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TRABZON AND THE BLACK SEA REGION Turkey’s lush, humid and ubiquitously green Black Sea Coast surprises those who
imagine the country to be nothing but barren steppes. From Turkey’s European
border with Bulgaria to the Georgian border, dense pine forests cover the
mountain tops; lush vegetation and bountiful crops grow in the lower elevations
and valleys. Along the coastline, mile after mile of beautiful uncrowded beaches
offer sun, swimming and relaxation. In the springtime, delicate wild-flower
blossoms carpet especially the rolling meadows in the hills of the Eastern Black
Sea Coast. Throughout the region, fishing villages and mountain hamlets alike
preserve their indigenous and traditional wooden architectural styles. The humid
climate and fertile soil encourage the cultivation of a variety of produce,
including tea, tobacco, corn and hazelnuts.
Once called Trapezus, and later Trebizond, the modern town of Trabzon is the
major city of the region. It was founded in the 7th century B.C. by Miletian
colonists and was the center of the Comnene Empire established after the fall of
Byzantine Istanbul. The exiled Byzantine ruled until 1461, when the Ottomans
conquered the area. The restored 13th Century Byzantine church, used for
centuries as a mosque and now the Ayasofya Museum, is the jewel of Trabzon’s
monuments. Splendid frescoes, some of the finest examples of Byzantine painting,
cover every surface of the interior church walls. Several other churches were
converted to mosques, such as the Faith Mosque and the Yeni Cuma Mosque. The
Ottoman Gulbahar Mosque, a typical provincial-style building, is set in a lovely
tea garden. Wooden houses fill the old quarter in the ancient fortifications,
and it still retains the spirit of a medieval town. The house in which Ataturk
stayed has been made into a museum.
Boztepe Pork on the hills above Trabzon, offers a beautiful view of the city and
the coastline. On the western slopes of Boztepe Hill stands the Irene Tower,
built by Empress Irene of Trabzon in 1340. Just east of the city, the village of
Surmene has an impressive 19th century mansion known as the Kastel. Near
Trabzon, south of Akcaabat, lovely higland meadows - Karadag, Hidirnebi and
Erikbeli - are ideal hiking and picnicking grounds. The road inland from Trabzon
winds through spectacular mountain landscape before reaching the Zigana Tunnel,
the longest in Turkey. Nearby, Hamsikoy, a charming mountain village, has gained
a national reputation for its excellent cuisine and is also conveniently near
the Zigana Ski Center. Beautiful meadows and highland pastures are ideal sites
for outdoor activities and picnics. The traditional Kadirga Festival celebrates
the annual summer migration to the high mountain pastures.
Altindere National Park provides a magnificent setting for the 14th century
Sumela Monastry, perched on a cliff face 270 meters above a deep gorge.
Surrounded by the ruins of the monks’ dwellings, the church is covered inside
and out with brilliant frescoes. Southeast of Trabzon, Uzungol, a lovely alpine
lake surrounded by mountains and meadows, is an excellent camping, trekking and
fishing area; its restaurants make it the best place for eating river-trout.
Gumushane, on the ancient trade route between Trabzon and Iran, was once of
considerable importance. Many elegant buildings from that period still remain.
Set amid fruit groves and wild roses, the town makes a natural stopping point
between Trabzon and Erzurum.
Bayburt, the newly designated provincial capital, lies on the Silk Road. Marco
Polo and the inveterate Turkish traveler Evliya Celebi both passed through this
town. The remains of a Byzantine castle, important mosques, Turkish baths and
fascinating carved tomb stones are among Bayburt’s significant monuments.
History
Trabzon’s recorded history begins around 746 BC, when colonists originally from
Miletus came from Sinop and founded a settlement with its acropolis on the
Trapeza, or "table" of land above the harbour.
The exiled Byzantine court ruled until 1461 when Ottomans conquered the area.
The restored 13th century Byzantine church, used for centuries as a mosque and
now the Ayasofya Museum, is the jewel of Trabzon’s monuments.
Trabzon was under Persian rule until 334 B.C.upon the invasion of Anatolia by
the Macedonian leader Alexander the Great under the Persian emperor Keyhusrev.
When Alexander died in 323B.C. a major part of the Black Sea area went under the
domain of Evmenes. In 280 B.C. an independent state by the name of Pontus was
established.King Farnakes was the king of Pontus. As the kingdom
developed, Sinop became the capital city while Trabzon served as a harbour city supplying
the Pontus Kingdom with timber and products of its mines and shipyards.Upon the division of the Roman Empire into two parts, Trabzon went under the
domain of Rome with the Eastern Black Sea region. After the second half of the
1st century, Trabzon gained importance and quickly started developing. New
commercial opportunities were created in Trabzon when roads connecting Persia to
upper Mesopotamia were built during the reign of Emperor Vespasianus.
