- Also called:
- Trebizond
- Historically:
- Trapezus
Trabzon
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Where is Trabzon located in Turkey?
Trabzon is a city in northeastern Turkey. It is the capital of Trabzon province and is situated on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea. The city is backed by the high ranges of the Pontic Mountains, which separate it from the central Anatolian Plateau. Trabzon is the terminus of the most practicable route over the mountains from Erzurum and was for centuries on a leading trade route between Europe and Central Asia.
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What is Trabzon known for?
Trabzon, a city in northeastern Turkey, is known for its rich history and strategic location. The city retains much of its medieval appearance, with the heart of the city located on a triangle of tableland between two deep ravines. It has the remains of an ancient Roman-built harbor at its base and a ruined citadel at its southern end.
Trabzon has been revitalized through improvements in its port facilities and communications. The city is also home to the Black Sea Technical University. The province of Trabzon is well forested and produces a variety of crops, including tobacco, fruits, and hazelnuts.
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What are some historical landmarks in Trabzon?
Trabzon has many historical landmarks that reflect its rich past. The city's heart lies on a tableland between two ravines, featuring remains of an ancient Roman harbor and a ruined citadel to the south.
Key historical sites include sections of the city walls, parts of the Grand Comneni palace, and several Byzantine churches, now repurposed as mosques. Among these, the Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), now a museum, stands out with its well-preserved domed basilica and remarkable 13th-century wall paintings. The mosque and mausoleum of Gülbahar, wife of Sultan Bayezid II, is one of the finest Ottoman monuments.
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How has Trabzon's history affected its culture?
Trabzon's culture is deeply rooted in its long and varied history. Founded as Trapezus by Greek colonists in 756 BCE, the city has been influenced by Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman rule, as well as brief occupations by Seljuk Turks, Mongols, and Russians.
The city's medieval aspect is still retained today. Historical monuments, such as the city walls, parts of the Grand Comneni palace, and Byzantine churches (now mosques), reflect Trabzon's diverse cultural influences. The Hagia Sophia, a domed basilica with 13th-century wall paintings, stands out. The mosque and mausoleum of Gülbahar, the wife of Sultan Bayezid II, represents Ottoman influence. Trabzon's location on trade routes between Europe and Central Asia enhanced its prosperity and cultural exchange, further shaping its identity.
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What are the main economic activities in Trabzon today?
Present-day Trabzon maintains its historical significance as a commercial hub, largely due to improvements in its port facilities and communication infrastructure. The city is the terminus of the most viable mountain route from Erzurum and was a key point on trade routes between Europe and Central Asia, especially thriving as the main port for Tabriz and western Iran.
Modern Trabzon is well-forested and densely populated. A variety of crops such as tobacco, fruits, and hazelnuts are grown in the province. Additionally, there are small deposits of copper, lead, and iron that are utilized.
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Trabzon, city, capital of Trabzon il (province), northeastern Turkey. It lies on a wide bay on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea backed by high ranges of the Pontic Mountains, which separate it from the central Anatolian Plateau. Area province, 1,907 square miles (4,938 square km). Pop. (2000) city, 214,949; province, 975,137; (2013 est.) city, 243,735; province, 757,898.
History
Trapezus, one of the most easterly of ancient Greek settlements, was probably founded in 756 bce by colonists from Sinope (modern Sinop). Like many other Black Sea sites, it is associated in legend with the Amazon women warriors. Trabzon is said to be the site on which the army called the Ten Thousand by the writer Xenophon, who was one of its members, reached the sea after its long march that followed defeat in 401 bce.
The city prospered under Roman rule until it was sacked by the Goths after their victory over the emperor Valerian’s forces about 257 ce. As the Byzantine port nearest to Armenia, lying on a critical frontier of the empire, the city was rebuilt and figured prominently in the eastern campaigns of the emperor Justinian I (reigned 527–565). The see of Trapezus was supposedly founded by St. Andrew the Apostle; Eugenius, its patron saint, was martyred under the Roman emperor Diocletian (reigned 284–305). In the 9th century the city was made the capital of a new military province of Chaldia.
After the sack of Constantinople (now Istanbul) by the Crusaders in 1204, two grandsons of the emperor Andronicus I Comnenus escaped and founded an independent offshoot of the Byzantine Empire at Trapezus, with Prince Alexius Comnenus as emperor. His successors, the Grand Comneni, reigned longer than any other Byzantine family, forming extensive alliances through marriage with foreign rulers and promoting their prestige through the cult of St. Eugenius and the glorification of their real or legendary achievements. Although subject to brief periods of domination by the neighbouring Seljuq Turks, Mongols, and Byzantines, the empire based at Trapezus was largely bypassed by both the Seljuqs and the Mongols because of its relative isolation, difficulties of access, and conflict among its enemies. Its prosperity lay partly in export of its own products—silver, iron, alum, cloth, and black wine—and partly from taxes on transit trade to western Iran. The end of the dynasty came when its territories were annexed to the Ottoman Empire in 1461. Thereafter, Trabzon remained under Turkish rule except for a brief Russian occupation (1916–18) during World War I.
The contemporary city
Modern Trabzon retains much of its medieval aspect. The heart of the city is on a triangle of tableland between two deep ravines, with remains of an ancient Roman-built harbour at its base. At its southern end stands a ruined citadel. The city centre is enclosed on the east and west by walls that date from Byzantine times. The commercial quarter is centred around a bazaar and park in the eastern part of the city near the old Genoese castle of Leontocastron; east of this lies the harbour.
Historical monuments include most of the city walls, a part of the palace of the Grand Comneni, and several Byzantine churches preserved as mosques. Among the churches the best preserved and most remarkable is the church Aya Sofya (Hagia Sophia), now used as a museum, which overlooks the sea just west of the city centre. The church is a domed basilica with superb 13th-century wall paintings that were revealed and cleaned during 1957–63. One of the finest Ottoman monuments is the mosque and mausoleum of Gülbahar, wife of Sultan Bayezid II (reigned 1481–1512).
Trabzon is the terminus of the most practicable route over the mountains from Erzurum. For centuries it was on one of the leading trade routes between Europe and Central Asia, and it prospered particularly after the 13th century, when it served as the chief port for Tabriz and western Iran. Its significance declined, however, with the construction of the Ankara-Erzurum railway about 1900 and the development of the southern Iranian port of Khorramshahr. The city’s later revitalization has largely resulted from improvement in its port facilities and communications. Trabzon is the site of the Black Sea Technical University, established in 1963. It is linked by air with Ankara and by steamer service with Istanbul.
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Trabzon province is well forested and densely populated. The large variety of crops grown include tobacco, fruits, and hazelnuts. Small deposits of copper, lead, and iron are worked.