingoose fat and served withbulgur wheat and piecesof goose meat.

Goose meat topsthe menu in Kavak

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Havza

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District Town

LEGEND

HAVZAHavza is situated along theAnkara-Samsun highway andrailroad, which connect thecentral Black Sea region to theAegean, Mediterranean andMarmara regions. Havza is 84kmfrom Samsun city centre and 54km from Amasya. Neighbouringdistricts: Merzifon lies 24 km

away from Havza, while Suluovais 15 km and Vezirköprü lies atthe end of a 30km journey. Theother neighbouring districts,Ladik and Kavak, are respectivelypositioned 32 and 33km awayfrom Havza centre.It is possible to reach Havza viarailroad and car and a portion ofthe district is on flatland, whilethe rest is built over a hillylandscape. The district centresits in a valley which issurrounded by mountains onthree sides. The area sees lessrainfall than a typical Black Seatown, as it is placed furtherinland, away from the coast, and

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Havza, view of the district

Havza factcardPopulation 45.933

Area 793 km2

Havza District Office 714 10 13

Municipality of Havza 714 20 34

therefore has a transitionalclimate, bearing certaincharacteristics of both the BlackSea and midland Anatoliaregions. In the winter time,snowfall, frost and fog are notuncommon conditions.

District centreThe journey into the districtcentre takes us throughfarmlands and green open spacesfollowed by a row of two-storeyhouses with shops on the groundfloor. Havza town square has anAtatürk statue, which standsdirectly in front of the entrance tothe Büyük Termal Hotel. This is acolourful area situated on a

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When the Ottomans took over Havza, it was a smallsettlement on the west side of the Tersakan river.Havza’s thermal spring waters, which are situated inthe west, in time started attracting significant numberof visitors, as it was believed the waters in this areacould cure various skin diseases and other illnesses.The Turks, therefore, wasted no time in buildinghamams and guesthouses to serve the needs ofvisitors. Sultan Mesud and fiadi Pasha Hamams werebuilt one after the other, and the latter bearsdistinctive features of Seljuk architectural style.

The role of thermal springs inHavza’s development

Havza Meydan Park

hillside, with an originalarchitectural style and variousthermal springs.The outdoor stands at the markethave bathing suits and lifesavertubes on display for unpreparedvisitors.The historical hamams (publicbaths) have unfortunately losttheir distinctive style due tovarious rounds of restorationsand repairs.

Diverse regionaleconomyTourism is an important source ofincome for locals, as there areseveral motels, hotels andguesthouses which serve spavisitors, but the district is notentirely dependent on tourism asthe locals are also involved infarming, cattle breeding andforestry. There are also activebrown coal (lignite) mines in theEski and Yeni Çeltek regions.

The mayor who gave thedistrict its nameIt is thought that the areainherited its name from a Hittite-era mayor called Kavuzhan,which eventually morphed intoits modern name, Havza.Historical documents datingback to 1174, refer to the areaas Hevize, but writings datingback to 1524 referred to thearea as Havza.

Before the SeljuksAccording to the research carriedout on the mounds in the area,the history of the basin datesback to the first Bronze Age.Later, settlements belonging tothe middle bronze age and to theroman period were located.Having been invaded by theRomans in 1 BC, the basin wasincluded in the lands of theByzantine Empire upon thedivision of the Roman Empireinto two.

The Seljuk eraEven though the Turks arrived inthe region in 1071 after theMalazgirt battle, Havzafrequently changed handsbecause of the crusades.The Seljuks took control in the

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Ataturk House and Museum

Ataturk House and Museum

8th century AD, and Havza wasruled by the Canik principalityafter the collapse of the SeljukEmpire.Havza became part of the OttomanEmpire in 1414.

The Republic eraUntil 1881, Havza was ruled by a

muslim judge (kadi) and mufti, but1882 saw a kaymakam and amunicipal mayor appointed to thearea, giving it district status. In1925, Havza became a district ofSamsun, breaking away fromAmasya.

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Hotel Mesudiye: Atatürk’s command centre. HotelMesudiye, a 3-storey structure built in early 1900’s,serued as a command centre for Mustafa Kemal Pashabetween May 25 and June 13, 1919, Atatürk’s room hasbeen preserved in its original form, and was opened upto public visits and is now called “Gazi Odas›”, meaning“Veteran Room”.The building also housed the local fire department for awhile, before becoming a museum. The ground floor isused to exhibit handcrafts. The second floor housesAtatürk’s bed room, study and restroom while the thirdfloor has special rooms dedicated to Ankara, Erzurum,Amasya and Sivas where the seeds of the resistancemovement were first planted.A waxwork of Atatürk is a popular attraction in themuseum for both foreign and local tourists.

Mesudiye Hotel which was used asheadquarter of Atatürk is now AtatürkMuseum

Ataturk House and Museum

Healing watersThe spring water reaches thesurface at 55 degrees C andcontains sulfates, bicarbonate,chalk, sodium, arsenic and silica.Most of the 100,000 people whocome here annually do so toimprove various skin conditions,

nervous system gynecological,liver and stomach problems, aswell as muscular pains, kidneyconditions and impotence.

Sadi Pasha Hamam(Büyük Hamam)This structure was built by theSeljuks in the Mesut II era in

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The story behind the five thermal springs in the ‹maretneighbourhood, which lies 1km away from the Samsun-Ankarahighway, is a pretty interesting one. According to the legend,there was a church situated where the springs are now. Anearthquake, 2000 years ago, destroyed this church, and hotwater erupted fromunderneath it. Sincethis earthquake, manypeople have believedthe waters here havespecial healingqualities. The areasoon became a historical tourism spot, and its ancient heathcentres still serve the public today. Aslana€z›-K›z Gözü,Maarif and fiifa hamams were built in the old days, but twonew spa resorts were added in 1986, Modern Turkish Hamamand Lokman Hekimi.

The miraculous story behind Havzathermal springs

Lokman Hekim Apart Hotel

1256, and is also referred to asthe Büyük (large) hamam.

K›zgözü- Aslana€z›Spa- Hamam15th Century - 17th Century.A Byzantine spa from theConstantine II era collapsed in anearthquake.The new spa was then built uponthe ruins of the old one, taking itsname from the legend of K›zgözü.Many people consider the spa tobe holy and that they will beprotected from any disease bydrinking or bathing in the water20 times.The hamam has three sections,changing, bathing and coolingareas, and boasts a typicalhamam dome. The bathingsection has a pool in the centreof the room. The main marblebasin of the hamam is AslanA€z›, and the legendary K›zgözücolumn stands to its right.The drops of water flowing fromthe cavities and holes in the

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The column on the right-hand side of the Aslana€z›basin, is called K›zgözü (girl’s eye) and is believed tobe a holy spot. People come here to light candles,pray and offer cattle for sacrifice and bathe in thewaters of the spa to make their wishes come true. Thelegend is as follows: three beautiful girls werebathing in the hamam when a group of men enteredthe hamam with ill-intentions. The helpless girlsdesperately prayed to Allah to turn them either intostone or birds so that they could flee from theirtouch. Their prayers were answered and two of themwere turned into birds while one of them becamestone. The column is believed to house the tears ofthis girl, as the holes in the stone column drip withcondensed water. The story has been passed on fromgeneration to generation.

K›z Gözü legend

Sadi Pasha Hamam (Büyük Hamam)

K›zgözü column are most likelypart of a condensation systembuilt in by the hamam architect,as there is no condensationdripping off the dome roof, butsome people still believe theremight be a small coral placedinside the column which gives offwater.The hamam has a capacity of100 people and is open to womenin the daytime, and men in theevenings. There are 22 privatebaths situated right next to thepublic bath.

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Küçük Hamam (fiifa Thermal Springs)

Maarif Hamam and Hotel

Prof. Kerim ÖmerÇa€la, from centralH›fz›s›hha Institutestates that people needto bathe in the springwaters 21 times overseven or 14 days toimprove their health.

A steady bathingprogram is a must toobtain results

Küçük Hamam(fiifa Thermal Spring)This hamam was built as anextensionby Amasya emir MustafaBey in 1429.

Vak›f HamamThe old Byzantine hamam wasdemolished and rebuilt in 1256by Seljuk Sultan Mesut II, andbecame a symbol of the Havzaregion.

Maarif HamamThis hamam was built between1890-1894 by Abdülhamit II’sinternal affairs minister MehmetMemduh Pasha when he was themayor of Sivas.It is 12 km from Havza and theMusulcuk water is believed tocure kidney problems.People using this water over aperiod of three to five months seethe kidney stones disappear. Theiron pipes which deliver the waterto the hamam are replaced everytwo years, as the water itselfwears them away.

The 571 year old soupkitchenThe old soup kitchen (Imarethane)was built in 1429 by the thenmayor of Amasya, Mustafa Bey, inthe ‹maret neighbourhood to thewest of the spa buildings.The soup kitchen serveddervishes, soldiers, the poor andneedy and tourists for hundreds ofyears. The domes collapsedeventually, and the buildingunderwent restoration in 1938and served as a district libraryuntil 1982. Now it serves foodonce again.

Tafl Mektep(Central Primary School)The school was built by engineersHüseyin Yakup, Süreyya Sami andNazif Bey, who drew plans for thestructure after their scouting tripsfor the Samsun-Sivas railroadproject, and soon got theconstruction off the ground withthe help of Sivas Mayor MuammerBey in 1911. The school alsoserved as a meeting place fornational resistance meetingsduring the fall of the OttomanEmpire.Constructed in 1882-83.

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Historic soup kitchen (‹marethane)

Yörgüç Mustafa BeyMosqueThe mosque stands beside theKüçük Hamam is in the Seljukarchitectural style and wascommissioned by YörgüçMustafaBey. The mosque, whichunderwent a period ofrestoration, sometimes lends itsname to the thermal springsnearby.

