The Black Sea region is defined by lush green mountain ranges and picturesque
beach areas. It is the understated black pearl of Turkey. Even a walk on a rainy
day cannot spoil its charms. Extending along the entire northern border of the
country, from the east of Istanbul to the tip of the Georgian border of the
former Soviet Union, the Black Sea is Turkey's understated and beautiful black
pearl, which is often overlooked by foreign visitors. One major stopping point in the Black Sea region is Trabzon. Founded by
Milesians and Arcadians, who colonized the eastern shores of the Black Sea in
746 B.C., the area was known then as the Euxine, where Jason sought his Golden
Fleece. Trabzon, considered the jewel of Turkey's Black Sea coast, is situated
in the foothills of the Pontic Alps overlooking the sea and has long intrigued
the likes of Marco Polo with its history of exotic customs and fairy-tale
architecture.
When Constantinople fell to the armies of the Fourth Crusade in 1204, the
Byzantine royalty fled to Trabzon. Trabzon is the site of the Church of the
Ayasofya (Divine Wisdom), which stands on a cliff overlooking the sea. Much
smaller than the structure of the same name in Istanbul, the church has some of
the most beautiful frescoes in Turkey. Besides Trabzon's historic interest, its
people are among the most interesting in Turkey. The Pontic Alps, with their
charming chalets and bursting flower boxes, are another reason to visit the
Euxine. As you drive east along the Black Sea coast road, mountains rise higher,
and closer to the sea, becoming more picturesque as you go. In the Alps, 30
minutes outside of Trabzon, lies another great Byzantine monument, Sumela
Monastery.
Sumela's seven-story edifice hangs from the edge of a 1,000-foot cliff. A
well-maintained stairway leads up the cliff face, with plenty of rest tops along
the way Built in the fourth century, the monastery was home to some of the
greatest thinkers in the Orthodox Church. The monastery was destroyed by fire
and abandoned in 1923.
One of the best ways to get to Trabzon is by car and the best way to drive to
the Black Sea is via a small picturesque town called Safranbolu. Set along a
winding river that runs through a steep ravine, Safranbolu is a photographer's
delight. The historic homes of Safranbolu are known as a konak, (multi-storied
18th and 19th century wooden townhouse of the Ottoman upper classes).
Early Wednesdays and Saturdays, an outdoor market fills the town with country
folk, many in traditional Turkish garb. The drive through the mountains is
marvelous with its vistas of pine and poplar forests and meadows of grazing
sheep.
The Black Sea region is defined by lush green mountain ranges and picturesque
beach areas. It is the understated black pearl of Turkey. Even a walk on a rainy
day cannot spoil its charms. Extending along the entire northern border of the
country, from the east of Istanbul to the tip of the Georgian border of the
former Soviet Union, the Black Sea is Turkey's understated and beautiful black
pearl, which is often overlooked by foreign visitors. One major stopping point in the Black Sea region is Trabzon. Founded by
Milesians and Arcadians, who colonized the eastern shores of the Black Sea in
746 B.C., the area was known then as the Euxine, where Jason sought his Golden
Fleece. Trabzon, considered the jewel of Turkey's Black Sea coast, is situated
in the foothills of the Pontic Alps overlooking the sea and has long intrigued
the likes of Marco Polo with its history of exotic customs and fairy-tale
architecture.