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Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos (
Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...
: Αμισός), is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
on the north coast of
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
and is a major
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
. In 2021, Samsun recorded a population of 710,000 people. The city is the provincial capital of
Samsun Province Samsun Province ( tr, Samsun ili) is a Provinces of Turkey, province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast with a population of 1,252,693 (2010). Its adjacent provinces are Sinop Province, Sinop on the northwest, Çorum Province, Çorum on the west, A ...
which has a population of 1,356,079. The city is home to
Ondokuz Mayıs University Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) is a major state university founded in 1975 in Samsun, Turkey. The university bears the name “19 May”, which marks the date when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, came to Samsun in or ...
, several hospitals, three large shopping malls,
Samsunspor Samsunspor is a Turkish professional Association football, football club located in the city of Samsun. The club was formed through a merger of five clubs: 19 Mayıs, Akınspor, Fener Gençlik, Samsunspor, and Samsunspor Galatasaray.
football club, an opera and a large and modern manufacturing district. A former
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
settlement, the city is best known as the place where
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...
began the
Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...
in 1919.


Name

The present name of the city is believed to have come from its former Greek name of () by a
reinterpretation Musical phrasing is the method by which a musician shapes a sequence of notes in a passage of music to allow expression, much like when speaking English a phrase may be written identically but may be spoken differently, and is named for the in ...
of (meaning "to Amisós") and (Greek suffix for place names) to (: ) and then Samsun (). The early Greek historian Hecataeus wrote that Amisos was formerly called '' Enete'', the place mentioned in Homer's ''
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...
''. In Book II, Homer says that the ''ἐνετοί'' (Enetoi) inhabited
Paphlagonia Paphlagonia (; el, Παφλαγονία, Paphlagonía, modern translit. ''Paflagonía''; tr, Paflagonya) was an ancient region on the Black Sea coast of north-central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus to the east, and s ...
on the southern coast of the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
in the time of the
Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...
(c. 1200 BC). The Paphlagonians are listed among the allies of the
Trojans Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * '' Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...
in the war, where their king
Pylaemenes In Greek mythology, Pylaemenes (Ancient Greek: Πυλαιμένης) may refer to two distinct characters: * Pylaemenes, king of the Eneti tribe of Paphlagonia. He claimed to be related to Priam through Phineus, as the latter's daughter Olizone ...
and his son
Harpalion In Greek mythology, the name Harpalion (Ancient Greek: Ἁρπαλίων) may refer to: *Harpalion of Lemnos, a wine-grower, father of the Maenad Alcimacheia. *Harpalion, son of Pylaemenes, killed by Meriones in the Trojan War. *Harpalion, son of ...
perished.Homer, ''Iliad''
online version
at classics.mit.edu, accessed on 2009-08-18. Book II: "The Paphlagonians were commanded by stout-hearted Pylaemanes from Enetae, where the mules run wild in herds. These were they that held
Cytorus Cytorus (Greek Κύτωρος, Kytoros; also Cytorum, Κύτωρον, Kytoron and Κύτωρις) was an ancient Greek city on the northern coast of Asia Minor. Mentioned by Homer, Cytorus survives in the name of Gideros, which is both * a ba ...
and the country round
Sesamus Amasra (from Greek Amastris Ἄμαστρις, ''gen''. Ἀμάστριδος) is a small Black Sea port town in the Bartın Province, Turkey, formerly known as Amastris. The town today is much appreciated for its beaches and natural setting, ...
, with the cities by the river Parthenius, Cromna, Aegialus, and lofty Erithini."
Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
mentioned that the inhabitants had disappeared by his time. Samsun has also been known as ''Peiraieos'' by Athenian settlers and even briefly as ''Pompeiopolis'' by Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. The city was called ''Simisso'' by the Genoese. It was during the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, that its present name was written as ota, صامسون (''Ṣāmsūn''). The city has been known as Samsun since the formation of the
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
in 1923.


History


Ancient history

Paleolithic artifacts found in the
Tekkeköy Tekkeköy is a district of Samsun Province in Turkey located on the western side of the Çarşamba Plain. The Mayor of Tekkeköy Municipality is Hasan Togar. Agriculture and animal breeding are the main sources of income. Black Sea Copper Works ...
Caves can be seen in Samsun Archaeology Museum. The earliest layer excavated of the höyük of Dündartepe revealed a
Chalcolithic The Copper Age, also called the Chalcolithic (; from grc-gre, χαλκός ''khalkós'', "copper" and  ''líthos'', "stone") or (A)eneolithic (from Latin '' aeneus'' "of copper"), is an archaeological period characterized by regular ...
settlement. Early
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
and Hittite settlements were also found there and at Tekkeköy. Samsun (then known as Amisos, Greek Αμισός, alternative spelling ''Amisus'') was settled in about 760–750 BC by Ionians from
Miletus Miletus (; gr, Μῑ́λητος, Mī́lētos; Hittite transcription ''Millawanda'' or ''Milawata'' (exonyms); la, Mīlētus; tr, Milet) was an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia, near the mouth of the Maeander River in a ...
, who established a flourishing trade relationship with the ancient peoples of
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
. The city's ideal combination of fertile ground and shallow waters attracted numerous traders. Amisus was settled by the Ionian Milesians in the 6th century BC,Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 3. it is believed that there was significant Greek activity along the coast of the Black Sea, although the archaeological evidence for this is very fragmentary. The only archaeological evidence we have as early as the 6th century is a fragment of Wild Goat style Greek pottery, in the Louvre. The city was captured by the Persians in 550 BC and became part of
Cappadocia (satrapy) Cappadocia (from Old Persian 𐎣𐎫𐎱𐎬𐎢𐎣 ''Katpatuka'') was a satrapy (province) of the Achaemenid Empire located in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). It was used by the Achaemenids to administer the regions beyond the Taurus Mountains a ...
. In the 5th century BC, Amisus became a free state and one of the members of the
Delian League The Delian League, founded in 478 BC, was an association of Greek city-states, numbering between 150 and 330, under the leadership of Athens, whose purpose was to continue fighting the Persian Empire after the Greek victory in the Battle of Pl ...
led by the Athenians;Wilson, M. W. "Cities of God in Northern Asia Minor: Using Stark's Social Theories to Reconstruct Peter's Communities". Verbum et Ecclesia 32 (1). p. 4. it was then renamed Peiraeus under
Pericles Pericles (; grc-gre, Περικλῆς; c. 495 – 429 BC) was a Greek politician and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Pelopo ...
. Starting the 3rd century BC the city came under the control of Mithridates I, later founder of the
Kingdom of Pontus Pontus ( grc-gre, Πόντος ) was a Hellenistic kingdom centered in the historical region of Pontus and ruled by the Mithridatic dynasty (of Persian origin), which possibly may have been directly related to Darius the Great of the Achaemeni ...
. The Amisos treasure may have belonged to one of the kings. Tumuli, containing tombs dated between 300 BC and 30 BC, can be seen at Amisos Hill but unfortunately Toraman Tepe was mostly flattened during construction of the 20th century radar base. The Romans conquered Amisus in 71 BC during the
Third Mithridatic War The Third Mithridatic War (73–63 BC), the last and longest of the three Mithridatic Wars, was fought between Mithridates VI of Pontus and the Roman Republic. Both sides were joined by a great number of allies dragging the entire east of the ...
. and Amisus became part of
Bithynia et Pontus Bithynia and Pontus ( la, Provincia Bithynia et Pontus, Ancient Greek ) was the name of a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire on the Black Sea coast of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). It was formed during the late Roman Republic by the ama ...
province. Around 46 BC, during the reign of Julius Caesar, Amisus became the capital of Roman Pontus. From the period of the Second Triumvirate up to Nero, Pontus was ruled by several client kings, as well as one client queen,
Pythodorida of Pontus Pythodorida or Pythodoris of Pontus ( el, Πυθοδωρίδα or Πυθοδωρίς, 30 BC or 29 BC – 38) was a Roman client queen of Pontus, the Bosporan Kingdom, Cilicia, and Cappadocia. Origins and early life Pythodorida is also known as ...
, a granddaughter of Marcus Antonius. From 62 CE it was directly ruled by Roman governors, most famously by Trajan's appointee Pliny. Pliny the Younger's address to the
Emperor Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
in the 1st century CE "By your indulgence, sir, they have the benefit of their own laws," is interpreted by John Boyle Orrery to indicate that the freedoms won for those in Pontus by the Romans was not pure freedom and depended on the generosity of the Roman emperor.Orrery, J. B. (1752). "The Letters of Pliny the Younger: With Observations on Each Letter; and an Essay on Pliny's Life, Addressed to Charles Lord Boyle". The 3rd ed. London: Printed by James Bettenham, for Paul Vaillant. p. 407. The estimated population of the city around 150 AD is between 20,000 and 25,000 people, classifying it as a relatively large city for that time. The city functioned as the commercial capital for the province of Pontus; beating its rival Sinope (now Sinop) due to its position at the head of the trans-Anatolia highway. In
Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...
, the city became part of the Dioecesis Pontica within the eastern
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediterr ...
; later still it was part of the
Armeniac Theme The Armeniac Theme ( el, , ''Armeniakoi hema'), more properly the Theme of the Armeniacs (Greek: , ''thema Armeniakōi'') was a Byzantine theme (a military-civilian province) located in northeastern Asia Minor (modern Turkey). History The Armen ...
.
Samsun Castle Samsun Castle was a castle in Samsun, Turkey. Built on the seaside in 1092, it was demolished between 1909 and 1918. History The castle was built near the Black Sea coast by Danishmends in 1092 after they were unable to capture the Amisos Castle ...
was built on the seaside in 1192, it was demolished between 1909 and 1918.