Emir El-Hac VeliyüddinBin Berekat-fiah MosqueThis mosque in Dereköy wascommissioned by Seljuk EmirEl-Hac Veliyüddin Bin Berekat-fiah in 1249, under the rule ofSeljuk sultan ‹zzeddinKeykavus II.

Sivrikese MosqueThis mosque was built in theSivrikese village in 1903 bymaster craftsman Tudot, underthe patronage of Ali OsmanA€a. Sivrikese mosque has asquare plan, and was builtusing rough hewn stone andboasts a la turca tiles on theroof. There are two rectangular

windows positioned on eachfacade and a minaret addedlater seems much too high forthe mosque itself.The flat vaulted entrance doorhas been decorated on each sidewith delicate columns andframed by floral and geometricalpatterns.An Arabic incription can be seenin the centre of this frame. Thereare four wooden columnssupport the gathering space. Theceiling is also made of wood andyou can see that its central bellywas built in several tiers.

The most striking part of themosque is the pulpit made out ofwalnut wood. The excellentwoodwork was made by a Rum(Greek) master craftsman andhas several floral carvings on it.The fountain in the mosquegarden was added later on.

Emir El-Hac VeliyüddinBin Berekat-fiah TombThe tomb of Emir El-HacVeliyüddin Bin Berekat-fiahstands next to the mosque of the

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The translation is as follows: After having spent a yearin the Havza thermal springs, I now offer my thanks tothe deserving god ASKLPEIOS, having returned to mygood health. I thank head priest Xandrasa andeveryone’s friend Silius Lipidus for havingrecommended the waters to me. I, Piso, am nowreturned back to my homeland, having recovered fully,and may the eternal gratitude of my family last forever.

“P‹LANC‹US P‹SO”

A Latin inscription can be read on oneof the walls of the Tafl Mektep

same name and locals refer to itas the Dereköy Saint.Hundreds of people visit thistomb to pray and offer sacrificeto reallize their dream of havinga son. Constructed in 1249-50

Mustafa Bey TombThis tomb was built in 1429 andhas a square plan. Hewn stonewas used for the ground floorand stone bricks were used forthe second floor.The geometrically shapeddecorations on the bricks alongthe dome base are striking.

Sheik Savc› TombThere are several schools ofthought on who lies in the SheikSavc› Tomb. According to some,Taceddin Alt›nbafl Gazi Çelebi,the son of one of the last SeljukSultans, Mesut II, has restedhere since 1355.

This theory was thrown intodoubt when another tombbelonging to Taceddin Alt›nbaflGazi Çelebi was discovered inSheik Safi village cemetery,indicating he was alive in 1355.

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Mustafa Pafla Mosque

There are numerous mounds and tumuli in thearea, most of which date back to the FirstBronze Age. They are: Çamtepe, Tepecik,Höyük Tepe, Çeflmetepe Ceviz Ba€›, ÖrenTepe, Gargo Tepe, Yusuf Tepe, Kayal› Tepe,patlaguç Tepesi Dökme Tepe, Hakim Tepe 1-2,Cin Tepe 1-2, Manevra Tepe, An›t Tepe,Sivrikese Village and Lerdü€e Mounds.

LLeerrddüü��ee TTuummuulliiThese tumuli, which most likely date back tothe 1st century AD, were damaged by treasurehunters in 1946. The mound is 16m high andhas a burial room at the hilltop which isaccessed by a 40x45cm miniature doorway.The burial room itself is 2.7x1.85m and has a3.15 high ceiling. The corridor and the roomitself are decorated with ivy and deer muralsand near the entrance you will come across apicture of two peacocks and a horned goat aswell as an animal resembling a horse.

AAnnkkaarraa AArrcchheeoollooggyy MMuusseeuumm EExxhhiibbiittssThe 16 artifacts recovered from the tumuluswere first under the protection of the Havzadistrict and now they are exhibited at theAnkara Archeology Museum, including twosmall golden rings, gold pieces, three fullurns containing human remains, a bronzecandlestick, and lead panels. There are alsoearthern pottery items in the collection suchas a red jug and 11 teardrop bottles.

Rich historical heritage

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Now, a second theory hasemerged, claiming the tomb inquestion belongs to Sheik Savc›and another possibility is thatSultan Taceddin’s son,K›l›çarslan Bey, lies there.

The tomb has undergonevarious restorations in the past,the last of which was carriedout in 1900 under thepatronage of Çono€luzadeMahmut Efendi, who restoredthe structure to its originalSeljuk roots.

The multi-faceted tomb is builtwith stone and has a conicalexterior roof and an interiordome.

Atatürk FestivalUntil 1989, 25 May wascelebrated as a national day tocommemorate Atatürk’s 18-daystay in Havza when he workedtowards establishing a resistancemovement against the occupyingforces after the fall of theOttoman Empire.

Nowadays, it is no longer anational day but is stillcelebrated. There are various activitiesplanned for 25 May every year,including youth cyclingcompetitions, general knowledgeand singing contests, as well asan oil-wrestling festival to markthe special day.

Havza undeniably has one of thebest outdoor wrestling groundsin the country and the 25 Maytournament is one of the top oil-wrestling competitions in Turkeyin terms of organisation andturn-out.

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25 May celebrations

As in all the other districtsin Samsun, Havza’s mostfamous local dishes arekeflkek and tirit, but pastrymaking is also quitepopular in the area.

Havza Cuisine

Vezirköprü

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District Town

LEGEND

VEZ‹RKÖPRÜVezirköprü is the second largestdistrict in Samsun, located 116kmfrom Samsun city centre andneighbouring Havza, Bafra, Alaçam,Sinop and Çorum. The districtcurrently holds 106,000 inhabitants,79,166 of whom live in rural areas.Vezirköprü’s only connection to thesurrounding areas is by road, andyou can hop on a minibus from

Havza or Dura€an to get there. Thereare also regular bus services toSamsun, Ankara, ‹stanbul and Bursafrom Vezirköprü.

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Vezirköprü, view of the district

Kunduz Forest

Vezirköprü factcardPopulation 105.890

Area 1.713 km

Vezirköprü District Office 647 10 01

Municipality of Vezirköprü 647 17 31

The district is enclosed by theKunduz and Tavflan mountainranges, as well as Kaletepe andKeltepe. Vezirköprü’s hillsides,overlooking the K›z›l›rmak valley, arecovered by dense forest. The

plateaus surrounding the district,such as the Kabal› plateau in thenorth, Kunduz in the west andTavflan plateau in the southeast, arekey touristic spots.Vezirköprü possesses a transitionalclimate. It has neither the humid andmild conditions of the coastal BlackSea region, nor the harshness of thelandlocked internal sections of theBlack Sea region. The winters arecolder and summers are warmerhere than on the coast.

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rüGraceful residents of the Kunduz Forest: deer

Kunduz Forest complex

Vezirköprü economyVezirköprü’s economy is largelydependent on agriculture,supported by cattle breeding andforestry. The district farmers growall sorts of cereal crops, fruit andvegetables.Traditional art and crafts such ashandwoven carpetbags,samovars, threads and ropes arespecialties of the area.

Vezirköprü, a 7500 yearold historyThe district hosted variouscivilisations for 7500 years as the

presence of rich undergroundsprings and the K›z›l›rmak rivermade the area ideal for humansettlement.Until recently, it was believedHittites were the first civilisation

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Evliya Çelebi describedVezirköprü in his journals as apopular summer residence forpashas and Ottoman princes.

From EvliyaÇelebi’s pen

Little ducklings on the road to Adatepe

to settle in Vezirköprü, but newarcheological studies haverevealed human presence in thearea dating back to 5500BC.

The first settlement:AdatepeRemains dating back to theChalcolithic era from 5500BC to3000BC were found in Adatepe,which makes it the earliestsettlement in Vezirköprü. Theancient settlement, situated on asingle body of rock, was probablychosen because it was easy toprotect as 368km2 of the1380km2 hilltop was walled in tofend off attacks. Recoveredartifacts in the area includearrows, digging and cutting tools,spearheads and axes, mainlyused for hunting and protection.There’s also evidence of simpleland cultivation in Adatepe and it

appears cereals and plant rootswere ground with the use of stonemortars. An ancient temple wasalso found in the centre of theancient settlement surrounded byhuman shelters and cultivatedland.During the Bronze Age (3000BC-1200BC), a new settlementemerged just beside the currentAdatepe settlement, which was aweaving centre.

Holy City of the Hittites:Oymaa€aç Höyük TepeOymaa€aç Höyük Tepe, thoughtto have been a cradle ofcivilisation for at least 1,500years, was a popular stopover fortrade caravans and wasdedicated to the wind god Hattiand given the name Nerik by theHittites.

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An Iron Age City:EsenköyVezirköprü and its surroundingarea also served as importantsettlement spots during the IronAges, starting from 1200BC. Thearchitectural ruins and Paphlagon-type tombs carved in rock inEsenköy, 15km southwest of thedistrict centre, are importantproofs of an Iron Age presence. .

Sagylion CastleA Pontus-era grand castle used tostand in what’s called ‘E€rikale’in the Kocakaya village ofVezirköprü.. This castlewas calledSagylion.

The city named afterClaudiusVezirköprü was undoubtedly a richand well-looked-after town underRoman rule. The area was calledAndrapa or Neoclaudiopolis by theRomans, named after the Roman

Emperor Claudius, whosystematically built the townbetween 41-54 AD. It was duringthe reign of Emperor Antonius Pius,however, that the city lived throughits golden age. Vezirköprü cameunder Byzantine rule when theRoman Empire was divided intotwo, east and west. The city, thencalled Fezimon and Teokliopolis bythe Byzantines, continued toprosper under their reign.

