SÜMELA

By 19 Mayıs Tour

Trabzon is the one of cities in Black Sea Region in Turkiye like Samsun.
And Sümela Monastery is in Trabzon.
Of course you could reach easly to Sümela from Samsun by using Ondokuzmayıs Tour.
Please click here to be able to reach Ondokuzmayıs tour

CAPPADOKIA

By 19 Mayıs Tour

If you live in Samsun  or you stay in Samsun for a reason you could get a trip that last during a weekend .
But where ...
Of course one of the best answers would be Cappadokia.
You can use The Ondokuz Mayıs Tur for it.
Please click here to be able to reach Cappadokia Tour

AROUND SAMSUN- AMASYA

King Tombs

There are stone tombs of kings in various parts of Amasya, which are Pontus kings' tombs according to historian Strabon from Amasya. The tomb called "Kızlar Sarayı(Girls' Palace)" by Strabon is five stone tomb in monumental nature. The king tombs were made in the locations viewing the city, and they have reached present time. 

Some stone tombs of Roman Empire and Byzantine Empire ending Pontus ruling are evaluated as chapels. The stone tombs used for various purposes during Ottoman and Selçuklu Period are offered to visits of people. 

King Tombs on Kızlar palace location and the ones on visit road to Aynalı Inn f km away from the city are different from other king tombs both in size and shape. They are in inverse U shape in comparison to the stone block where they are located. The others do not have this characteristic. Therefore it can be said that those monumental tombs were Pontus originated, and others were made in small sizes and more simply and were belong to some wealthy people of the Period(religious people).

KING TOMBS AND AMISOS HILL

Amisos Treasure

During the road enlargement works in Ancient Amisos city, at Cedit quarter, it was informed on Tuesday, 28 November 1995 that a hole was seen and some researchers from the museum went there to work. 

There was a tomb which had been constructed by carving the conglomerate rock layer. Its floor and ceiling walls had been stuccoed by mortar made of brick dust and lime. The dimensions of the tomb was 5-5.5 m and its height was 2.30 m. Inside the tomb, there were five graves three of which were used and two of which were vacant. It was so understood that this was a family tomb. After the skeletons in the three graves were examined, it was seen that two of them belonged to flames and one of them belonged to a male. Besides, when we examine the archaelogical remnants like jewellery (death gifts), post and pans, we think that the male grave may belong to a highlevel, administrator (like a Prince, King or Commander) of the Ponthus Kingdom and one of the graves of the females may belong to the wife (queen?) of the said person (king?) and the other grave may belong to their doughter.

We see that the jewellery are located in appropriate places (that is, the crown is on the head, necklace is on the neck and the earrings are at the level of the ear) in this tomb that is in the form of an Insitu. 

Amisos had had its golden age during the Kingdom of Mithridades, VI. Ponthus King, and had become the government centre of the empire. Culture and art became widespread in this period and the most developed mints and ceramic ateliers of the ancient times were established and developed in Amisos. The richness of these graves, the quality and delicacy of the golden death gifts and the symbols used have close similarities with the shapes and symbols on the Amisos Coins minted during the period of Mithridades VI.

THE VILLAGE OF AMAZONS

An Amazon village will be set up in a park in the Black Sea province of Samsun, where Amazons, a nation of all-female warriors in Greek and classical mythology, are believed to have lived in the past.

The village will be built on a 50,000-square-meter plot of land within Batı Park, which is 825,000 square meters in size.

The village will also feature examples of arrows, strings, clothes and other tools supposedly used by the mythical warriors. “We want people to experience this history. We want to build a bridge between the past and the present. We want the lives and culture of the Amazons, whom attract much attention, to be known.

The Amazon warrior women, according to legend, are believed to have lived in the Black Sea region. The works by Plato and Socrates as well as Homer’s “Iliad” mention them. The Amazons are accepted as historic and cultural treasures of Samsun. A festival celebrating the Amazons takes place in the province’s Terme district every year.

KIZILIRMAK BIRD PARADISE

 Kızılırmak Bird Paradise in Bafra is about 55 km. far from Samsun city center.

Altınkaya Dam was built on the Kızılırmak River. Kızılırmak is the longest river in Turkey and it has a bird paradise . Besides, Kızılırmak Deltas is famous with agriculture , fishing and and as you understand it is known as a bird paradice. There are 321 different kind of birds in that paradise. 