Early Christianity

Though the roots of the city are
Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
, it was also one of the centers of an early Christian congregation. Its function as a commercial metropolis in northern
Asia Minor Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
was a contributing factor to enable the spread of Christian influence. As a large port city – the commercial capital of Pontus – travel to and from Christian hotbeds like Jerusalem was not uncommon. According to
Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for ''The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly d ...
, there was large Jewish
diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
in Asia Minor.Schalit, A. "Asia Minor." ''Encyclopedia Judaica''. Accessed 11 March 2015. Given that the early evangelist Christians focused on Jewish diaspora communities, and that the Jewish diaspora in Amisus was a geographically accessible group with a mixed heritage group, it is not surprising that Amisus would be an appealing site for evangelist work. The author o
1 Peter 1:1
addresses the Jewish diaspora of the province of Pontus, along with four other provinces: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia." (Peter 1:1) As Amisus would have been the largest commercial port-city in the province, it is believed certain that the spread of Christianity in the region would have begun there. In the 1st century
Pliny the Younger Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo (61 – c. 113), better known as Pliny the Younger (), was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate ...
document
accounts
of Christians in and around the cities of Pontus. His accounts center on his conflicts with the Christians when he served under the
Emperor Trajan Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
and describe early Christian communities, his condemnation of their refusal to renounce their religion, but also describes his tolerance for some Christian practices like Christian charitable societies. Many great early Christian figures had connections to Amisus, including
Caesarea Mazaca Caesarea ( /ˌsɛzəˈriːə, ˌsɛsəˈriːə, ˌsiːzəˈriːə/; el, Καισάρεια, Kaisareia) also known historically as Mazaca ( el, Μάζακα) was an ancient city in what is now Kayseri, Turkey. In Hellenistic and Roman times, the ...
,
Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( Classical hy, Գրիգոր Լուսաւորիչ, reformed: Գրիգոր Լուսավորիչ, ''Grigor Lusavorich'';, ''Gregorios Phoster'' or , ''Gregorios Photistes''; la, Gregorius Armeniae Illuminator, cu, Svyas ...
(raised as a Christian from 257 CE when he was brought to Amisus) and
Basil the Great Basil of Caesarea, also called Saint Basil the Great ( grc, Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, ''Hágios Basíleios ho Mégas''; cop, Ⲡⲓⲁⲅⲓⲟⲥ Ⲃⲁⲥⲓⲗⲓⲟⲥ; 330 – January 1 or 2, 379), was a bishop of Ca ...
(Bishop of the city 330–379 CE). Christian bishops of Amisus include Antonius, who took part in the
Council of Chalcedon The Council of Chalcedon (; la, Concilium Chalcedonense), ''Synodos tēs Chalkēdonos'' was the fourth ecumenical council of the Christian Church. It was convoked by the Roman emperor Marcian. The council convened in the city of Chalcedon, Bith ...
in 451; Erythraeus, a signatory of the letter that the bishops of Helenopontus wrote to Emperor
Leo I the Thracian Leo I (; 401 – 18 January 474), also known as "the Thracian" ( la, Thrax; grc-gre, ο Θραξ),; grc-gre, Μακέλλης), referencing the murder of Aspar and his son. was Eastern Roman emperor from 457 to 474. He was a native of Dacia A ...
after the killing of Patriarch
Proterius of Alexandria Hieromartyr Proterius of Alexandria (died 457) was Patriarch of Alexandria from 451 to 457. He had been appointed by the Council of Chalcedon to replace the deposed Dioscorus. History Proterius was elected by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 t ...
; the late 6th-century bishop Florus, venerated as a saint in the Greek
menologion Menologium (), also written menology, and menologe, is a service-book used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite. From its derivation from Greek , ''menológion'', from μήν ''m ...
; and Tiberius, who attended the
Third Council of Constantinople The Third Council of Constantinople, counted as the Sixth Ecumenical Council by the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches, as well by certain other Western Churches, met in 680–681 and condemned monoenergism and monothelitism as heretical ...
(680), Leo, the
Second Council of Nicaea The Second Council of Nicaea is recognized as the last of the first seven ecumenical councils by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. In addition, it is also recognized as such by the Old Catholics, the Anglican Communion, an ...
(787), and Basilius, the Council of Constantinople of 879. The diocese is no longer mentioned in the Greek
Notitiae Episcopatuum The ''Notitiae Episcopatuum'' (singular: ''Notitia Episcopatuum'') are official documents that furnish Eastern countries the list and hierarchical rank of the metropolitan and suffragan bishoprics of a church. In the Roman Church (the -mostly Lat ...
after the 15th century and thereafter the city was considered part of the see of Amasea. However, some Greek bishops of the 18th and 19th centuries bore the title of Amisus as
titular bishop A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese. By definition, a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop, the tradition of the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox an ...
s. In the 13th century the
Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...
had a convent at Amisus, which became a
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
bishopric some time before 1345, when its bishop Paulus was transferred to the recently conquered city of
Smyrna Smyrna ( ; grc, Σμύρνη, Smýrnē, or , ) was a Greek city located at a strategic point on the Aegean coast of Anatolia. Due to its advantageous port conditions, its ease of defence, and its good inland connections, Smyrna rose to promi ...
and was replaced by the Dominican Benedict, who was followed by an Italian Armenian called Thomas. No longer a residential diocese, it is today listed by the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
as a
titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...
.