Seljuk’s GedekaraWhen the town came under Seljukrule, Sultan Mesud renamed itGedekara, and the settlementlived through several phases ofdemolition and redevelopmentuntil it was finally taken over bythe Ottomans. Ottoman vizierKöprülü Mehmet Pafla gave thetown its current-day nameVezirköprü, and great importancewas placed on the town by theOttomans, who developed thearea further.

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Municipality Park

District centreFortunately modern-dayVezirköprü residents have takenan active role in preserving theirrich cultural heritage and thedistrict centre is full of historicmonuments in excellent condition:Vezirköprü is not just rich inhistory but also shops, servingyour every need in the bustlingdistrict centre.

Municipality parkThe Municipality Park inVezirköprü hosts several teahouses where it is possible tocool off under the shade of planeand pine trees, even whentemperatures top 35C.

Bazaar and arastaThe bazaar and arasta (a row ofshops) in the centre of Vezirköprüwere constructed by Yusuf A€a in1660. The bazaar has interior andexterior sections and houses 110shops.The bazaar interior used to be aninn, and the exterior section issurrounded by the arasta. Most ofthe shops sell a special type of

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Bedesten

Clock tower

Bedesten Samovar

samovar, which has a flattenedshape compared to the typicaldesign. Shoppers can choosebetween cheaper tin versions andthe more expensive galvanizedsteel ones.The arasta hosts various types ofshops including restaurants,agricultural tool stores,coppersmiths and saddle shops.The shopkeepers are veryhospitable and kind.

Taflhan InnTaflhan Inn is situated alongTaceddin Street, past the bazaar,100 Y›l street and Ortacamineighbourhood. The historic inn,currently under restoration, wasbuilt in the late Ottoman era. Thetwo-storey Taflhan was built onwooden columns carved out of asingle block of timber and thosewill stay in place during therestoration. The columns werereinforced with stone fillingsduring the construction.

Clock TowerThe clock tower wascommissioned by Sivas Mayor

Reflat Akif Pasha in 1906, butsustained serious damage in theearthquake of 1943, leading to itsrestoration in 1959. The clock isstill in good working condition andis looked after regularly andwound up once a week.

Adnan Menderes ParkAnother park in Vezirköprü isAdnan Menderes Park, at thecorner of Orgeneral Faruk CömertAvenue. The park is covered withcenturies-old pine and plane treesand is a popular relaxation spotfor the locals.The park boasts a samovar

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Adnan Menderes Park

sculpture in the centre, as thesamovar has become a symbol ofthe area.

Civil ArchitectureRows of old houses and YeniHamam (Turkish Bath) alongFaruk Cömert Avenue take onecenturies back. The woodenhouses were constructed using aspecial plaster technique using achalky substance that hardensupon contact with water. Thehouses are still in use.

Kale MosqueKale Mosque, built in 1696, is

situated in the Mehmet Paflaneighbourhood, and just adjacentto the Kale Turkish Bath. Themosque courtyard boasts ahexagonal fountain and the tinymosque instills a sense of peaceas you enter it. The stained glassabove the mihrab catches the eyeimmediately. There is even air-conditioning installed inside themosque for those who want toworship in hot weather.

Kale Hamam›(Turkish Bath)The Kale Turkish bath, next doorto Kale Mosque, is still in use to

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Interior view of the Kale Mosque Kale Hamam (bath)

this day. The structure was builtusing rubble, and has aparticularly attractive tile-covereddome above the changing rooms..The bathing area itself is made ofcut stone and bricks.Constructed in 1696.

Faz›l Ahmet PaflaMadrasah(Tafl Madrasah)The first library in Vezirköprü wasbuilt in 1662 by Faz›l AhmetPasha and served scholars out ofa single room in the Madrasah,

which was heavily damaged in the1943 earthquake and laterrestored. The Madrasah was amulti-purpose space until 1964,when it became a public library.The building underwent a secondrestoration in 2002 and nowhouses 20,000 books. The libraryis definitely a must-see if you arein the area.

Taceddin Pafla(Kurflunlu) MosqueTaceddin Pafla mosque, situatedin the Çanakl› neighbourhood,was built in 1494 and had adome ceiling until the 1945earthquake completely destroyed

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Faz›l Ahmet Pafla Madrasah courtyard

Faz›l Ahmet Pafla Madrasah

the structure. The mosque waslater covered by a flatconventional roof during repairs.The Taceddin Pafla (Kurflunlu)fountain in the mosque courtyardbelongs to the late Ottomanperiod.

Taceddin Pafla Hamam›(Turkish Bath)Taceddin Pasha also built thisTurkish bath between 1491-1495,but the structure unfortunately didnot survive and was not rebuilt.

Abdulgani (Namazgah)MosqueKöprülü Mehmet Pasha built theAbdulgani (Namazgah) Mosque,which is situated in the Mehmet

Pafla Neighbourhood. Themosque was completely destroyedin the 1906 earthquake, and wasrebuilt by the locals in 1915.

Çifte Hamam(Turkish Bath)Çifte Hamam was built immediatelybeside the south wall of theVezirköprü Bazaar in 1660 by AyfleHan›m.This Turkish bath, which has separatesections for women and men, is stillin use today; The two sections arealmost identical in architecture.

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Tacettin Pafla Hamam (bath)

Library section of the Faz›l AhmetPafla Madrasah

Namazgah FountainThis fountain, commissioned byKöprülü Mehmet Pafla beside theNamazgah Mosque, still serves thepublic today.

fiifa Hamam›(Turkish Bath)Mehmet Pafla reportedly built thefiifa Bath for the exclusive use of hisfamily, but now it serves the generalpublic. The changing spaces, madeof wood, were apparently later

additions. Constructed in 17th

Century.

Ganio€lu FountainThe Ganio€lu Fountain on Hac›köyAvenue was constructed in the lateOttoman period.

Yusuf A€a Hamam›(Turkish Bath)This public bath was constructed byYusuf A€a, Vezirköprü’s chief at thetime, during rebuilding efforts afterthe district had been practically

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Çiftehamam

Yukar› Nalbant Mosque

destroyed by riots. The hamameventually collapsed and was notrestored.

Esenköy Rock TombAn Iron-Age tomb carved into therocks at Esenköy is a must-see. It issituated 12km from Vezirköprü andwas built in the Paphlagon style,consisting of two rooms and threecolumns. In addition, fine examplesof Turkish civil architecture can beseen in the surrounding area.

Abdülkerim A€aMadrasahThe 20-room Madrasah wascommissioned by Abdülkerim A€ain the 17th century. TheMadrasah was destroyed by anearthquake and was not rebuilt.

Süleyman A€a MadrasahBostanc›bafl› Köprülü El-HacSüleyman A€a commissioned thisMadrasah in the courtyard ofTaceddin Pafla Mosque. The 24rooms in the building served asclassrooms and dormitories untilit was completely destroyed bythe 1943 earthquake.

Atatürk MonumentA brass 260cm-tall sculpture ofAtatürk, completed in 1981 by sculptorRahmi Ertemiz, was placed upon apedestal designed by engineer ‹smailSevcan.

Mehmet Pafla MonumentThe Köprülü Mehmet Pashamonument in the Municipality Parkwas commissioned and completed in1958 with local financial support

Kurt BridgeThe 40m-long ancient Kurt Bridgeconnects the banks of the ‹stavrozbrook which borders Vezirköprü. Thereticular architectural style of thebridge with four large arches suggeststhat it was probably built in the 14th

or 16th century AD, as there areGreek writings carved across thestructure. There are also three smallrooms housed in the bridge supports.What makes the bridge stand out isthe fact that there are no clearpathways or roads on either side of it.Even though sections of the archesand supports have been pilfered bytreasure hunters, the bridge remainssturdy and is still in use today.

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Havza Kurt bridge

Life in high pastures

Seasonal migrations touplands and mountainpasturesIt is mostly farmers with cattle who optto move to the highlands in thesummer months, as there is normallynot enough food for the animals in thevillages.

Highland FestivitiesFun in the mountains comes in variousshapes and forms. Bullfights are thehighlight in Susuz village where theyouth dance a special dance,‘Ç›ng›rsak’. There is also plenty of foodserved to liven up the festivities.

LodgingPeople tend to live in tents orspecial wooden bungalows called‘kelik’.

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Wintertime in the mountain pastures

Upland Traditions and Customs:• The herdsman, who is hired tokeep wolves and other cattlepredators at bay, is usuallyoffered a spoonful of freshlychurned butter every week tokeep him alert.• Because most of thetranshumants are old women,young girls and brides travel tothe uplands every week to churnbutter and yogurt.• About 20 days after moving upto the high plateaus, village folktravel to the pastures forcelebrations.

Migration seasonsCattle are usually taken to theuplands in May and brought backin September at the latest.Herdsmen and women spend dayspreparing for their return to theirvillages as the sheep and goatsare sheared beforehand and theirwool washed in nearby rivers.

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Vezirköprü cuisine isdominated by beans,chickpeas, corn, vineleaves, cracked wheat, andbulgur. Red meat, rice andpastries also feature on themenu. Poultry meat is alsoheavily used in the area,as goose, chicken, duckand turkey are used incooking. Tirit, goose rice,spit-roasted goose, friedchicken are all populardishes. Plants such askald›r›k, mad›mak,beetroot, nünük are usedfor stir fries and soups. Aspecialty of the region is abörek (pastry) called‘kat›k’ made of coarselyground corn and dill, ataste you won’t findanywhere else.