They can be seen especially in mounths of autumn, winter and spring more easier than summer months. Kızılırmak Deltas has 3 of 4 criterias that Europian Bird Paradises has them.Moreover, there is large reed field and wetland area about 12000 hectars. In Winter time over 100 000 water birds stay and live there .

While you are making a hiking you can live the difference of this area.And you can see Sülün that is symbol of Samsun .

MUSEUM AND ANCIENT CİTİES

Samsun Archaeology and Ethnography Museum: The construction of Archaeology - Ethnography Museum in the Fair area in Samsun began in 1976 and the museum was opened to visit on May 19th, 1981. The museum consists of a central hall and two other symmetrical halls. The mosaic being exhibited in the central hall was made in times of Alexander Severus (AC 222 - 235), the Rome Emperor and was restored in Byzantine Times at the end of AC 5th century. There are various mythological scenes on mosaic base made symmetrically. There is a scene in the middle related to the Troia war including Akhilleus and Thetis; there are some portraits reflecting the seasons on the panels located on each four corner of this scene; and Nereids and sea creatures are described in the rectangular panels among the seasons. Other than these figured scenes, there is a scene on a rectangular panel describing a sacrifice. The remaining parts of the above mentioned mosaic are ornamented with geometrical and plant motifs.  The Amisos treasury, which was found during digs carried out by the Museum Directorate in a grave of Amisos City, is also being exhibited in the central hall. The jewelry (crown, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, buttons, cloth ornaments, rings, etc.) which belong to a man, a woman and a female child are the most interesting works of the museum. These works that belong to the Hellenistic Period reflect the art and workmanship of those times. The coins of Classical, Hellenistic, Rome, Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman and Republic periods are also being exhibited in this hall. The works of Calcolithic, First Bronze Age, Hittite, Hellenistic and Rome periods found in Samsun and its environs are being exhibited chronologically in the hall located at right side of the central hall. The bronze, bone, stone and cooked soil works of Calcolithic, First Bronze and Hittite ages, which are found in archaeological digs carried out by İstanbul University in İkiztepe tumulus of İkiztepe Village in Bafra, carry a specific importance. Bronze lance tip embossed at both sides is one of the samples that show high levels of İkiztepe people in metal art. The skulls, which had operations that belong to the First Bronze Age and found in İkiztepe, constitute an interesting part of the museum. The naked athlete statue (AC 1st century copy of the original specific to BC 5th century) being exhibited in this hall is one of the most popular works of the museum. Among the works being exhibited in the other hall, there are ethnographic works transferred to the museum from Samsun, velvets, napkins, sleeved short jackets, money and clock bags, hand script Korans, ornaments, weapons, kitchen materials, carpets, matting, etc. The works of Classical, Rome, Byzantine and Ottoman periods are being exhibited in the garden of the museum. The pithos, tombs, steles, milestones, various architectural works and embossments are the most popular works, which draw attention of the visitors.  Atatürk Museum: The Atatürk museum, which was constructed as the 19th of May Gallery within the old fair ground, opened to visitors on 1 July 1968. The museum building which was constructed entirely with stones and coloured marbles, has a monumental and effective appearance. The steps and reliefs representing the War of Independence in front of the building gives it a motion. 114 works belonging to Atatürk are exhibited in the museum. The works in the museum are exhibited in three sections. In the entry and exit section various books about Atatürk, the photographs taken during the arrival of Atatürk to Samsun are displayed in chronological order. A panel, made of locally produced tobacco leaves and presented to Atatürk as a gift by the Samsun people, is also exhibited in the museum. And in the glass showcases situated in the rear large rooms, various belongings of Atatürk that were brought in from the Ankara Anitkabir Museum, some wearing apparel such as hats, suits, gloves, etc. and weapons, canes, cutlery, etc. are displayed. At the right side of the centre large room's exit, a special section is situated for the rest of state high officials during their visit and to put down their impressions of the museum in writing.  