Medieval history

Samsun was part of the
Seljuk Empire The Great Seljuk Empire, or the Seljuk Empire was a high medieval, culturally Turco-Persian tradition, Turko-Persian, Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, founded and ruled by the Qiniq (tribe), Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. It spanned a total are ...
, the
Sultanate of Rum fa, سلجوقیان روم () , status = , government_type = Hereditary monarchyTriarchy (1249–1254)Diarchy (1257–1262) , year_start = 1077 , year_end = 1308 , p1 = By ...
, the
Empire of Trebizond The Empire of Trebizond, or Trapezuntine Empire, was a monarchy and one of three successor rump states of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Despotate of the Morea and the Principality of Theodoro, that flourished during the 13th through to t ...
, and was one of the
Genoese colonies The colonies of the Republic of Genoa were a series of economic and trade posts in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Some of them had been established directly under the patronage of the republican authorities to support the economy of the local ...
. After the breakup of the Seljuk Empire into small principalities (beyliks) in the late 13th century, the city was ruled by one of them, the
Isfendiyarids The Isfendiyarids or Isfendiyarid dynasty (Modern Turkish: ''İsfendiyaroğulları'', ''İsfendiyaroğulları Beyliği''), also known as the Beylik of Sinop, Beylik of Isfendiyar (''İsfendiyar Beyliği''), Jandarids or Beylik of Jandar (''Cand ...
. It was captured from the Isfendiyarids at the end of the 14th century by the rival Ottoman beylik (later the
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
) under sultan
Bayezid I Bayezid I ( ota, بايزيد اول, tr, I. Bayezid), also known as Bayezid the Thunderbolt ( ota, link=no, یلدیرم بايزيد, tr, Yıldırım Bayezid, link=no; – 8 March 1403) was the Ottoman Sultan from 1389 to 1402. He adopted ...
, but was lost again shortly afterwards. The Ottomans permanently conquered the town in the weeks following 11 August 1420. In the later Ottoman period, it became part of the
Sanjak Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian language, Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian language, Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησι ...
of
Canik Canik is one of the main municipalities in Samsun, Turkey, located at the east of the city center. The municipality had 89,753 inhabitants as of the 2009 census. Canik means land of Tzan/Can Laz people and became one of the four town municipaliti ...
( tr, Canik Sancağı), which was at first part of the
Rûm Eyalet Eyalet of Rûm ( ota, ایالت روم; ; originally Arabic for Eastern Roman Empire), later named as the Eyalet of Sivas ( ota, ایالت سیواس; ), was an Ottoman eyalet in northern Anatolia, founded following Bayezid I's conquest of t ...
. The land around the town mainly produced
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
, with its own type being grown in Samsun, the Samsun-Bafra, which the British described as having "small but very aromatic leaves", and commanding a "high price." The town was connected to the railway system in the second half of the 19th century, and tobacco trade boomed. There was a British consulate in the town from 1837 to 1863. Samsun, then home to an Armenian community numbering over 5,000, was heavily affected during the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was ...
of 1915, the last Armenian Zoroastrians – the ''Arewordik'', or children of the sun, lived there. According to local eyewitnesses, such as
Hafiz Mehmet Hafiz () or Hafez may refer to: * Hafiz (Quran), a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Qur'an ** ''Al-Ḥafīẓ'', one of the names of God in Islam, meaning "the Ever-Preserving/ Guardian/ All-Watching/ Protector" ...
, many of the Samsun Armenians were drowned in the Black Sea. Others were deported from Samsun and ultimately massacred in provinces further south. After the Armenian Genocide, there remained eleven Islamized Armenians and two Armenian physicians. Armenian orphans who had survived were given to Turkish families. The depopulation of the region of its
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
residents caused significant economic harm.