OOyymmaaaağğaaçç KKeebbaabbOynaa�aç kebab is aseasonal specialty ofOymaa�aç village, onlyprepared between Mayand November. It is madewith kid meatpainstakingly spit- roastedin a special oven for threeto four hours; the fatdripping off the meat iscollected in a bowl. Thekebab is served both hotand cold and is eaten withTridin dipped in the kidfat. This kid kebab is aregional delicacy that hasbeen around for manycenturies.

Food Culture

There are countless hills,mounds and barrows in theregion and many of thembear traces from Bronze Agecivilisations. Several pots andcrockery items linked to theera were recovered inarcheological digs. The mainhills and mounds are asfollows: Do�an Tepe,Kurudere, Ya�›nözü -Çakmak, Keltepe, Ya�basanBarrow, Çeltek Barrow, Afla�›Narl› Barrow, Avdan KöyüMound, Çal Köyü Moundandn Maltepe Barrow. Anexcavation is still ongoing atHöyüktepe-Oymaa�aç Tepe.

Mound and flatlandsettlements

Ladik

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

LÂD‹KLâdik is situated 82km away fromSamsun and neighbours Kavak in thenorth, Taflova in the east, Havza inthe west and Amasya in the south.This charming district is famed forthe various festivals held in itsmountain pastures. Ladik sits on alow slope of Mount Akda€ in thenorth, just on the edge of a meadow.The population of the district is18,022, of whom 8,316 live in the

district centre. Winters in Ladik arelong and harsh and the summers arecool. The main sources of income forthe area are agriculture and cattlebreeding. Tersakan Brook, whichflows into the Yeflil›rmak River, is thelife source of the area. Tersakanoriginates from Ladik Lake, followswestwards and southwards and finallyeastwards to meet the Yeflil›rmakRiver. Ladik is an easy access pointfrom Samsun, as there are plenty oftransport options available.

Local economyThe regional economy relies onindustry and forestry in addition tocattle-breeding and farming. A largevariety of crops can be grown in thearea as there’s plenty of rainfall

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Lâdik factcardPopulation 18.022

Area 575 km2

Lâdik District Office 771 30 11

Municipality of Lâdik 771 30 30

Lâdik, view of the district

through the four seasons. Wheat,barley, corn, oat, sugarcane andsunflower cultivation takes up themajority of farmland in the area.Cattle breeding has also developed inthe area, because of Ladik’s accessto upland grazing areas, andbeekeeping and fishing are carriedout on a small scale The districtboasts 18,585 hectares of forest,and a portion of it is available forharvesting.The surface surveys carried out inthe mounds and flat settlements inthe town of Ladik reveal that the areawas inhabited during the chalcolithicage, the first bronze age, the middlebronze age, the iron age, theHellenistic Rome and the last antiqueage. The town of Ladik was foundedby the wife of Mithridates V, Laodika.

120-111 The area fell under thehegemony of the Roman Empire,upon the victory of the Romans overthe people of Pontus in 71 BC andLadik was included within theborders of the East Roman Empirewhen Rome was divided into two in395 BC.The Arabs seized the area in 705,followed by the Seljuks who tookcontrol in 1071 after the Malazgirtbattle. Another theory on the originsof the Ladik name is that the Seljukcommander Ahmet Daniflment GaziMelik, who took control over thesurrounding area including Amasya,named it after his daughter ‹leduk or‹lduk Hatun in 1075.Following the fall of the SeljukEmpire, Ladik was ruled by aTurcoman principality, Kabato€ullar›,and finally the Ottomans from 1428until the rise of the Turkish Republic.Ladik was a part of the city ofAmasya, which in turn belonged tothe Sivas subprovince until 1925,when it became part of Samsun.

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The cultural heritage liesunexaminedVery few archeological studies have beencarried out in Ladik, despite its historystretching back to 3000BC. The primaryarcheological sites in the area are:Çak›laras›, ‹nkaya Mezar and Ören Yeri,

Kale Tepe, Dökme Tepe, Dedealt›, Köyiçi,Devflel Kaya, Tompul Tepe, Kilise Tepe,Kümbet Mounds. Ruins of an ancientcastle stand to the southeast of LadikLake, south of the Ladik district centre.Ladik used to be a popular vacationingspot for royals and high society ofAmasya in Ottoman times, its mountainpastures, forests and healing watersdrawing them to the area. As a result,there used to be summer palaces,mosques, bazaars and a public bath inLadik, but unfortunately most of themwere damaged beyond repair during the1943 earthquake.

District centreThe town square is surrounded by shopsand coffeehouses and is also the locationof the town hall and municipality office.The few historical monuments whichmanaged to survive the 1943 earthquakeare still impressive.

Clock TowerThe clock tower was built in 1889, andwas rebuilt true its original form afterthe 1943 earthquake, which left itheavily damaged.

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Lâdik Lake surroundings

Lâdik Lake surroundings

Bülbül Hatun MosqueThis mosque was commissioned byBülbül Hatun, the wife of OttomanEmperor Beyaz›t II. This structure alsosustained extensive damage during the1943 earthquake, but has beenrestored to its original form.

Avc› Sultan MehmetMosqueThis mosque was commissioned bySultan Mehmet IV during the Ottomanera and had to be entirely rebuiltfollowing its collapse in the 1943earthquake.

KümbetKümbet, an Ottoman monument, isalso known as the Sunullah PaflaTomb.

Tomb of Seyit AhmetKebirSeljuk commander Seyit Ahmet Kebir,who lost his life in a Ladik battle, wasburied here, according to his wishes.The tomb, made of bricks and hewnstone, hosts seven sarchophagi inside.Besides the tombs and the mosques,

there are also Seljuk and Ottomandervish lodges (tekkes) which are opento the public. These are: Süt P›nar›,Gülabdal Tekkesi, Sanl›k Tekkesi,Karaoluk Tekkesi, K›l›çaslan Tekkesi,Kara Abdal (Sultan) Tekkesi, Ifl›kl›Tekke, Zeyfe Baba Tekkesi, DikilitaflTekkesi, and Dikmen Dede Tekkesi.

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Avc› Sultanahmet Mosque Seyit Ahmetkebir Tomb

Tomb

The new dearestattraction of theBlack Sea Region:Akdağ Ski CenterLadik Akdag Ski Center is the singleski center in the the Central Black SeaRegion. Akdag Summer and WinterSports Center is 84 km from the towncenter, 24 km from Samsun- Ankarahighway and 7 km from the center ofLadik. The length of the track is 1400m and the length of the chairlift is1360 m. One can ski at an altitudeinterval of 1500 to 1770. The snowefficiency reaches an average height of1 meter between November andMarch

Lâdik LakeLadik Lake is 10km away from the

district centre and is surrounded byreedbeds, which are harvested forwickerwork. The lake is also Tersakanstream’s point of origin. Trout and pikelive in its waters and sailing competitionsare held regularly here. The surroundinggrasslands are used for grass skating.

Hamamya€› ThermalSpringsHamamya€› (Hallaz, H›rlaz, Hilyas)thermal springs and its surroundingareas are the most popular touristicspots in the area, providing a valuablesource of income for the locals. Thespa is placed 10km away from Ladikcentre and boasts a picnic area near asmall river and a spa building. Thethermal in Ladik and Havza wererenowned in historical times as well astoday. In the Roman era and precedingperiods, the area served as a healthcentre, as its waters are now proven tohelp with rheumatic illnesses, muscleand nervous system exhaustion,calcification of joints and low-energyfollowing surgery. The outdoors is alsoideal for relaxing, as Ladik Lake isnearby and there are plenty of highmeadows on nearby Mount Akda€.

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Hamamaya€› Thermal Springs

Büyükk›zo€lu Waterfalland LakeThe Büyükk›zo€lu natural lake issurrounded by forest, and a wondrouswaterfall hidden among the trees isworth seeing.There are picnic areas all around thelake’s circumference and the waterfeeding into the lake originates fromMount Akda€ and is clean and coldenough to host trout.

Lâdik Lake fauna(Type of Birds)The following bird species have beenobserved at Ladik Lake:

Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides)Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)Stork (Ciconia ciconia)Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)Black-winged Stilt (Himantopushimantopus)Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)Blackheaded Gull (Larus ridibundus)Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans)Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)Little Tern (Sterna albifrons)White-winged Black Tern (Chlidoniasleucopterus)

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Lâdik Lake water lilies

Birds of Lâdik Lake

The following birdspecies have beenobserved in the areassurrounding Ladik LakeRock Pigeon (Columba livia), CrestedLark (Galerida cristata); Skylark(Alauda arvensis); Red-backed Shrike(Lanius collurio); Ring Ouzel (Turdustorquatus).The following species have beenobserved in oak forests andmountainous areas near Ladik Lake:In the oak forests: Carrion Crow(Corvus corone); raven (Corvus corax).In the mountainous areas near thelake: House Sparrow (Passerdomesticus) and Goldfinch (Cardueliscarduelis).

Lâdik upland festivitiesLadik overflows with visitors duringthe summer, who travel from all fourcorners of the country. The festivalsserve as a way of sharing the touristicpotential of Ladik with theneighbouring districts.The summer festivals take place inJuly and August every year in themountain pastures and includeevents such as grass-skiingcompetition, honey, kite and cattle

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Sailboats on Lâdik Lake

Lâdik pasture waterfall

competitions and paragliding andglider shows.

Akda€ PlateauThis pasture lies at an altitude of 950m and 9km from central Ladik. It ismainly used as an excursion spot as itoffers views of Ladik Lake and forests.

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A snapshot of the Lâdik high pastures

Ladik pasture fairs and cirit (a type ofpolo) competitions (middle andbelow)

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These icicles are melted by the Akyel wind

Küpecik PlateauAt 1600m altitude, this upland lies 23km away from the district. Only 9km ofthe road to Küpecik is paved; the restis graveled, but it is possible to reachKüpecik with any type of vehicle.

