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see also karadeniz.gov.tr and kulturportali.gov.tr
Trabzon
[edit]- 1 Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya). A beautiful and picturesque church converted into a mosque and later into a museum that still has stunning frescoes within—just like its namesake in Istanbul. Museum closed for renovation, though. Nice tea garden nearby.
- 2 Boztepe tea garden. Southeast of the center, on a hill overlooking the city. Offers great views during day and night. On the hill lies the Kızlar monastery, which is being renovated to house an arts center.
- 3 Zagnos bridge & valley park. A park along the western side of the ancient walled city. With views on many historic mansions. Includes a small theater and byzantine aqueduct.
- 4 Hagia Anna (Küçük Ayvası Kilise). According to an inscription on the facade, this small basilican church was restored in the 9th century. It is possibly one of the oldest buildings in the city, dating to the 6th or 7th century. Visitors are welcomed by carvings of a soldier and a winged Nike on the spolia inserted as lintel above the entrance. In 2018 the church-building was opened for tourists.
- 5 Former Panagia Khrysokephalos (Fatih Camii). The 'Golden domed church of All Saints' was built in the 10th or 11th century on the foundations of an earlier church in the center of the walled Middle Town. The late-Roman Opus Sectile mosaic floor of the original church is one of the best preserved of its kind. A raised glass floor was constructed during a renovation in 2017, enabling visitors to study the mosaic. During the middle ages and early Renaissance the church functioned as the main cathedral of the city.
- 6 Gulbahar Hatun Mosque & Tomb (Gülbahar Hatun Camii). Gorgeous Ottoman-style mosque. Founded in 1514 by the then governor (and later Sultan) Selim, in honor of his mother.
- 7 Kaymaklı Monastery (Monastery of the All-Saviour). The Armenian monastery of the All-Saviour is in a suburb to the southeast of Boztepe. It is made up of a number of structures, which may not be accessible to visitors, as the monastery is in a state of disrepair. The interior of the church of the monastery is covered in frescoes.
More on Trabzon here
Road to Bayburt
[edit]- 8 Sümela Monastery (Sümela Manastırı). A spectacular rock-hewn monastery perched dramatically on the narrow ledge of a steep cliff in the forests south of Trabzon. The monastery is closed to visitors because of restoration works. It is unclear when the monastery will reopen again. The Hagia Varvara (St. Barbara) chapel, which lies a few dozen meters below the monastery, was restored in 2016 and is open to visitors. A video presentation with English subtitles is shown in the chapel.
- 9 Vazelon Monastery. Founded in 270 AD as one of the first Christian monasteries in the world. Now it lies ruined and abandoned but settled in a beautiful forest landscape high up in the mountains. The impressive outer walls of the monastery remain standing in large part, but the roof has collapsed entirely.
- 10 Kuştul Monastery. The Saint George Peristereota Monastery was one of the most impressive monuments of the entire Pontus, rivaling Sumela with its dramatic location on a rocky mountaintop. It is now almost completely ruined and quite difficult to reach. However, the valley beneath the monastery seems to be nice and hosts authentic fish restaurants.
- 11 Zigana Pass (Zigana Geçidi). Picturesque mountain pass on the old Silk Road. Hotel, cafe, hiking trails + Limni Lake (Limni Gölü) nearby.
- 12 Limni Lake (Limni Gölü). Mountain lake surrounded by pine trees, good area for walking.
- 13 Torul Castle (Torul Kalesi). Observation platform 240 m above the village.
- 14 Karaca Cave (Karaca Mağarası). Small cave with fascinating geological structures, open 8:30-18:30.
- 15 Kov Castle (Kov Kalesi). Impressive castle ruin on the hilltop. Not clear if the hill is easy to climb.
Bayburt and around
[edit]- 16 Bayburt Fortress (Bayburt Kalesi). Huge fortress overlooking the town, can be accessed by walk/car.
- 17 Clock Tower (Saat Kulesi). Constructed in 1923-24.
- 18 Sırakayalar Waterfall (Sırakayalar Şelalesi).
- 19 Aydıntepe Underground City (Yeraltı Şehri). Consists of galleries, vaulted rooms and larger spaces where these rooms are opened in tuff, 2-2.5 meters deep from the surface without using any other building material
- 20 Asmasu Waterfall (Asmasu Şelalesi).
Other stuff around Trabzon
[edit]- 21 Uzungöl lake & town (Uzungöl or 'Saraho'). A lake up in the mountains at an altitude of 1090 m. A great number of broken rocks from the slopes filled up Haldizen stream and Uzungöl was formed in this way. The lake is 1000 m long, 500 m in width and 15 m in depth. It is surrounded by forests. Uzungöl has an interesting view reminding of Alps and Switzerland but with mosques all around. There are some facilities such as bungalows and some establishments which rear trout. The closest summer settlements are on the yaylas 1 Karester and 2 Lustra, just south of Uzungöl. These hamlets offer great views on the valley and are a bit less touristy than the town below.
- 22 Sultan Murat Mosque. Modern mosque located at a high altitude well above the forests. Could be the point to head for and enjoy the views of the surrounding.
- 23 Çal Caves (Çal Mağarası), Çal, Düzköy. A large set of caves with waterfalls.
- 24 Arakli Os Waterfall (Arakli Os Şelalesi).
- 25 Kalecik Castle (Kalecik Kalesi). Castle ruins overlooking the sea.
- 26 Akcakale Castle (Akçakale Kalesi). More castle ruins above the sea
see also homeoftrabzon.com
Giresun and around
[edit]- 27 Archeology museum. Located inside the former St. Nicholas church, open 8-16:30.
- 28 Giresun Castle (Giresun Calesi). Wooded area of the former castle on the hill above the city.
- 29 Tripolis Castle (Tirebolu Kalesi). Small castle located on a peninsula. There is a small chapel called Meryemana Church and the remains of a masjid.
- 30 Beşikdağ Tabiat Parkı. Cable car, good sea views, trails for walking. Exact location unclear.
- 31 Espiye Urban Forest (Espiye Kent Ormanı). Accessible by road, good view on the sea coast and seaside villages.
- 32 Kuzalan waterfalls. Accessible by road, good view on the sea coast and seaside villages.
Ordu and around
[edit]- 33 Boztepe. Observation point above the city of Ordu.
- 34 Yoroz. Excellent observation point, breathtaking view.
- 35 Kurul Castle (Kurul Kalesi). Impressive ruins with good views of the mountains. First archaeological site in the North. Recently, the Kybele sculpture was found here.
- 36 Ohtamış Waterfall (Ohtamış Şelalesi). One of the largest waterfalls in the area.
- 37 Kupkaya Canyon (Küpkaya Kanyonu).
- 38 Yason church. Cape where presumably Jason and argonauts landed. Jason’s church (more like a small chapel) A stone building, even some gravestones are used during the construction.
- 39 Ünye, Çakırtepe. Hilltop view of the town.