Modern history

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, or Mustafa Kemal Pasha until 1921, and Ghazi Mustafa Kemal from 1921 Surname Law (Turkey), until 1934 ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish Mareşal (Turkey), field marshal, Turkish National Movement, re ...
established the
Turkish national movement The Turkish National Movement ( tr, Türk Ulusal Hareketi) encompasses the political and military activities of the Turkish revolutionaries that resulted in the creation and shaping of the modern Republic of Turkey, as a consequence of the defe ...
against the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
in Samsun on May 19, 1919, the date which traditionally marks the beginning of the
Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...
. Atatürk, appointed by the Ottoman government as Inspector of the Ninth Army Troops Inspectorate of the Empire in eastern
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
, left Constantinople aboard the now-famous on May 16 for Samsun. Instead of obeying the orders of the Ottoman government, then under the control of the occupying Allies, he and a number of colleagues declared the beginning of the Turkish national movement. As a result of this, the Greek population of Samsun was subject to looting, massacre, and deportation by Turkish irregular groups, as noted by representatives of the American Near East Relief. However these groups could not operate freely in Samsun as they did in adjacent region of
Merzifon Merzifon ( hy, Մարզուան, Marzvan, Middle Persian: ; grc, Μερσυφὼν, Mersyphòn, el, Μερζιφούντα, Merzifounta) is a town and district in Amasya Province in the central Black Sea region of Turkey. It covers an area of , ...
and Bafra due to the presence of the Allied fleet. The Turkish National Movement became alarmed due to the presence of Greek warships in the vicinity of Samsun and undertook the
deportation Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
which entailed the deportation of 21,000 local Greeks to the interior of Anatolia. Later, in early June 1922, the city was bombarded by the Allied navy. By 1920, Samsun's population totaled about 36,000, though this figure declined due to the impacts of war and deportations. After the establishment of the Republic, Samsun was declared a province with five districts Bafra,
Çarşamba Çarşamba is a town and district (ilçe) of Samsun Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey, in the center of the Çarşamba Plain. It is the second largest district of the Samsun province after Bafra. The mayor is Halit Doğan ( AKP). Ferhan ...
,
Havza Havza is a district of Samsun Province of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia ...
,
Terme Terme (formerly spelled ''Termeh''; Ancient Greek: Thèrmae, Θέρμαι) is the seat of Terme District, Samsun Province, Turkey. Terme is located on Terme River, about 5 km from its mouth, on the eastern end of the Çarşamba Plain. Term ...
and
Vezirköprü Vezirköprü is a district of Samsun Province of Turkey. It is named after the Ottoman Albanian grand vizier Köprülü Mehmed Pasha. History At the breakup of Alexander the Great's empire the Vezirköprü region became part of the kingdom of P ...
. Samsun added additional districts in later years. In 1928, Ladik was established as a district. In 1934, district was Kavak was established followed by Alaçam in 1944 which brought the number of districts in
Samsun Province Samsun Province ( tr, Samsun ili) is a Provinces of Turkey, province of Turkey on the Black Sea coast with a population of 1,252,693 (2010). Its adjacent provinces are Sinop Province, Sinop on the northwest, Çorum Province, Çorum on the west, A ...
to eight. With the law number 3392 adopted on 19 June 1983 Salıpazarı, Asarcık,
Ondokuzmayıs Ondokuzmayıs is a district of Samsun Province of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Wes ...
and
Tekkeköy Tekkeköy is a district of Samsun Province in Turkey located on the western side of the Çarşamba Plain. The Mayor of Tekkeköy Municipality is Hasan Togar. Agriculture and animal breeding are the main sources of income. Black Sea Copper Works ...
districts were established. With the law number 3644 adopted on 9 May 1990, Ayvacık and
Yakakent Yakakent is the central town of Yakakent district in Samsun Province of Turkey, located on the Black Sea coast. Sister cities Yakakent has one sister city: * Kushimoto (Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is ...
two more districts were established. Samsun entered into a period of economic and population recovery in the years after the establishment of the Republic and quickly restored its status as a vital
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
port for Turkey. Reconstruction of Samsun began quickly after the establishment of the
Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. In 1929, the region's first electric power plant began operations. Railway access to the city was established in the early 1950s with service to
Sivas Sivas (Latin and Greek: ''Sebastia'', ''Sebastea'', Σεβάστεια, Σεβαστή, ) is a city in central Turkey and the seat of Sivas Province. The city, which lies at an elevation of in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak river, is a ...
and
Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
. Major investments in the regions road network were made beginning in the 1960s. In 1975, per law No. 1873,
Ondokuz Mayıs University Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) is a major state university founded in 1975 in Samsun, Turkey. The university bears the name “19 May”, which marks the date when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, came to Samsun in or ...
was established in neighboring
Atakum Atakum is a central district in Samsun, Turkey. Its population was 210,082 as of 2020. Atakum is a largely middle class suburban district located to the west of the primary city of Samsun and further suburban Ondokuzmayıs. The city's population ex ...
. The construction of the university was a major development to the region, bringing a highly regarded and well-funded educational institution and state hospital to Samsun. The region was connect by air in 1998 with the construction of
Samsun-Çarşamba Airport Samsun Çarşamba Airport ( tr, Samsun Çarşamba Havalimanı) is a public airport in Samsun, Turkey. Opened in 1998, it is 23 km from Samsun Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos (Ancient Greek: Α ...
23 km east of the city center. The airport is primarily serviced by
Turkish Airlines Turkish Airlines ( Turkish: ''Türk Hava Yolları'') is the national flag carrier airline of Turkey. , it operates scheduled services to 340 destinations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, making it the largest mainline carrier in the w ...
with service to
Istanbul Airport Istanbul Airport ( tr, İstanbul Havalimanı, ) is the main international airport serving Istanbul, Turkey. It is located in the Arnavutköy (district), Arnavutköy district on the European side of the city. All scheduled Commercial aviation, ...
and
Ankara Esenboğa Airport Ankara Esenboğa Airport ( tr, Ankara Esenboğa Havalimanı) is the international airport of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It has been operating since 1955. In 2017, the airport has served more than 15 million passengers in total, 13 mill ...
but also has international service to
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. In 2008, the Metropolitan Municipality opened the 36.5 km
Samsun Tram The Samsun Light Rail Transit System (Samsun Tramway) is a light rail transit system located in Samsun and Atakum, Turkey. The 36.5 km Samsun Tramway connects Ondokuz Mayıs University to Samsun Stadium. The system was constructed in three ...
network which connects
Ondokuz Mayıs University Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) is a major state university founded in 1975 in Samsun, Turkey. The university bears the name “19 May”, which marks the date when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, came to Samsun in or ...
to
Samsun Stadium Samsun Stadium, officially the new Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium, is a football stadium in Tekkeköy, Samsun, Turkey. It was opened in 2017 with a seating capacity of 33,919 spectators. It is the new home ground of Samsunspor which plays in the TFF F ...
. In 1993, Samsun was established as a metropolitan municipality by decree of the national government in
Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
. The decree further enhanced Samsun's status as one of Turkey's largest and most important cities. As Samsun grew, as did its environs. Neighboring Atakum, a suburb to the west of the city center was established in 2008 with the merger of Atakent, Kurupelit, Altınkum, Çatalçam and Taflan towns into one municipality.
Atakum Atakum is a central district in Samsun, Turkey. Its population was 210,082 as of 2020. Atakum is a largely middle class suburban district located to the west of the primary city of Samsun and further suburban Ondokuzmayıs. The city's population ex ...
in recent years has become a bedroom community to Samsun and home to much of the region's professional class. Multiple other large developments have further established Samsun as a major urban center. In 2013,
Piazza Samsun Piazza Samsun is a shopping mall located on Çarşamba Caddesi in Samsun, Turkey. It serves the Samsun area and is also the Central Black Sea's premier shopping Center and Largest Mall with 160 stores. Piazza Samsun was completed in 2013 by the R ...
a 160 store shopping mall, the largest in the Central Black Sea region, opened in the city center. The opening of the mall was followed by the construction of 115 m tall Sheraton Hotel Samsun. Now the second tallest building in the region, the hotel at the time was the first building in Samsun's history to stand more than 100 m. In 2017,
Samsunspor Samsunspor is a Turkish professional Association football, football club located in the city of Samsun. The club was formed through a merger of five clubs: 19 Mayıs, Akınspor, Fener Gençlik, Samsunspor, and Samsunspor Galatasaray.
opened a new 30,000 person stadium in
Tekkeköy Tekkeköy is a district of Samsun Province in Turkey located on the western side of the Çarşamba Plain. The Mayor of Tekkeköy Municipality is Hasan Togar. Agriculture and animal breeding are the main sources of income. Black Sea Copper Works ...
. Gökdelen Towers is now the tallest building in the Samsun region and representative of a recent trend towards high-rise residential housing. Under the leadership of Metropolitan Mayor
Mustafa Demir Mustafa Demir ( b 18 January 1961) is a Turkish politician, a member of parliament, the former Minister of Public Works and Housing under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the founder and former chairman of the ruling AK Party's Samsun ...
, the Samsun regional government has undertaken several major transportation and housing development projects in the city center. Projects include the restoration of the Mert River, the construction of the new National Garden, the restoration of Tarihi Şifa Hamamı and the construction of Samsun Saathane Square.