Büyükk›zo€lu PlateauThis pasture is at 1600m altitude andlies 10km away from the districtcentre.

Folk dances and weddingtraditionsVarious types of horon dances (folkdances of the Black Sea region) arepopular in Ladik and surroundingareas such as: Düzayak, Makinal›,Sar›k›z, and Sanlama. Semah, fieyhfiamil, Sesen, Zefak are other folkdances which are popular in theBudakdere region.Ladik weddings are classicallyAnatolian in nature, but variations doexist in certain rural villages. Both thebride and the groom are taken to thehamam (Turkish bath). The bride istaken there during the day by relativesand friends, where she celebrates herimminent nuptials, whereas the groomis accompanied to the hamam at nighttime with drums and horn.

AkyelThe wind that melts the snowEven though Ladik is in the Black Searegion, its climate is more reminiscentof the harsh conditions of centralAnatolia. The winters here are coldand long and the summers mostlycool. In the wintertime, a wind called‘Akyel’ speeds up the melting of thesnow, and you will feel the ‘Poyraz’wind in the months of July and August.It snows in the winters and rains forthe rest. Steep terrains in Lâdik aremostly covered with woodland andshrubs.

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Various views of the Lâdik high pastures

Regional culinary specialtiesof Ladik are mostly pasta andpastry dishes including:Eriflte, Tutmaz Afl›, Mant›,‹flkefe Tatl›s›, Kaz pilaf,Çerkez Halü€ü, Çerkezfiibsisi, Dabusun, Malakto,Gobi Lobiya, Lobya,Höflmerim, and Kadayani.The breads of the region arealso varied: Somun,Hamursuz, Parmakl›, LavaflPide, Dökme, Döndürme,Samsa Ekme€i, C›rlak (P›r›l),Ak›tma, Yufka, andcornbread.Tandoori Kebab is anotherfamous regional dish.

Pastries and pastadominate Ladik cuisine

Asarc›k

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

ASARCIK

Asarc›k, situated 44 km south ofSamsun city center, is one of thesmallest districts in Turkey. Thepreferred route to get to Asarc›kfrom Samsun is the 73km-longKavak road, as the shorteralternative via Kaman is full ofchallenging turns. Poultry farms anda chalk factory can be seen alongthe road to Asarc›k. The roadslinking villages to the town centrecan be blocked during the wintermonths due to heavy snowfall, butthe closures do not normally last formore than 45 days a year.Asarc›k is surrounded by Kavak andÇarflamba districts and the city ofAmasya. The district is clearlyunder the influence of the typicalBlack Sea climate, and makes awarm impression at first sight, as

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c›k

Asarc›k factcardPopulation 18.068

Area 180 km2

Asarc›k District Office 791 22 21

Municipality of Asarc›k 791 22 50

Asarc›k, view from the district

Asarc›k town square

the fields and the houses dottedamong them come into view fromthe hillside. The ancient minaret ofthe local mosque is visible as wellas the highway cutting the district inhalf. The tumulus situated in theKocayusuf Bacak location of theKuyumcuoglu Village was firstlyinhabited in the bronze age, in 2000

years ago and in the hellenistic era.As for the tumulus in the NarliQuarter location of the KilavuzluVillage, the Horoztepe tumulus ofthe Emir Musa Village and thetumulus situated in the Satibalocation of the Bicincik Quarter aresome of the ones surviving as fromthe ancient age.

A Circassians village firstAsarc›k was founded by Circassiansin the 1800’s after many of themhad to flee from the Ottoman-Russian war, 1877-1878. Thevillage eventually grew in size asimmigrants settled here from nearbyareas, and Asarc›k received districtstatus in 1987. A municipalpresence was established two yearslater, in 1989, following localelections.

Cultural synthesisAsarc›k was a melting pot ofCaucasian and Turkish heritagefollowing the Ottoman-Russian war,and the Circassians still keep theirtraditions alive by performingCaucasian folkloric dances andplaying their native accordion andharmonica at special times of theyear such as holy days andweddings.

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Town square

District centreThe town square features a fountainin the centre and is lined byrestaurants and shops as well as abus terminal on one side.Farming isa major source of income in Asarc›k,with villagers growing a range ofproduce including corn, wheat, hops

and sugarcane. Small-scalebeekeepers also keep hives in thearea.

The historic mosquesand churches havewithstood the test of timeAn ancient mosque stands next toa church in the village ofAyakl›alan, but sadly the churchhas been looted.

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Ayakl› Ayan church

K›lavuzlu mosque

The mosque, built in 1180, ismade of wood and has undergoneonly two restorations in itslifetime, the first in 1291, and theother in 1970.

Picnic groundsThe forest in the centre of Asarc›k,Ayakl›alan church grounds and thegreen spaces around Yar›mca village

provide plenty of opportunities forpicnics.

58 year old tradition:Asarc›k FairThe month of September plays hostto a long-standing tradition. Horse

races, wrestling competitions andfree concerts are held in thefairground, and a large bazaar is setup nearby. People from surroundingdistricts flock to Asarc›k to take partin the celebrations.

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Wrestlers at the Asarc›k Fair

Ayakl› Ayan church

Poultry dominates themenu in Asarc›k andlocal delicacies includeCircassian chicken andkaz tiridi (pastry withgoose meat filling).

Asarc›k Cuisine

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Ayvac›k

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

AYVACIKAyvac›k Tokat, situated 62 kmaway from Samsun, neighbourswith Amasya, Asarc›k, Çarflambave Sal›pazar› ile komflu. Ayvac›kis perched on the northern foot ofthe Canik Mountains, along theartificial lake created by the SuatU€urlu Dam. You can reachAyvac›k by following the highwaybetween Samsun and Ordu untilÇarflamba district and thencontinuing along the city road for28km.Ayvac›k used to be a GreekRoman town until the foundationof the Turkish Republic, as Turksonly started settling in the area

after majority of the Greek Romanpopulation left shortly after theend of the Independence War.Ayvac›k used to be village until1990 when it merged withKeskino€lu Köyü to become adistrict.

District centerThe road to Ayvac›k runningalong the dam lake is full ofbends. An Ayvac›k neighbourhoodstands on the other side of thelake and regular ferry servicesconnect the two sides to oneanother. There is no town centrein Ayvac›k. Instead shops andcafé houses are lined up aroundthe water. We highly recommendhaving a cup of tea or coffeehere, while taking in the view.

ForestsA large proportion of the district isunder forest cover and the dam issurrounded by hazelnut groves.About 90% of locals earn a living

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Ayvac›k factcardPopulation 24.275

Area 522 km2

Ayvac›k District Office 811 40 01

Municipality of Ayvac›k 813 20 22

View of the district from the seafront

by farming hazelnuts, corn, wheatand barley, while the rest engagein commerce and fishing. Thelake is a breeding ground for avariety of fish including Japanesesea bass, sheatfish, gray mulletand carp.

The Hasan U€urlu subterranian

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Transport between the two waterfronts

Ferry running across the Hasan U€urlu Dam Lake

power plant and Suat U€urluhydro-electric power station,completed in 1982, are majorsupplier of electricity for Turkey.

Pine forestsThe pine forest and promenadesituated along the Hasan U€urludam is a popular spot for picnic

lovers during the spring andsummer months.

Local dances and oilwrestlingAyvac›k residents have two specialtypes of folk dance called ‘köçek’ and‘kaba ceviz’. It is also customary for thewedding host to organize oil-wrestlingcompetition as part of the festivities.

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Hasan U€urlu dam and lake

A snapshot of the meadows surrounding the lake

The traditional Öndülfestival

The traditional Öndül festival isanother highlight of the year whenthe buffalos and cattle are go upagainst one another in various testsof strength.

Cecim‘Cecim’ is a special type of hand-wowen tapestry made of pure woolwhich are used as rugs on the floor.Cecim is also the name of the beltstring worn by women and childrenin the area.

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Suat U€urlu dam and lake

‘Haluç’ and ‘keflkek’ aretraditional dishes of Ayvac›k.Keflkek is quite a timeconsuming dish to make, butthe taste makes it allworthwhile. Wheat is boiledwhile continuously beingstirred to soften it down to acream-like texture afterwhich boneless chicken meatis added to it and the dish isstirred until the chicken meatto tenderizes into littlepieces. Once ready, keflkekis served with melted butterpoured on top.

Ayvac›k Cuisine

Sal›pazar›

City centerDistricts centerTown centerDam,Lake,RiverBrookState highwayRoadTransp. CodesState RailwayFish Hakchery

District Town

LEGEND

SALIPAZARISal›pazar› is situated where theYeflilçay and Terme streams intersectand the district is characterised bythe three bridges connecting it tonearby villages. Gökçeli village canbe reached via the Kurt Bridge,whereas Yavaflbey village sits on theother side of the Maviren bridge.

Sal›pazar› is 54km away fromSamsun city centre and neighboursErbaa and Akkufl on the south,Terme in the east and Ayvac›k in thewest, while it borders with Çarflambain the north. The population of thedistrict is approximate 21,000 intotal, 6,156 of whom live in centralSal›pazar›. Samsun is connected toSal›pazar› by road, via the Çarflambaand Terme districts which lie inbetween.The Yeflil and Ayazma streams nearSal›pazar› are famed for their dottedtrout. The local climate is mild in thesummer and cold in the winter andshows the characteristics of atransitional climate as the Black Sea

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Sal›pazar›, a view of the district

Sal›pazar› factcardPopulation 20.941

Area 165 km2

Sal›pazar› District Office 821 21 00

Municipality of Sal›pazar› 821 20 19

air meets terrestrial conditions.Snowfall, therefore, is common in thewinter and reaches up to 1.5m.

