Trabzon

Trabzon is the biggest port on the eastern Black Sea coast of Turkey. The city was originally settled in the 8th century B.C. by colonists from Miletus who named it Trapezus. In 400 B.C., Xenophon and his mercenaries reached Trapezus as mentioned in the Anabasis. The city reached its zenith when Alexius Comnenus took control in 1204 after the crusader invasion of Constantinople. The rulers balanced their position between Selcuks, Mongols, and the Genoese. Their position, cut off from the interior by high mountains, kept them sheltered.

The city also had importance to the Ottoman Empire. Mehmet the Conqueror added the city to Ottoman territory in 1461 and Suleyman the Magnificent, a very important Ottoman, was born here. Trabzon continued to be an active commercial center until the newly constructed railroad between Erzurum and Ankara ended the city’s economic importance.

Two of the main reasons to visit Trabzon are the medieval church of Aya Sofya and the Byzantine Sumela Monastery. Aya Sofya Museum is a classic 13th century church, which houses some fine Byzantine paintings. The Sumela Monastery, situated on a cliff in the deep forest, is a seven-story building dating from the 12th century. A good number of fresco examples can be seen here.

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