Geography

Samsun is a long city which extends along the coast between two river deltas which jut into the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
. It is located at the end of an ancient route from
Cappadocia Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Revo ...
: the ''Amisos'' of antiquity lay on the headland northwest of the modern city center. The city is growing fast: land has been reclaimed from the sea and many more apartment blocks and shopping malls are currently being built. Industry is tending to move (or be moved) east, further away from the city center and towards the airport.


Rivers

To Samsun's west, lies the Kızılırmak ("Red River", the ''Halys'' of antiquity), one of the longest rivers in
Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
and its fertile delta. To the east, lie the Yeşilırmak ("Green River", the ''Iris'' of antiquity) and its delta. The River Mert reaches the sea at the city.


Climate

Samsun has a
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Cfa,'' Trewartha'': Cf''), typical for the region, but Samsun is nevertheless drier during summer and milder during winter than most of the southern Black Sea coast. Summers are warm, the average maximum temperature is around in August. Winters are cool to mild and wet, the lowest average minimum temperature is around in January. Precipitation is heaviest in late autumn and early winter. Snow sometimes occurs between the months of December and March, but temperatures below the freezing point rarely last more than a couple of days. The water temperature is generally mild, fluctuating between throughout the year.


Demographics

During the
Tanzimat The Tanzimat (; ota, تنظيمات, translit=Tanzimāt, lit=Reorganization, ''see'' nizām) was a period of reform in the Ottoman Empire that began with the Gülhane Hatt-ı Şerif in 1839 and ended with the First Constitutional Era in 1876. ...
period and the subsequent wars, Ottoman Muslims were exiled from the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
and
Circassians The Circassians (also referred to as Cherkess or Adyghe; Adyghe and Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: ''Adıgəxər'') are an indigenous Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation native to the historical country-region of Circassia ...
were expelled from the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
region. Many of the present inhabitants trace their origins from further west or east on the Black Sea coast. The overwhelming majority of people are
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. Due to depressed economic conditions, Samsun saw slow but gradual population growth until 1990. Beginning with the economic liberalization Turkey, the city's population began to rapidly increase. In 1990, the city reported a population of 322,982. That figure grew to 388,509 by 2000, 461,640 in 2008, to 511,601 in 2015. In 2020, the city had an estimated population of 710,000.


Government

Samsun holds an important historical role in the political development of the
Republic of Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. The city is where the first branch of the Free Republican Party and the first provincial branch of the Democrat Party were opened. For that reason, the city occupies an important place in the history of politics in Turkey. Samsun has traditionally voted for right-wing and nationalistic parties both in local and national elections. In this respect, in Samsun, which is described as the "vote depot of the right". Until the 2018, nearly 80% of the populace voted for right-wing parties while the membership rate to political parties is around 20%. The majority of the deputies have been from the right in all general elections since 1950. Only in 1989 and 1994 did a candidate from a left-wing party, Muzaffer Önder was elected mayor. Today, 6 of the 9 deputies of Samsun's delegation to the
Turkish Grand National Assembly The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Const ...
are members of right-wing parties with the exception of those from
Atakum Atakum is a central district in Samsun, Turkey. Its population was 210,082 as of 2020. Atakum is a largely middle class suburban district located to the west of the primary city of Samsun and further suburban Ondokuzmayıs. The city's population ex ...
. The mayor of the Metropolitan Municipality
Mustafa Demir Mustafa Demir ( b 18 January 1961) is a Turkish politician, a member of parliament, the former Minister of Public Works and Housing under Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and the founder and former chairman of the ruling AK Party's Samsun ...
is a member of the Justice and Development Party. Of the members of parliament from Samsun, Ahmet Demircan, Yusuf Ziya Yılmaz, Çiğdem Karaaslan, Fuat Köktaş and Orhan Kırcalı are from the Justice and Development Party, while two are from the
Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party ( tr, Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi, , acronymized as CHP ) is a Kemalist and social-democratic political party in Turkey which currently stands as the main opposition party. It is also the oldest political party ...
, one from
Good Party The Good Party ( Turkish: ''İyi Parti'') is a nationalist, national conservative, Kemalist, and liberal democrat political party in Turkey, established on 25 October 2017 by its current leader Meral Akşener. Their fraternal party is the liber ...
and one from the
Nationalist Movement Party The Nationalist Movement Party (alternatively translated as Nationalist Action Party; tr, Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi, MHP) is a Turkish far-right and ultranationalist political party. The group is often described as neo-fascist, and has been ...
.


Pollution

Air pollution is a problem in some parts of the city, especially in winter when free coal is supplied to poor families by the government. NOx levels on Yüzüncüyıl Boulevard are among the highest in the country.


Architecture

Samsun like many
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
cities was composed of stone mosques, baths, markets and government buildings while the residential vernacular was almost exclusively wood. The city was populated with wooden konak style homes with more elaborate yali (residence) style homes for the wealthy. Beginning in the 1950s as the city's population grew many of these older wooden structures burned down or torn down and replaced with concrete frame apartment buildings which are now the predominant form of construction in the city center. The city's explosive population growth outpaced its ability to formally build housing for its new residents leading to the construction of vast areas of
gecekondu Gecekondu (Turkish for ''put up overnight'', plural gecekondular) is a Turkish word meaning a house put up quickly without proper permissions, a squatter's house, and by extension, a shanty or shack. Gecekondu bölgesi is a neighborhood made o ...
on the city's suburban periphery. As the region has modernized, the Turkish government has made a full force effort to replace
gecekondu Gecekondu (Turkish for ''put up overnight'', plural gecekondular) is a Turkish word meaning a house put up quickly without proper permissions, a squatter's house, and by extension, a shanty or shack. Gecekondu bölgesi is a neighborhood made o ...
with formally designed and built housing.
TOKİ TOKİ ( tr, Toplu Konut İdaresi Başkanlığı, literally "Mass Housing Development Administration") is Turkey's government-backed housing agency. Founded in 1984, TOKİ carries out projects and activities primarily throughout Turkey in line w ...
, the state agency tasked with housing development has invested heavily in Samsun, building several large social housing developments for the city's growing population.


Mosques

* Pazar Mosque, Samsun's oldest surviving building, a mosque built by the Ilkhanate Mongols in the 13th century. * Central Great Mosque (Samsun) was built by Batumlu Hacı Efendi in 1884. Its name "Valide" comes from the
mother ] A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the cas ...
of
Ottoman Sultan The sultans of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı padişahları), who were all members of the Ottoman dynasty (House of Osman), ruled over the transcontinental empire from its perceived inception in 1299 to its dissolution in 1922. At its hei ...
Abdulaziz. * Hacı Hatun Mosque dates from 1694.