District centerThe entrance to central Sal›pazar› islined with hazelnut gardens and youwill soon come across a Governmenthall on the left-hand side. A pebbleroad eventually gives way to a narrowsquare, which serves as the mainshopping area in Sal›pazar›.

Sal›pazar› is a relativelynew settlementSal›pazar› is a relatively newsettlement, as only a few houses usedto stand in the area until quiterecently. The area became a stopoverfor villagers travelling between theCanik Mountains and the bazaars inÇarflamba and eventually developedinto a permanent settlement area. Asthe number of inhabitants increased,a new weekly market was set up onTuesdays, and the area graduallybecame synonymous with the nameSal›pazar›, (Tuesday market).Armenians and Rum (Greeks living in

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Hazelnuts in Sal›pazar›

Turkey) lived in the area until the 1stWorld War, and the district currentlyhas Georgian, Circassian and Lazpopulations forming a key part ofSal›pazar›’s cultural mosaic.

Local agriculture isdominated by hazelnutsand fruitsHazelnut and fruit production is thekey driver of the local economy.Apple, pear, cherry, strawberry, plum,date, bean, tomato, aubergine,pepper, onion, leek and rice aregrown in the area, in addition to

hazelnuts. Local produce is sent tocity and district markets insurrounding areas, and villages in themountainous regions of Sal›pazar› areknown for their handicraft productsincluding baskets and chestnut.

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Garpu Castle

Ça€layan village Waterfall

A view from Garpu Castle

Garfu CastleGarfu Castle is between Cevizli andKonakören villages and is also knownby the name Gerfu. The castle isthought to be from the 7th centuryBC, and some believe the structurebelonged to the Amazons. The castlehas two wells which are now coveredover by stone and it is not acharacteristic castle, as its entranceand stairway are carved into rock.

Ça€layan Village andwaterfallsÇa€layan Village, situated 7km fromSal›pazar›, was built on a riverbed andis surrounded by numerous waterfalls.

Hasan TekkeThis hill overlooking the district centrewas given the name of an

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Sal›pazar› old mill

K›z›lot village mosque

Independence War hero, Hasan Tekke,who was laid to rest on the hilltop.

MillA 500-year old hewn-stone mill inthe Gökçeli neighboourhood is still

in good working condition is used togrind wheat into flour to this day.

Old wooden mosquesÇatak Ahmet A€a village has a 115-year-old mosque, whereas several oldmosques, ranging from 300-400 yearsof age, still stand in Yeflil, Kayadibi andK›z›lot villages. The Saint SamzamaKadem and Saint Topal Hac› tombs inSal›pazar› are revered by the locals.

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Yeflilköy mosque

Çatal Ahmet A€aköy Mosque

A century-old tree in K›z›lot village

Resting under the shadeof 200 year old planetreesA trout farm is situated at theintersection of Alan, Karacaören andKestanep›nar villages. Hasan Tekke,Adac›k on the way to Yeflil Village andÇobandüzü situated near Terme are allpopular excursion and picnic spots.Resting under the shade of 200-year-old plane trees in the district centre isa pleasure like no other.

Local cultural mosaicexemplifiedThe Georgian and Caucasian cultureshave blended in with Black Seacustoms and traditions. Celebrations in

the district are usually accompaniedby drum and horn music and BlackSea folk dances such as Çiftetelli andhalay, but also Georgian folk dance.

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Feasting on delicious fish in naturalsurroundings is a memorable experience

Zagi yani, Makaktu, Bilekibread, Circassian pastry areamong the fabulous dishesof the Sal›pazar› region, andtheir easy recipes are below:

ZZaaggii YYaannii:: mutton meat,rice, flour, butter, walnut,saffron, ground chile, garlic,HÖ⁄MEN and ÇOROTUare the main ingredient ofthis dish. MMaakkaakkttuu:: green beans,walnut, fresh coriander,garlic, KORUK, ‹RHANBBiilleekkii BBrreeaadd:: corn flour ismixed with boiling waterand bay leaves andTAHNAL is sprinkled on topof the bread mix beforebaking. CCiirrccaassssiiaann ppaassttrryy:: cornflour, milk, egg and butterare used for the batter,which is fried and servedwith a meat stir-fry.

Sal›pazar›’s culinary specialties

Genose tradesmen who used todock regularly along the BlackSea coast about two centuriesago, liked Black Sea pide somuch that they brought the recipeto their homeland and adapted itto local tastes, giving rise to oneof the Western world’s favoritesnacks: pizza. Pizza and pidedough are practically identical,with minor variations in toppingsand sauces.

From Pide toItalian Pizza

OUR TOURISM AREASThe regions declared as tourismcenters within the provincialborders of Samsun are as listedbelow:

1) Havza 25 Mayıs ThermalTourism Center

2) Havza Thermal Spring Areaİmaret Mahallesi Toursim Center

3) Ladik Akdağ Toursim Center4) Ayvacık Tourism Preservation

and Developmeny Area5) Vezirköprü Toursim Center6) Bafra-Kolay Toursim Center

The regions within the Havza district areimportant with regards to thedevelopment of thermal tourism and alsofor the development of one-day touristicactivities. Places appropriate for thermaltourism and hotel areas have beendetermined in these tourism centers.There are thermal water sources in thisarea where water temperature is 50ᵒC.Investments will start in the areas wherethe necessary zoning arrangements havebeen made.The Ladik Akdağ Tourism Center which is87 km away from the city center and 7km away from the Ladik district center isan appropriate area for the zoning ofwinter tourism facilities. The

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roadwork, electricity and waterinfrastructure works of the region have allbeen completed. A chairlift is functional inthe skiing area.This area also possesses appropriateopportunities for tableland tourismbesides being a place for winter sports.The Akdağ Tourism Center which islocated along the valley at the border ofAmasya-Samsun, is appropriate forscouting, camping and mountainclimbing with its rocky mountains andpine forests. There is a plan ofconstructing a skiing training center,mountain hotels, valley resting housesand picnic areas inside the forest of thisregion.The tourism region located in the Ayvacıkdistrict borders is made up of a 3000hectare area that is outside the borders of

the municipal boundary. The Suat UğurluDam Lake is found inside the borders ofthis region.The planning studies for touristicinvestments in the centers of VezirköprüKunduz Forests, Bafra Kolay, 19 MayısNebiyan, Çarşamba Hürriyet and TermeGölyazı are continuing.

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Nature Toursfrom Samsun

Samsun is one of our cities with a high potential of Nature Tourism. As a resulttourism can be developed with nature tours.The culture of Samsun can be witnessed with one-day and short-periodovernight-stay tours.You can see the sample tours below.Travel Agencies may have different tour programs.

Samsun-Amasya-Tokat(Overnight-stay, with Bus);� Breakfast in Çakallı after leaving from theovernight-stay establishment. Touring theTaşhan-Bridge and Ahşap Camii (HardwoodMosque)� Arrival in Amasya. Amasya is one of thehistorical cities of our country. The Yalıboyuhouses, Museums, King Kaya Cemeteriesand The Amasya Castle can be toured in the

city center.� You can taste the regional food of Amasya which has a rich cuisine variety.� Departure for Tokat after lunch.� Touring the city, historical places, samples of civil architecture, mansion, etc.� Regional handicrafts,� Dinner in restaurants serving regional food, and overnight-stay.

Samsun- Sinop(1 night overnight-stay, with Bus);� Departure after breakfast. Visiting theBafra Museum, the Alaçam MübadeleMuseum and Alaçam Mansions.� Lunch in Yakakent (fish)� Arrival at Sinop. City tour. The HistoricalSinop Prison – Hamsilos Cove.� Overnight-stay and dinner, time on thebeach and return to Samsun.

Samsun-Çorum (One-day, with Bus);� Breakfast in Çakallı after leaving from theovernight-stay establishment. Touring theTaşhan-Bridge and Ahşap Camii (HardwoodMosque)� Arrival at Çorum. Visiting Hattuşa, andlunch with regional food in the City Center� Çorum müzesinin ziyareti ve dönüş.Visiting the Çorum Museum, and return.

Trekking� You will be able to witness trekking tracks in nature filled with history, and

that will take you away from the noise of the city.

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� Ladik, Salıpazarı, 19 Mayıs, Vezirköprü, Bafra-Kolay, Terme-Gölyazı and theAyvacık tracks are waiting for you with their natural beauties, endemic plantlife, waterfalls and its historical views.

The Şahin Canyon (Vezirrköprü)� Kızılırmak runs through the perpendicularslope. Now it seems like a lake because ofthe dam. It is covered with green forests.You will be able to have a green tour withferries.

The Kızılırmak Delta and Fish Lakes (Bafra)A one-day delta tour to witness the richvariety of birds, animals and the vegetationcover. The track is very comfortable

� A cultural project; the foot marks of theAmazons� Recently, paragliding is developing inSamsun.

Ladik AkdağKocadağ(Central)� You can participate in the Jeep Safari Tours by driving the jeep you want.

Requestors will be accompanied by drivers. It is usually made in the foresttracks.� Ayvacık, Vezirköprü, Bafra-Kolay,Salıpazarı, Terme-Gölyazı, Ladik AkdağPlateau, Küpecik Yaylası, and the AktaşPlateau are the most important tracks.� Offroad tracks: Vezirköprü KunduzForests, Ayvacık, Salıpazarı, Terme-Gölyazı,etc.

Trekking with Horses;� Riding horses in the forest: Termez-Gölyazı, Salıpazarı-Karacaören, Bafra-Kolay are the most ideal tracks.

Ornitology:� The Bafra Kızılırmak Delta is waiting forthe Bird Sanctuary enthusiastic. There are340 bird species in the 56 thousand hectarearea. You are also able to do trekking.

