Culture has always played an important role in the Iives of the people of the
Trabzon region. Traditionally, it is a region where Christians and Muslims have
Iived side by side producing an atmosphere of tolerance and cultural
crossfertilisation.Today, the people of the Black Sea are renowned for their
friendliness and hospitality.
Folklore traditions are still very much alive in the Trabzon area. The folk
dances of the region, known as the ''Horon'' are renowned, and are danced by men
and women, young and old alike, at any celebration be it a wedding, or a
harvest. Each village has its own variation, and each dance has its own special
meaning, symbolising happiness, hopefulness or sorrow as the case may be. The
Horon is accompanied by traditinal music played on a type of small violin, which
has been in use since medieval times, and which has a Iively sound mirroring the
vigour and spirit of the dancers themselves. it is often accompanied by drums,
horns and shepherd's flutes.
On special occasions these dancers can still be seen performing in traditional
costume. The men are dressed in a shirt, a coat and waistcoat woven from coarse,
woolen material, with knee breaches and boots as weel as a 'hemayil', which is a
silver container decorated with an ornamental monogram dating from the time of
the Sultans. Inside the container is a religious paper to protect from the evil
spirits or 'evil eye'. The women are dressed in colourful dresses with an apron,
head scarf and brightly coloured socks. Trabzon has a fine tradition of academic
excellence beginning with the Ottoman religious seminaries andcontinued today
by the Karadeniz (Black Sea) Technical University. Founded in 1963 with the
Faculty of Engineering, the students of today can study a variety of subjects
including Oceanography.
The first Turkish newspapers, called 'Trabzon' was printed in the area in 1866,
and since then the market for newspapers, magazines and periodicals has
flourished, bearing witnees to the high Ievel of journalistic and cultural Iife
in the area. Theatre is also of great importance to the people of Trabzon with a
number of amateur and folk theatre groups providing the basis for the
founding, in 1987 , of the Trabzon State Theatre. The traditional cuisine of the area is
Iargely based around the anchovy, fished in the Black Sea, which is also of
great cultural significance. Other Iocal delicacies include cabbage soup,
'kuymak' which is a kind of pudding made from cornflour, cheese and butter, and
'pide' a type of bread.
The sporting excellence of the region should also be mentioned, and, in
particular, the success of the Iocal football team, Trabzonspor, which is the
only Turkish team, outside Istanbul, to have enjoyed substantial national and
international success. The first football clubs in the area were formed as early
as 1921 , and Trabzon currently boasts five professional clubs, including
Trabzonspor, as well as over 1 00 amateur clubs. Trabzon is renowned for its traditional handicrafts, all made from natural
materials available Iocally. Trabzon was one of the main copper minnig centres
of the Ottoman Empire, and was famous for its copper cauldrons, ewers, bowls and
buckets. The art of beaten copper still flourished today. During the 19th
century, metalwork was still of great importance to the people of Trabzon, who
worked iron and copper into items such as knives and jewellery. Filigree work is
still available and tea shears, used in the tea plantations. In this heavily
forested region, Iocal people have always used wood as their main material for
building. They also carve wooden furniture, tubs and churns for use in
cheesemaking as well as many smaller items such as baskets and spoons.
The oldest of the region's crafts is textile production. Different fabrics were
produced on the wool, Iinen and cashmere Iooms out of which were made items such
as clothes, cradle canopies, bags and saddle-bags. Cord and braid were woven on
simple floor or portable looms. Unfortunately, the textiles which used to be
produced in the villages have been abandoned as too Iabour intensive, and the
brightly coloured, embroidered stockings, once worn by the local women, have
been replaced by synthetics.
Culture has always played an important role in the Iives of the people of the
Trabzon region. Traditionally, it is a region where Christians and Muslims have
Iived side by side producing an atmosphere of tolerance and cultural
crossfertilisation.Today, the people of the Black Sea are renowned for their
friendliness and hospitality.