Churches

* Samsun Protestant Church - located in
Atakum Atakum is a central district in Samsun, Turkey. Its population was 210,082 as of 2020. Atakum is a largely middle class suburban district located to the west of the primary city of Samsun and further suburban Ondokuzmayıs. The city's population ex ...
* Mater Dolorasa Church - located in Ilkadim Samsun used to have several Greek Orthodox churches however most were destroyed or converted to mosques following the
Turkish War of Independence The Turkish War of Independence "War of Liberation", also known figuratively as ''İstiklâl Harbi'' "Independence War" or ''Millî Mücadele'' "National Struggle" (19 May 1919 – 24 July 1923) was a series of military campaigns waged by th ...
.


Public squares and parks

* Republic Square (Samsun) * Samsun Saathane Square * Anit Park


Tallest buildings

Samsun's tallest building is Gökdelen Towers Tower 1 at 115 m followed by the Sheraton Hotel Samsun at 115 m. In recent years dozens of mid-rise residential and commercial buildings have come to populate the city's formerly low-rise skyline.


Transport

Long distance buses the bus station is outside the city centre, but most bus companies provide a free transfer there if you have a ticket. Passenger and freight trains run to
Sivas Sivas (Latin and Greek: ''Sebastia'', ''Sebastea'', Σεβάστεια, Σεβαστή, ) is a city in central Turkey and the seat of Sivas Province. The city, which lies at an elevation of in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak river, is a ...
via
Amasya Amasya () is a city in northern Turkey and is the capital of Amasya Province, in the Black Sea Region. It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity."Amasya" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ...
. The train station is in the city center. Freight trains are taken by ferry to railways at Kavkaz in Russia, and will later see service to the port of Varna in Bulgaria and Poti in Georgia. The
Samsun Tram The Samsun Light Rail Transit System (Samsun Tramway) is a light rail transit system located in Samsun and Atakum, Turkey. The 36.5 km Samsun Tramway connects Ondokuz Mayıs University to Samsun Stadium. The system was constructed in three ...
operates between the eastern district of
Tekkeköy Tekkeköy is a district of Samsun Province in Turkey located on the western side of the Çarşamba Plain. The Mayor of Tekkeköy Municipality is Hasan Togar. Agriculture and animal breeding are the main sources of income. Black Sea Copper Works ...
and
Ondokuz Mayıs University Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) is a major state university founded in 1975 in Samsun, Turkey. The university bears the name “19 May”, which marks the date when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, came to Samsun in or ...
. There is a plan to run electrically powered
bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
between the railway station and Tekkekoy. City buses carry passengers actively. '' Dolmuş'', the routes are numbered 1 to 4 and each route has different color minibuses. The long Samsun Amisos Hill Gondola serves from Batıpark the archaeological area on the Amisos Hill, where ancient tombs in
tumuli A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones buil ...
were discovered.
Samsun-Çarşamba Airport Samsun Çarşamba Airport ( tr, Samsun Çarşamba Havalimanı) is a public airport in Samsun, Turkey. Opened in 1998, it is 23 km from Samsun Samsun, historically known as Sampsounta ( gr, Σαμψούντα) and Amisos (Ancient Greek: Α ...
is east of the city center. It is possible to reach the airport by Havas service buses: they depart from the coach park close to Kultur Sarayi in the city center. Horse-drawn carriages, (Turkish: fayton) run along the seafront. There was automated bike rental along the seafront, but it is not currently operational.


Economy

Samsun has a mixed economy with a cluster of medical industries.


Ports and shipbuilding

Samsun is a port city. In the early 20th century, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey funded the building of a harbor. Before the building of the harbor, ships had to anchor to deliver goods, approximately 1 mile or more from shore. Trade and transportation was focused around a road to and from
Sivas Sivas (Latin and Greek: ''Sebastia'', ''Sebastea'', Σεβάστεια, Σεβαστή, ) is a city in central Turkey and the seat of Sivas Province. The city, which lies at an elevation of in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak river, is a ...
. The privately operated port fronting the city centre handles freight, including
RORO Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...
ferries to
Novorossiysk Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
, whereas fishing boats land their catches in a separate harbour slightly further east. A ship building yard is under construction at the eastern city limit. Road and rail freight connections with central Anatolia can be used to send inland both the agricultural produce of the surrounding well rained upon and fertile land, and also imports from overseas.


Coal imports from Donbas

Donbas
anthracite Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...
, imported via the Russian ports of
Azov Azov (russian: Азов), previously known as Azak, is a town in Rostov Oblast, Russia, situated on the Don River just from the Sea of Azov, which derives its name from the town. Population: History Early settlements in the vicinity The mo ...
and
Taganrog Taganrog ( rus, Таганрог, p=təɡɐnˈrok) is a port city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, on the north shore of the Taganrog Bay in the Sea of Azov, several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: History of Taganrog The ...
, is said to be illegally exported Ukrainian coal. In 2019 some crew were rescued but 6 died after a ship sank in the Black Sea.


Manufacturing and food processing

There is a light industrial zone between the city and the airport. The main manufactured products are medical devices and products, furniture (wood is imported across the Black Sea), tobacco products (although tobacco farming is now limited by the government), chemicals and automobile spare parts. Flour mills import wheat from Ukraine and export some of the flour.


Local government and services

Provincial government and services (e.g. courts, prisons and hospitals) support the surrounding region. Agricultural research establishments support provincial agriculture and food processing.


Shopping

Most of the many new shopping malls are purpose built, but the former tobacco factory in the city center has been converted into a mall. Samsun's largest mall is the
Piazza Samsun Piazza Samsun is a shopping mall located on Çarşamba Caddesi in Samsun, Turkey. It serves the Samsun area and is also the Central Black Sea's premier shopping Center and Largest Mall with 160 stores. Piazza Samsun was completed in 2013 by the R ...
.