GUIDE

SAMSUN GUIDEEMERGENCY

Country Code : 90Province Kodu : 362

Governership of Samsun431 64 75 - 431 64 77

Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate431 00 14 - 435 65 48kultur@samsunkulturveturizm.gov.tr

Metropolitan Municipality431 60 90 - 435 26 55cm@samsun-bld.gov.tr

Provincial Administration437 08 48 - 437 08 55bilgiislem@samsunozelidare.gov.tr

DISTRICT GOVERNERSHIPAlaçam District GovernershipWeb Address : www.alacam.gov.trE-Mail : alacam@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 622 00 21Fax : 0 (362) 622 03 70

Asarcık District GovernershipWeb Address : www.asarcik.gov.trE-Mail : asarcik@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 791 22 20 - 0(362) 791 22 21Fax : 0 (362) 791 22 32

Atakum District GovernershipWeb Address : www.atakum.gov.trE-Mail : atakum@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 438 65 98 - 0(362) 438 65 10Fax : 0 (362) 438 65 48

Ayvacık District GovernershipWeb Address : www.ayvacik.gov.trE-Mail : ayvacik@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 811 40 01Fax : 0 (362) 811 40 50

Bafra District GovernershipWeb Address : www.bafra.gov.trE-Mail : bafra@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 543 10 01Fax : 0 (362) 543 19 50

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Canik District GovernershipWeb Address : www.canik.gov.trE-Mail : canik@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 432 93 41

Çarşamba District GovernershipWeb Address : www.carsamba.gov.trE-Mail : carsamba@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 833 10 07 – 833 15 18Fax : 0 (362) 833 42 68

Havza District GovernershipWeb Address : www.havza.gov.trE-Mail : havza@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 714 10 13Fax : 0 (362) 714 18 19

İlkadım District GovernershipWeb Address : www.ilkadim.gov.trE-Mail : ilkadim@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 435 10 23

Kavak District GovernershipWeb Address : www.samsunkavak.gov.trE-Mail : kavak@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 741 30 07Fax : 0 (362) 741 32 38

Ladik District GovernershipWeb Address : www.ladik.gov.tr/E-Mail : ladik@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 771 30 11Fax : 0 (362) 771 47 45

Ondokuzmayıs District OfficeWeb Address : www.19mayis.gov.trE-Mail : mayis19@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 511 31 00Fax : 0 (362) 511 20 27

Salıpazarı District GovernershipWeb Address : www.salipazari.gov.trE-Mail : salipazari@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 821 21 00Fax : 0 (362) 821 21 04

Tekkeköy District GovernershipWeb Address : www.tekkekoy.gov.trE-Mail : tekkekoy@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 256 04 65Fax : 0 (362) 256 04 25

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Terme District GovernershipWeb Address : www.terme.gov.trE-Mail : terme@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 876 10 03Fax : 0 (362) 876 21 86Vezirköprü District GovernershipWeb Address : www.vezirkopru.gov.trE-Mail : vkopru@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 647 10 01 - 0(362) 647 10 60Fax : 0 (362) 647 28 05Yakakent District GovernershipWeb Address : www.yakakent.gov.trE-Mail : yakakent@samsun.gov.trPhone : 0 (362) 611 24 38Fax : 0 (362) 611 25 02

MUNICIPALITIESSamsun Metropolitan MunicipalityWeb Adresi : www.samsun.bel.trE-Mail : basin@samsun.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 431 60 90Fax : 0 (362) 435 91 37

DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY

Municipality of AtakumWeb Address : www.atakum.bel.trE-Mail : atakum@atakum.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 437 95 27 - 0(362) 437 95 28Fax : 0 (362) 437 06 11Municipality of İlkadımWeb Address : www.ilkadim.bel.tr/E-Mail : mail@ilkadim.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 444 55 01Fax : 0 (362) 432 08 63Municipality of CanikWeb Address : www.canik.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 228 35 50 - 0(362) 228 35 51Fax : 0 (362) 238 84 30Municipality of OndokuzmayısWeb Address : www.19mayis.bel.trE-Mail : baskan@19mayis.bel.tr;

yaziisleri@19mayis.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 511 44 88Fax : 0 (362) 511 31 60Municipality of ÇarşambaWeb Address : www.carsamba.bel.trE-Mail : carsamba.belediyesi@gmail.comPhone : 0 (362) 833 46 84Fax : 0 (362) 833 46 87

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Municipality of HavzaWeb Address : www.havza.bel.tr/E-Mail : info@havza.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 714 40 85Fax : 0 (362) 714 19 12

Municipality of BafraWeb Address : www.bafra.bel.tr/E-Mail : bafrabelediyesi@bafra.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 543 24 93Fax : 0 (362) 543 11 01

Municipality of TermeWeb Address : www.terme.bel.tr/E-Mail : bilgi@terme.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 876 10 02Fax : 0 (362) 876 11 68

Municipality of TekkeköyE-Mail : tekkekoybelediyesi@hotmail.comPhone : 0 (362) 256 03 24Fax : 0 (362) 256 00 04

Municipality of VezirköprüWeb Address :www.vezirkopru.bel.tr/Phone : 0 (362) 647 17 31Fax : 0 (362) 647 12 74

Municipality of SalıpazarıWeb Address : www.salipazari.bel.trE-Mail : bilgi@salipazari.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 821 20 19Fax : 0 (362) 821 20 91

Municipality of AyvacıkWeb Address : www.ayvacik.bel.trE-Mail : samsunayvacikbld@hotmail.comPhone : 0 (362) 813 20 22Fax : 0 (362) 813 22 23

Municipality of KavakE-Mail : kavakbld55200@yahoo.comPhone : 0 (362) 741 33 12Fax : 0 (362) 741 30 06

Municipality of LadikWeb Address : www.ladik.bel.trE-Mail : ladikbelediyesi@hotmail.comPhone : 0 (362) 771 30 30Fax : 0 (362) 771 22 11

Municipality of AsarcikWeb Address : www.asarcik.bel.trE-Mail : baskan@asarcik.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 791 22 50Fax : 0 (362) 791 22 37

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Municipality of AlaçamE-Mail : yasam150@mynet.comPhone : 0 (362) 622 00 02Fax : 0 (362) 622 02 30Municipality of YakakentWeb Address : www.yakakent.bel.trE-Mail : yakakent@yakakent.bel.trPhone : 0 (362) 611 21 04Fax : 0 (362) 611 24 54

Samsun Chamber of Commerce and IndustryTel: (362) 4323626 - Fax: (362) 4329055

Samsun Tourism AssocationTel: 0362 4325454 - Fax: 0362 4313632

Harbour MasterTel : 445 15 90 - Fax: 445 16 35

Coast Guard:Tel: 445 03 33 - Fax : 445 02 51

Tourism InformationTel: 43112 28

Customs AuthorityTel : 445 01 96 - Fax : 445 01 66

Coach CompaniesUlusoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 11-12Metro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 62 55Sema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Rize Ses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Lüx Artvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Sinay Ses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33T.Süzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Cizrenuh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Golden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Çarşambalılar ses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Lüx Gümüşhane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Sakarya Vip-As Bafra . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 32-33Niksar Kale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 33Hazar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 33Efe Tur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 33Konset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 33Üstün Erçelik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 60 33Has . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 33Avrupa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 33

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Özgül Bafra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 61-63Tokat Seyahat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 61-63Erektaş . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 61-63Süha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 61-63Özkaymak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 61-63Kastamonu Güven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 61-63İstanbul Seyahat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 13Mahmut Tur-Nokta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 5987Varan Turizm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 58 89Aydoğan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 62-41Fındıkkale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 61Topçam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 61Iğdırlı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 61Artvin Sesi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 61 61Kanberoğlu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 05 -06Tokat Yıldızı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 60 05 -06Adıyaman Ünal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 05 -06Merzifon Bld. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 05 -06Türkay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 05 -06Sahil Seyahat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Öz Diyarbakır . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 62 21A.Süzer-Hattuşaş . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 15Sinop Birlik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Doğu Karadeniz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Öz Elbistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Düzce Güven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Adıyaman Gülaras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Metatur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Nevşehir Seyahat-Van Gölü . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Lider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .565 60 89Artvin Expres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Kent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Öz Nuhoğlu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Görele Seyahat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Koyuncuoğlu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Mahmutoğlu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 53Dağıstanlı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 89Lüx Karadeniz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 89Lüx Erova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465 60 89Devran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 89Mis Amasya Tur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 89Kuzey Yıldızı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .465 60 89

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Marine CompaniesAktif Denizcilik HizmetleriTel : 0 (362) 4324772Fax : 0 (362) 4352190

Alemdarzade Denizcilik NakliyatTel : 0 (362) 4451604Fax : 0 (362) 4451606

Coşkunsu Denizcilik ve TicaretTel : 0 (362) 4357790Fax : 0 (362) 4357790

Hakan DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 4470400Fax : 0 (362) 4470403

Kalkavan DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 4311537Fax : 0 (362) 4200888

Karden Gemi AcenteciliğiTel : 0 (362) 2560365Fax : 0 (362) 2560322

Marina DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 4356438Fax : 0 (362) 4356426

Mesa DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 2288414Fax : 0 (362) 4452832

Rota Gemi AcenteliğiTel : 0 (362) 4465584Fax : 0 (362) 4465580

Poyraz DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 4471688Fax : 0 (362) 4471698

Samsun Deniz TicaretTel : 0 (362) 4317826Fax : 0 (362) 4317038

SMS Samsun DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 4452583Fax : 0 (362) 4452553

Ulusoy DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 4451625Fax : 0 (362) 4452221

