Travel Guide Trabzon

Considered as the capital of the region, Trabzon is also the largest city on the Black Sea. The arrival in Trabzon can leave you speechless. It is necessary to wander a little in order to be invaded by the singular atmosphere of this city located at the foot of the Pontus mountains whose palaces and temples testify to the old splendour of the Byzantine time. This port is important in the Turkish economy and is the hub of trade between the Middle East (Iran in particular), the Caucasus and other countries bordering the Black Sea. The history of this major trading port is different from the rest of Turkey. Trabzon was founded in the5th century BC by settlers from Miletus. After the capture of Constantinople by the Crusaders (1204), Alexis Comnenus fled with the imperial family to Trabzon and founded a dynasty of princes who would rule the region. Trabzon became the capital of the Byzantine Empire (Greek Empire of Trebizond). Defeated in 1461 by the sultan Mehmed II, the city falls under the domination of the Ottomans, then sees the birth of Soliman the Magnificent.