Tourism


Nature Tourism

Samsun has one of the longest coastlines of the Black Sea Region and this strip stretches from
Canik Canik is one of the main municipalities in Samsun, Turkey, located at the east of the city center. The municipality had 89,753 inhabitants as of the 2009 census. Canik means land of Tzan/Can Laz people and became one of the four town municipaliti ...
until May 19. 90% of this 35 km long coastline consists of fine sandy beaches suitable for swimming, and alternative sports such as surfing, jet
skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...
and
sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cour ...
can be practiced besides
swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...
. There are a total of 39 beaches in Samsun, with the highest number of beaches in Atakum with 19 of them. After Atakum, Alaçam and Çarşamba come with three beaches each. Bafra, Ilkadım and May 19 each have two beaches, and Canik also has one beach. There are no beaches in Asarcık, Ayvacık, Havza, Kavak and Ladik. As of August 2018, all of the beaches measured by the Environmental Health Department are classified as very clean. In addition, 13 beaches, 10 of which are in
Atakum Atakum is a central district in Samsun, Turkey. Its population was 210,082 as of 2020. Atakum is a largely middle class suburban district located to the west of the primary city of Samsun and further suburban Ondokuzmayıs. The city's population ex ...
, are awarded the Blue Flag beach. In Samsun, where activities for winter tourism can be carried out in addition to beach tourism, Akdağ Winter Sports and Ski Center, especially in Ladik, is the most important investment in this area with its 1675 m ski track and 1300 m chair lift, attracting tourists from the surrounding cities. Akdağ also stands out as a
paragliding Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness or lies supine in a cocoon-like 'po ...
,
mountaineering Mountaineering or alpinism, is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending tall mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas. Indoor climbing, sport climbing, a ...
and highland tourism center together with Kocadağ; Nebiyan Mountain is visited by mountaineers, and Kunduz Mountains are visited by transhumance. In addition to natural areas such as Asarağaç Hill, Gölalan Waterfalls and Kabaceviz Waterfall, Çamgölü, Sarıgazel, Vezirköprü nature parks and Çakkır and Hasköy recreation areas have also been brought into tourism in recent years. The
Çarşamba Plain The ''Çarşamba Plain'', the ancient Themiscyra Plain (; grc-gre, Θεμίσκυρα ''Themiskyra''), is a plain on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, formed largely of the delta of the Yeşilırmak river (ancient Iris), but also traversed by the ...
and the Galeriç Floodplain, especially the
Kızılırmak Delta The Kızılırmak Delta ( tr, Kızılırmak Deltası) is the delta of the Kızılırmak River, 40 km east of Samsun. It is the biggest wetland in the Black Sea Region and is one of several internationally important Ramsar sites in Turkey on ac ...
, the region, which was included in the
World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
list in 2016, is frequently visited by bird watchers. May 25 Thermal Tourism Center in Havza, which has been given the status of a tourism center, is the most important health tourism point in Samsun, and the thermal springs in Havza and Ladik are also among the tourism centers of the city. The waters coming out of the hot springs, which are visited by 200 thousand people a year, have been used in the treatment of diseases such as rheumatic diseases, gynecological diseases, nervous diseases, joint diseases and calcification for two thousand years.


Culture


The Atatürk Culture Center

Atatürk Kültür Sarayı (AKM – Palace of Culture). Concerts and other performances are held at the Kultur Sarayi, which is shaped much like a ski jump. "Samsun State Opera and Ballet" performs in The Atatürk Culture Center. Founded in 2009 it is one of the six state opera houses in Turkey. The Samsun Opera have performed ''Die Entführung'' (W. A. Mozart) in the annual Istanbul Opera Festival. In collaboration with The Pekin Opera, The Samsun Opera performed Puccini's ''Madama Butterfly'' in the
Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival The Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival (in Turkish: ''Aspendos Uluslararası Opera ve Bale Festivali'') has been organized in Aspendos, near Antalya, Turkey by the Turkish State Opera and Ballet directorate since 1994 with internati ...
in 2012. Other performances include ''La bohème, La traviata, Don Quijote, Giselle.'' The current musical director is Lorenzo Castriota Skanderbeg.


Museums

* Archaeological and Atatürk Museum. The archaeological part of the museum displays ancient artifacts found in the Samsun area, including the Amisos treasure. The Atatürk section includes photographs of his life and some personal belongings. * Atatürk (Gazi) Museum. It houses Atatürk's bedroom, his study and conference room as well as some personal belongings. * Samsun City Museum. A new museum. * Surgical Instruments and Health Museum, opened in 2021.


Folk dancing

There is an annual international festival.


Education

There are two universities in Samsun: the state run
Ondokuz Mayıs University Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) is a major state university founded in 1975 in Samsun, Turkey. The university bears the name “19 May”, which marks the date when Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Republic of Turkey, came to Samsun in or ...
and the private sector
Samsun University Samsun University ( tr, Samsun Üniversitesi, commonly shortened to SAMÜ) is a public university in Samsun, Turkey. It was formed on 18 May 2018 by the separation from Ondokuz Mayıs University. The main campus of Samsun University, the second ...
. There is also a police training college and many small private colleges.


Parks, nature reserves and other greenspace

; Parks * Batı Park (West Park) is a large park on land reclaimed from the sea * Doğu Park (East Park) * Atatürk Park contains his
statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...
by Austrian sculptor Heinrich Krippel, which was completed in 1931. The statue was depicted on the
obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...
of the Turkish 100,000
lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and of Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, including those of Italy, Malta and Israe ...
banknotes of 1991–2001. ; Nature reserves * Çakırlar Korusu ; Other greenspace There are several army bases in the city (Esentepe Kışlası, Gökberk Kışlası, 19 Mayis Kışlası and others). Should they become surplus to military requirements in future, for example due to reduced
conscription in Turkey In Turkey, compulsory military service applies to all male citizens from 21 to 41 years of age. It is 6 months for all males regardless of education degree. Turkish citizens who reside overseas and have worked for at least three consecutive ...
, it is currently unclear whether they would become
urban open space In land-use planning, urban green space is open space reserve, open-space areas reserved for parks and other "green spaces", including plant life, water features -also referred to as blue spaces- and other kinds of natural environment. Most urb ...
or be further built on.


Sports

In ancient Roman times gladiator sword fighting apparently took place in Amisos, as depicted on a tombstone dating from the 2nd or 3rd century CE. Tekkeköy Yaşar Doğu Arena opened in 2013. Football is the most popular sport: in the older districts above the city center children often kick balls around in the evenings in the smallest streets. The city's
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club is
Samsunspor Samsunspor is a Turkish professional Association football, football club located in the city of Samsun. The club was formed through a merger of five clubs: 19 Mayıs, Akınspor, Fener Gençlik, Samsunspor, and Samsunspor Galatasaray.
, which plays its games at the
Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium, also known as Canik 19 Mayıs Stadium, ( tr, Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadyumu or ''Canik 19 Mayıs Stadyumu'') was a multi-purpose stadium in the Canik district of Samsun, northern Turkey. It was used mostly for football mat ...
.
Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
, volleyball, tennis, swimming,
cable skiing Cable skiing is a way to water ski (or wakeboard), in which the skier's rope and handle are pulled by an electrically-driven cable, whereas traditionally a waterskier is pulled by a motorboat. The mechanism consists of two cables running paral ...
(in summer), horse riding, go karting, paintballing, martial arts and many other sports are played. Cycling and jogging are only common along the sea front, where recreational fishing is also popular.