Vıra-M Gemi ve Konteyner AcenteliğiTel : 0 (362) 4450733Fax : 0 (362) 4450731

Yaşat NakliyatTel : 0 (362) 4357813

Yelken DenizcilikTel : 0 (362) 4474108Fax : 0 (362) 4474398

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State HospitalsHospital of Gynecology and PediatricsTel : 0 (362) 230 91 00Fax : 0 (362) 230 03 96

Hospital of Physical Treatment and RehabilitationTel : 0 (362) 440 00 37

Gazi State HospitalTel : 0 (362) 311 30 30Fax : 0 (362) 231 07 89

Samsun Training and Research HospitalTel : 0 (362) 311 15 00Fax : 0 (362) 277 90 39

Hospital of Mental HealthTel : 0 (362) 431 78 53 - 54 - 57 - 59

Samsun Thoracic Diseases and Thoracic SurgeryHospitalTel : 0 (362) 440 00 44Fax : 0 (362) 440 00 43

Mouth and Teeth Health CenterTel : 0 (362) 440 00 45Fax : 0 (362) 440 54 17

19 Mayıs University Health Research andApplication CenterTel : 0 (362) 312 19 19

Private HospitalsPrivate Atasam HospitalDEREBAHÇE MAHALLESİ BAHÇİVAN SOKAK NO:1455030 SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 230 88 98Fax : 0 (362) 231 64 83

Private Büyük Anadolu Samsun HospitalİSTİKLAL CADDESİ NO:48 SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 435 27 00Fax : 0 (362) 432 56 28Private Büyük Anadolu Meydan HospitalKALE MAHALLESİ SAHİL CADDESİ NO:160 SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 435 78 00Fax : 0 (362) 435 27 90Private Medibafra HospitalALTINYAPRAK MAHALLESİ HASTANE SOKAK NO:27/33BAFRA/SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 542 80 00Fax : 0 (362) 543 22 22

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Private Medicalpark Samsun HospitalMİMARSİNAN MAHALLESİ ALPARSLAN BULVARI NO:17ATAKUM/SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 311 40 40Fax : 0 (362) 311 40 50

Private Mediva HospitalATATÜRK BULVARI YALI MAHALLESİ 35. SOKAK NO:2ATAKENT/SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 438 98 00Fax : 0 (362) 439 02 93

Private Romatem Physical Treatment andRehabilitation HospitalYENİ MAHALLE 7. SOKAK NO:35 CANİK/SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 444 23 87Fax : 0 (362) 432 82 32

Private Medicana International Samsun HospitalYENİ MAHALLE ŞEHİT MESUT BİRİNCİ CADDESİ NO:85CANİK/SAMSUNTel : 0 (362) 311 05 05Fax : 0 (362) 240 20 40

Cargo CompaniesMNG KARGO 444 06 06ARAS KARGO 432 00 75 - 435 59 64YURT İÇİ KARGO 4357990- 2337464

CinemasGalaxy Sineması I . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 230 68 30

Konakplex (Konak Sineması) . . . . . .0 (362) 431 24 71

Afm Yeşilyurt Sineması . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 439 20 70

Afra Moviezone Sineması . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 465 63 33

Galaxy Sineması II . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 234 36 66

Belediye Cep Sineması - Bafra . . . . .0 (362) 532 32 89

Vabartum Sineması – Vezirköprü . . .0 (362) 646 16 63

MuseumsGazi Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 431 28 91

Archeological and Ethnography

Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 431 68 28

Bandırma Vessel Museum . . . . . . . .0 (362) 238 00 23

Havza Atatürk House Museum . . . . .0 (362) 714 13 59

Tekkeköy Atatürk House Museum . .0 (362) 266 84 10

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Bafra Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 542 77 13(Under Renovation. To be opened soon)

Alaçam Commutation Museum(Under Renovation. To be opened soon)

Art GalleriesAtatürk Cultural Center Art Gallery . .0 (362) 432 76 55Metropolitan Municipality Art Gallery .0 (362) 435 11 18Ziraat Bankası Art Gallery . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 432 94 69District Office Culture and Art Gallery 0 (362) 437 08 48

Shopping MallMakro Market Avm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 465 59 01Yeşilyurt Avm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0 (362) 439 2525

HotelsBÜYÜK SAMSUN OTELİ . . . . . . . . . .����Tel: 432 49 99 � Fax: 431 07 40www.buyuksamsunoteli.com.tr

ANCERE TERMAL OTEL . . . . . . . . . .����Tel: 714 77 00 � Fax: 714 77 05www.ancerethermalhotel.com.tr

GRAND ATAKUM OTEL . . . . . . . . . . .����Tel: 439 05 55 � Fax:439 35 95www.grandatakumhotel.com

VİDİNLİ OTELİ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���Tel: 431 60 50 � Fax:431 21 36www.otelvidinli.com.tr

SAMSUN MARIN OTEL . . . . . . . . . . .����Tel: 437 00 25www.samsunmarinbutikotel.comSAMSUN AIRPORT RESORT HOTEL . . . . .���Tel: 256 33 65 � Fax:256 33 68www.samsunairportresorthotel.com

NORTH POINT OTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���Tel: 435 95 95 � Fax:435 70 35www.northpointhotel.com

HOTEL AMİSOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���Tel: 435 94 00 � Fax:435 44 05www.hotelamisos.com

SAMSUN TUANA OTEL . . . . . . . . . . . .���Tel: 457 80 05 � Fax:457 80 15www.tuanaotel.com.tr

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YAFEYA OTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���Tel: 435 11 31 � Fax:435 11 35www.yafeyaotel.com

YILDIZOĞLU OTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���Tel: 4351355www.yildizogluhotel.com

SAM MY HAUSE OTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . .���435 13 55 � Fax:431 24 69www.myhouseotel.com.tr

MAARİF OTELİ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .��Tel: 714 10 10 � Fax: 714 42 03www.maariftermalotel.com

Facilities with Tourism Investment LicenceGRAND DELUX AMİSOS OTEL . . . . . . .�����EVİN OTELİ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .����GRAND SOĞANCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .����AMİSOS MEYDAN OTELİ . . . . . . . . . . . .����ARMONİA HOTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���FOR YOU OTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���DAS ONUM OTELİ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���GRAND ASOS OTELİ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���GLORİA TIBI OTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���VENN BUTİK OTELSAMSUN TURIZM HOTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . .���AYÇA HOTEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .���

Restaurant with Tourism Establishment Certificate

Gülhan Lokantası . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .457 68 81Samsun Kale Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .438 30 86Samsun Oskar Lokantası . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431 20 40Karadeniz Sahil Tesisleri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437 53 18Kerimbey Konağı . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .266 40 52-53Rama Lounge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 62 19İtimat Balık Lokantası . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420 05 24Renk Gazinosu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 01 73Baran Turistik Tesisleri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .749 00 55Pamuk Kardeşler Balık Restaurant . . . . . . . . 445 03 44Mercan Balık Lokantası . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 62 22Şehir Kulübü Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431 37 36Karadeniz Balık Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 57 17Cadde Mangalbaşı Restaurant

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Travel AgenciesYAVUZ TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431 36 32KARTUR(ULUSOY)TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . .431 30 60LAMİRJEN TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . .543 15 00LORESİMA TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . .833 10 66METRO TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . .435 45 15EFNAN TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . .432 43 38E.AKÇA TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . .646 29 96PİRAY TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . .433 00 29AY-BİKE TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . .435 69 4219 MAYIS TRAVEL AGENCY . .231 39 07YILDIZOĞLU TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . .435 83 84DİLEM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431 19 63YETKİLİ TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FAZEMON TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 CSC TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .STK TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . .873 32 81TAVACI TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KÖKTEN TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .KİMPA TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .İ.F.D TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .STT İSTANBUL TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .HİZMET TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ŞAHMER TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . .432 31 01TURGUT TOURISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .VİÇE TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . .231 67 13TRİA TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 369 89VETSER TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .435 45 10ERGÜNTUR TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . .230 53 48RASİBUTUR TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . .230 01 61SOYDEMİR TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 08 87ALAÇAM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .622 08 03YEŞİLIRMAK TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . .832 01 81TUR CNT TOURISM TRAVEL AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Rent A CarSAMSUN KADIOĞLU RENT A CAR . . . . . . . . .233 57 78SAMSUN YSR OTO KİRALAMA . . . . . . . . . . . .233 32 88SAMSUN YETKİN RENT A CAR . . . . . . . . . . .234 00 01

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BLACKSEA RENTACAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233 50 52DOĞAN RENTACAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .431 63 41

Festivals� Melon Watermelon Festival/Bafra . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 July

� Hıdırellez (Old Turkish Celebration of Spring)/Samsun . . . . . . 6 May

� Culture-Art and Tourism Festival . . . . . . . . 19 May - 7 August

� Tekkeköy Municipality International Cukture,

Nature and Tourism Festival/Tekkeköy . . . . . . . . 30 - 31 July

� Traditional Oil Wrestling and

Horse Racing Festival/Asarcık . . . . . . . . . . . . . In September

� 25 May Commemoration of Atatürk and

Thermal Tourism Festival / Havza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 May

� Ayvacık Nature-Water Sports-Culture Tourism and

Wrestling Festival / Ayvacık . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 September

� Akdağ Plateau Festival / Ladik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02-04 July

� Yakakent Culture, Art and

Sea Games Festival / Yakakent . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - 9 - 10 July

� Circumcision Feast / İlkadım . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 June

� Blacksea Countries Theatre Workshop/İlkadım 20 - 27 March

� Bicycle Festival / İlkadım . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 June

� Kite Festival / İlkadım. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 September

� Samsun International

Folk Dances Festival / Samsun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-30 July

� 19 Mayıs Youth Culture and

Art Festival / Samsun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-20 May

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