(67-79A.D.) It then became a Roman state when Emperor Arianus started to rule.
(98-117A.D.) Emperor Hadrianus helped the city and had a harbour built in his
name. A hippodrome, a theater, an inner fortress and aquaducts were built which
changed the appearance of the city.
This lasted until 258 A. D. when Goths invaded and looted the city during the
time of Emperor Valerianus. (253-260A.D.) Although the city was
reconstructed, it never gained its old beauty. It became an important religious center during
the expansion of Christianity and as a result, many churches and monasteries
were built one after another. The attacks of the Muslem Arab armies against the
region from 705 A.D. onwards affected the city to a great extent. As of 1098,
the Christian governers of Trabzon tried very hard to protect their independence
against Byzantium, but they were not successful. Emperor Justinianus I had new
fortresses built in order to defend the city and also had water brought to the
city. Stefanos, the Byzantine historian, in his books wrote about the constructional
works realized during the period of Justinianus. In the 11th century Trabzon
gained even more importance by being a military base. Anatolian Seljuks attacked
the city and it was conquered by Sultan Meliksah (1107-1116) but was taken back
by Governor Theodoros Gabras. When the Latins invaded Istanbul Alexius Komnenos,
the son od Andronikos Komnenos I fled away and came to Trabzon. Here he declared
himself the emperor. Therefore, once again the state of Pontus was established
in Trabzon. (1204-1461) Significant developments were seen while under
Komnenos’s rule. However he lost a great part of his land when he lost the
battle against David Palaiologos, the Emperor of Iznik. Emperor Andronikos I who
replaced Komnenos tried hard to regain independence from the Seljuks who were
ruling the country. He sent his ships to Sinop for looting purposes and won a
sea battle against the Seljuks. In return, Alaaddin Keykubad I surrounded the
city from both the land and the sea, but could not conquer it.
Trabzon was a vital harbour on the Erzurum-Tebriz and Black Sea-Persia trading
routes in the second half of the 13th century. Mongolians were in power in the
beginning, however the Turkomans took power later on.
The first serious Ottoman attempt to conquer Trabzon was during the time of
Emperor Kalo Ioannes IV (1447-1458). Sultan Murat II sent his fleet but was not
able to seize the city. Following the conquest of Istanbul, Emperor Kalo Ioannes
IV paid taxes to Fatih Sultan Mehmet and in the meantime incited Pope Calixos
III and Uzun Hasan against Fatih. He also permitted Byzantine families who ran
away from Istanbul to settle in his country. Fatih Sultan Mehmet sent Hizir Bey
to Trabzon. Trabzon was faced with the unexpected arrival of the Ottoman navy.
The emperor yielded by proposing to pay tax to the amount of 1000 gold pieces
per year. He sent his brother, David Komnenos, accompanied by Hizir Bey, to
Istanbul to come to an agreement. However, Fatih Sultan Mehmet increased the
amount to 3000 gold pieces per year. In the meantime the Emperor did not give up
his assaults. While he was paying taxes, he sent messengers to Akkoyunlu Uzun
Hasan proposing that he marry his daughter Katerina. He also sought a way to
make an agreement with Karamanoglu Ibrahim Bey. After the death of Emperor Kalo
Ioannes, his brother David Komnenos was crowned. He sent Katherina to Uzun
Hasan. She changed her name to Despina and played an important role in the
Akkoyunlu palace. David Komnenos decreased the amount of taxes he was paying and
also incited the people living on the lands between Caucasia and Burgond Duchy.
The ensuing riots resulted in battles, and Fatih Sultan Mehmet conquered Amasra,
Kastamonu and Sinop and reached Trabzon. Although the emperor was prepared to
accept all the conditions set forth by the Ottomans, Trabzon was conquered by
the Turks on October 26, 1461. Then Trabzon became an important center on the
eastern and central Black Sea coastal strip. Yavuz Sultan Selim prior to his
becoming the sultan, administered the city as its governor.
During World War I, Trabzon was invaded by the Russians an April 14, 1916, but
was taken back owing to the Brest-Litovsk agreement signed on February 14, 1918.
The allied states tried to establish a Pontus-Greek state, but their attempts
were hindered. Since the War of wazzu Independence, there has been peace in
Trabzon.
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