International relations


Twin towns—Sister cities

Samsun is twinned with: *
North Little Rock, Arkansas North Little Rock is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, across the Arkansas from Little Rock in the central part of the state. The population was 64,591 at the 2020 census. In 2019 the estimated population was 65,903, making it the seventh-mo ...
, United States (2006) *
Gorgan Gorgan ( fa, گرگان ; also romanized as ''Gorgān'', ''Gurgān'', and ''Gurgan''), formerly Esterabad ( ; also romanized as ''Astarābād'', ''Asterabad'', and ''Esterābād''), is the capital city of Golestan Province, Iran. It lies appro ...
, Iran (2006) *
İskele Trikomo ( el, Τρίκωμο; Turkish: ''Yeni İskele'') is a town in North-Eastern Mesaoria in Cyprus. It is under the de facto control of Northern Cyprus and is the administrative center of the İskele District of Northern Cyprus. It gained m ...
, Northern Cyprus (2006) *
Novorossiysk Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities hono ...
, Russia (2007) *
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
, Tanzania (2007) *
Kalmar Kalmar (, , ) is a city in the southeast of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 36,392 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of ...
, Sweden (2008) *
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, France (2010) *
Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...
, Germany (2010) *
Brčko Brčko ( sr-cyrl, Брчко, ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants. De jure, ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012) * Bizerte, Tunisia *
Donetsk Donetsk ( , ; uk, Донецьк, translit=Donets'k ; russian: Донецк ), formerly known as Aleksandrovka, Yuzivka (or Hughesovka), Stalin and Stalino (see also: Names of European cities in different languages (C–D), cities' alternat ...
, Ukraine *
Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
, Ghana *
Bishkek Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...
, Kyrgyzstan


Notable people

*
Mehmet Aslantuğ Mehmet Aslantuğ (; born 25 September 1961) is a Turkish actor, director, producer, and screenwriter of Adyghe people, Circassian origin. He has received a International Adana Golden Boll Film Festival, Golden Boll Award, a Golden Objective Awar ...
, actor * A. I. Bezzerides (1908–2007), American novelist and screenwriter of Greek and Armenian descent *
Vedat Türkali Abdülkadir "Demirkan" Pirhasan (13 May 1919 – 29 August 2016), known by his pen name as Vedat Türkali, was a Turkish screenwriter, novelist, playwright, intellectual, teacher and the member of the Democratic People's Party. He is also credi ...
(1919–2016), Turkish screenwriter, novelist, playwright, intellectual *
Nebahat Çehre Hilal Nebahat Çehre (; born 15 March 1945), is a Turkish actress, model, and singer who was crowned Miss Turkey 1960. She is best known for her protagonist roles as Firdevs Yöreoğlu on the Kanal D drama series '' Aşk-ı Memnu'' (2008–10) ...
, actress and beauty queen * Caner Çolak, Turkish professional footballer *
Tanju Çolak Tanju Çolak (born 10 November 1963 in Samsun) is a Turkish retired footballer who played as a striker. Club career He made his debut for Samsun Yolspor. From there he was transferred to Samsunspor in 1981 where he was the top scorer in both t ...
, 1987
European Golden Boot The European Golden Shoe, also known as European Golden Boot, is an award that is presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of a European national league. The trophy is a sculpture of a football boo ...
holder football player/striker *
Mustafa Dağıstanlı Mustafa Dağıstanlı (11 April 1931 – 18 September 2022) was a Turkish wrestler. He had his best achievements in freestyle wrestling, winning gold medals at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics and 1954, 1957, and 1959 world championships. In Greco-Roma ...
, two-time Olympic gold medalist sports wrestler *
Yaşar Doğu Yaşar Doğu (1913 – 8 January 1961) was a renowned Turkish Wrestler, World and Olympic champion in Greco-Roman and Freestyle of Circassian descent. Biography He was born in the village Karlı of Kavak district in Samsun province to a fam ...
, gold medalist wrestler * Xenophon Akoglou, Greek author, folklorist, soldier and writer *
Ece Erken Ece Erken (born May 11, 1978) is a Turkish TV-hostess and actress. Biography Ece Erken was born in the city of Samsun, Turkey in 1978. She did her education in Beşiktaş Atatürk Anadolu Lisesi in Istanbul. So far Erken has worked at BRT, Ra ...
, TV hostess and actress *
Yavuz Çetin Yavuz Hilmi Çetin (25 September 1970 – 15 August 2001) was a Turkish musician, singer, and songwriter in the blues and psychedelic music genres. He gained renown in his native country for the skill and sensitivity of his guitar performanc ...
(1970-2001), Blues guitarist and musician. *
Orhan Gencebay Orhan Gencebay (born Orhan Kencebay, 4 August 1944) is a Turkish musician, bağlama virtuoso, composer, singer, arranger, music producer, music director, and actor. Gencebay was born in the coastal town of Samsun on 4 August 1944. He is of Crim ...
, musician *
Sagopa Kajmer Yunus Özyavuz (born 17 August 1978), better known by his stage name Sagopa Kajmer (), is a Turkish rapper, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. He was born in 1978 in Samsun, and finished his primary and high school there. He then started worki ...
, musician *
Deniz Kılıçlı Mükremin Deniz Kılıçlı (born October 23, 1990) is a Turkish professional basketball player for Pınar Karşıyaka of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). Collegiate career Freshman season After missing the first 20 games of the season because o ...
, college basketball player at
West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
* Şefik Avni Özüdoğru, military officer in the Ottoman and Turkish armies * Baki Sarısakal, historian *
Ahu Türkpençe Ahu Türkpençe (born 2 January 1977) is a Turkish actress. Biography Ahu Türkpençe was born in Samsun on the Black Sea coast. Her sister is actress, Gözde Türkpençe. She was interested in theatre and with the help of a close friend, she jo ...
, actress *
Tyrannion of Amisus Tyrannion ( grc-gre, Τυραννίων, ''Tyranníōn''; la, Tyrannio;  1st century BC) was a Greek grammarian brought to Rome as a war captive and slave. He is also known as Tyrannion the Elder, in order to distinguish him from his pupil who ...
, 1st century BC grammarian * Venetia Kotta, Samsun-born Greek archaeologist and historian


Notes


See also

*
Anatolian Tigers In the context of the Turkish economy, Anatolian Tigers ( tr, Anadolu Kaplanları) are a number of cities in Turkey which have displayed impressive growth records since the 1980s, as well as a defined breed of entrepreneurs rising in prominence a ...
*
Beyliks of Canik Beyliks of Canik ( tr, Canik beylikleri ) is a name given to a group of small Turkoman principalities in northern Anatolia during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Anthony Bryer connects the toponyme Chanik with the name "Chani" which the ...
*
State road D010 (Turkey) State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * The State (newspaper), ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, U ...
*
Samsun Castle Samsun Castle was a castle in Samsun, Turkey. Built on the seaside in 1092, it was demolished between 1909 and 1918. History The castle was built near the Black Sea coast by Danishmends in 1092 after they were unable to capture the Amisos Castle ...
* :Tourist attractions in Samsun


References


External links


Samsun Governor's Office

Samsun Metropolitan Municipality


{{Authority control Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey Black Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Fishing communities in Turkey Populated coastal places in Turkey Populated places established in the 7th century BC Populated places in Samsun Province Greek city-states