Trabzon
From Wikitravel
Trabzon (formerly Trebizond) is in the Eastern Karadeniz region of Turkey.
[edit] Get in
- By plane from Ankara or Istanbul.
- By bus from Istanbul (65 YTL, 18 hrs) Departs several times per day. There are also buses from Tbilisi, Georgia (about 12 hours) which serve as a useful point of entry to the country from Caucasus.
[edit] By Boat
- Turkish Maritime Lines used to operate two weekly ferryboats between Istanbul and various Black Sea ports. However, as of 2007, this service has been cancelled.
- There are also ferries twice a week from Sochi on Russian Black Sea coast. They coast US$ 50/pessenger.
[edit] Get around
[edit][add listing] See
- Aya Sofya Museum. A beautiful and picturesque church converted into a mosque that still has stunning frescoes within. There is a peacful open-air tea garden on the grounds. You can reach here by any Dolmus marked 'Aya Sofya', which depart from the north side of Atatürk Alani square. The ride take 5-10 mintues, and costs about 1 YTL. This should be one of your sights while in Trabzon.
- Sumela monastery, 50 km south of Trabzon. It was built on the mountainside in the 6th century. Admission is 5 YTL.
- Uzungöl, a lake up in the mountains in the east of Trabzon near Caykara.
For general tourist information, the tourist office is located one block to the east of Atatürk Alani square, down Camii Sk., just beyond Hotel Nur. The clerk speaks English very well and provides you with a wealth of information about Trabzon and its surroundings. Before doing anything in Trabzon, go to the tourist office.
- Tours of Sumela are offered by Eyce Tours [1]. A round trip to Sumela in the low season costs 15 YTL, and does not include a guide or the 5 YTL admission fee. In the high season, tours cost 12 YTL and include an English speaking guide. Eyce also offers tours to other nearby areas. Find them near Atatürk Alani, at Taksim İşhanı sk. 11. Tel (462) 3267174.
- Trabzonspor why not watch a match of the local football team, Trabzonspor, the most sucessfull team outside of Istanbul. If you are in the city on a weekend you can watch the team at the Hüseyin Avni Stadium. It's about a 20-30 minute walk west of the main square. If in doubt ask a local "Trabzonsport Stadiuymu" and they will point you in the correct direction.
[edit][add listing] Do
- Günes Sanat Galerisi (art gallery), Zigana köy (Kalkanli (App. 1 hour with bus from Trabzon eastward over the mountains towards Torul and Gümüshane.), [2]. This art gallery is made by mr Azmi Aytekin, a 73 year old painter and thinker from Zigana. He has traveled around the world, and has settled in the small village Zigana (also called Kalkanli) near the magnificent Zigana mountains. Visit his homepage for pictures. (40.6078,39.3649) edit
[edit][add listing] Buy
[edit][add listing] Eat
There are nice local meals really worth a try. Especially, pide and köfte are really famous with their taste in Turkey. Pide is kind of pizza which is made with a special bread and cheese. You can also try "kiymali" which is made with meat and served with butter.
You can find a cheep but good place near city center called "Cardak Pide Salonu"
Kuzen is also a good option: no standard kebabs but (for example) delicious wrap-like rolls filled with hot Merkez sausage... It's in Cevdet Akcay sokak next to the modernish shopping mall on the north side of Kahraman Marash Cad.
Another special taste of Trabzon is Akcaabat koftesi which is meatballs. Made with meat, garlic and bread it's very delicious with ayran(yogurt mixed with water) and piyaz (beans,lettuce). There are clean and nice places in Akcaabat town such as Nihat Usta, Keyvan, Cemil Usta, Korfez Restaurant. You can have a walk and drink tea after dinner in Akcaabat Fisher Port.
Another nice place is Harran Kebap [3], on Kahramanmaraş Caddesi, not far from the main square.
Trabzon has the best bread in the country called Vakfikebir ekmegi. Give it a try, you won't regret it.
Lahmacun ("Laa-mach-june") is a great thing to try, it's like a very thin pizza with mince meat on the top. They are cheap, healthy and taste very nice the only problem is a sophisticated oven is required to cook them so not all restaurants have them, but if they are possible they are well worth getting. You usually order an Ayran (pronounced "i-RUN") with it which is a salt youghurt drink that aids digestion.
All food in Trabzon is cooked to a high hygenic standard, and additionally most restaurants give you free hand wipes to clean your hands before and after eating food.
[edit][add listing] Drink
Try the popular pub Beer Time near the main square.
For those longing for real (European-style) coffee, Keyif Coffee & Tea Store has a huge selection of Tea (listing them by area and even Tea Estate) and first rate Cappachino (3 YTL). They are hidden within the shopping complex Canbakkal İş Merkezi, a few blocks to the west of Atatürk Alani square.
[edit][add listing] Sleep
- Hotel Nur, Iskenderpasa Mah. Cami Sokak (Next to the tourist office.They speak some English.), ☎ +90.462.323.04.45-323 04 46 (fax: +90.462.323 04 47). singles for 35 YTL (summer 2008). edit
The cheapest hotels are down from Ataturk Square towards the port, but they usually function as unofficial brothels. By European standards the area is safe, however, and the prostitutes quite discreet. Between those hotels, Hotel Erzurum was acceptable and frequented by backpackers. It's situated 100 m below the square, between Yuvam and Anil hotels. A double with a bathroom, TV and balcony costed 20 YTL (summer 2005).
[edit] Get out
- A direct bus to Doğubeyazıt leaves 10PM, arriving 10AM.
- Mid-size buses every hour from Trabzon otogar (bus station) towards Torul and Gümüşhane. Last bus in the evening: 8 PM.
- There are also long distance buses to other major Turkish destinations (e.g. Istanbul, Göreme, Sivas, Izmir etc) but it's a good idea to book these ahead of when you travel. There are many travel / ticket agent shops who can help you with this around Ataturk Alani (the main square in Trabzon).
| Routes through Trabzon |
| Akçakoca ← Samsun ← | W  E
| → Sürmene → Rize |
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