The shores of Samsun, a vast land suffering under occupation, with a great history, were awaiting the men who would come from the sea and light the fire of freedom. The year was 1919, the month: May…

With the first light of the day the ship on the horizon sent its passengers off towards the coast on open boats, a blonde, blue-eyed man amongst them … The piercing gaze of his eyes seemed to blend with the blue waters of the Black Sea... These were the men who would come from the sea, taking the first steps of a long, long walk.

Samsun is a big city in the Central Black Sea Region located between the Kızılırmak and the Yeşilırmak, our country’s longest rivers.  It is not known exactly when or how it was founded although the first human traces were found in the cave-castle settlements of Tekkeköy dating back to the Palaeolithic Age. 

Falling under the rule of Melik Danışment Gazi and his principality during the period when Turkish tribes began to come to Anatolia, Samsun was added to the Ottoman domains by Sultan Çelebi Mehmet in 1413 and later in 1427 it was marked on maps as Canik.

The Kızılırmak basin shelters many pre-historic assets in its unique environment. Asar Castle, thought to be dated to around 1000s B.C., and Paphlagonia Rock Tombs are just the two such examples.  

During the excavations carried out around Samsun and the work continuing in the Baruthane Tumulus, many artefacts were brought to light which are exhibited in the Samsun Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography. Invaluable findings unearthed at the excavations of the ancient city of Amisos in 1995 are also among the unique items on display in the museum. 

As well as its historical heritage which formed a cradle for the young Republic of Turkey, Samsun has many natural riches. These include its vibrant green forests and plateaux, a long coastline with unique sand, and the Kızılırmak and Yeşilırmak rivers. It is known too for its, thermal waters, especially the Havza Thermal Springs, and for the Kızılırmak basin which shelters approximately 320 bird species, and the Ladik District offering many tourism activities. 

Thanks to its landscape, Samsun also provides great opportunities for sporting activities such as paragliding, water sports and trekking.

If you want to take a deep breath of our history and to appreciate the myriad hues of green and blue which its unique landscape offers, visit Samsun, the gateway to the Black Sea Region.