Gazi Museum: The Gazi museum is located on the Mecidiye Avenue at the Kale district in the centre of Samsun. The walls of this two-storey building were made of bricks. Lathwork was used in the inside. Atatürk stayed for 6 days in this building during his first arrival to Samsun on 19 May 1919. In that time this building was known as “Mintika Palace” (hotel). During the second arrival of the Great Leader (20-24 September 1924), the subject building was presented to him as a gift of the Samsun People. The Great Leader also stayed in this building during his third (16-18 September 1928) and his fourth (22-26 November 1930) visits to Samsun. After the transfer of the building to Ministry of Culture by the Samsun Municipality and than, after its restoration and rearranging for exhibition, it was opened to visitors on 8 November 1998. Havza Atatürk House: The three-storey building is situated on the street. Between 25 May 1919 and 12 June 1919 Atatürk stayed and worked in this building which was known as Mesudiye Hotel. The room that Atatürk stayed is on the second floor. The building which functions as a museum was transferred to the Ministry of Culture by the directorate of the private administration. İkiztepe Tumulus: The tumulus, which is located in İkiztepe Village 7 kilometres on north - west of Bafa District of Samsun, has four hills. It covers nearly 375 x 175 meter area. The digging activities in this tumulus began in 1974 by Professor Dr. U. Bahadır Alkım, and continue under the control of Professor Dr. Önder Bilgi, one of the lecturers of İstanbul University, since 1981. The diggers went down up to the main soil at Hill I and Hill II. As a result of the researches, Bronze Age I and II, and Transition Age (Before Hittite) cultures were found in Hill I; in addition the existence of a necropolis dated First Bronze Age III was understood. First Bronze Age I and II and Calcolithic Age cultural ruins were found in Hill II. As a result of the diggings carried out in Hill III and IV, it is understood that first Bronze Age III culture was dominant in this region. There is a tumulus type, two-room mausoleum with dromos at last culture level of İkiztepe, in Hill I. It is understood from the golden coins found in dromos (corridor) of the stone-built mausoleum and printed on behalf of Thrace King Lysimakhos in İstanbul that this grave belonged to the Hellenistic Age. The well-protected ceramic oven found in diggings carried out in 1989 is very interesting. Foundations or walls laid with stone or sun-dried brick could not be found in these diggings, and thus it is understood that the building are made of wood in İkiztepe. The works found in archaeological diggings in İkiztepe ruins are being exhibited in Samsun Museum. Tekkeköy Caves: It is located within the borders of Tekkeköy District, 14 kilometres east of Samsun. There are big and small pits and caves on rocks alongside the valley watered by Fındıkçay and Çınarlı streams. During the digging activities and researches carried out in 1941, by a committee under the presidency of Professor Dr. Tahsin Özgüç, who was one of the lecturers in Ankara University, Language, History - Geography Faculty, many prehistoric caves, shelters and settling areas are found and some findings that belong to Paleolithic Age were obtained. The people of Paleolithic Age living in these caves did not know metal, and made all their tools from stone, wood and bone. They earned their lives by means of hunting and collecting, and used various tools such as axes, lance tips, cutters, scrapers which they made by chipping stone. Vessels, earrings, bracelets, knives, daggers, barbs and pins generally used as grave gift were found in the digging activities and researches carried out in Tekkeköy. These works have Central Anatolia characteristics in terms of their shapes and technical properties; and the bone tools have a better workmanship when compared to the ones in Central and Western Anatolia. The rocky region located at the joint area of Çınarcık and Fındıcak valleys and seeing each two valleys is known as "Delikli Kaya". The stairs of the rocky region were examined in terms of technique and shape, and it is understood that Delikli Kaya is a Frig Castle. The findings of Tekkeköy are being exhibited in Samsun Archaeology Museum. Bafra Asarkale and Rock Graves: It is located within Kızılırmak Valley, 30 kilometres south - west of Bafra District and close to Altınkaya Dam. Asarkale belongs to the Hellenistic Age and built for defense. It is thought that three graves made by chipping the main rock belong to the same period. Ancient Cities İkiztepe: it is 55 km far away to Samsun and placed 7 km on the north - east from Bafra. Continuous settlements settled at İkiztepe ruins till year of 1700 BC. It is determined to second degree archeological protection site. Tekkeköy: It is placed in the borders of Tekkeköy County. Documents brought to light remains from Paleolithic Age, Mesolithic Age, Bronze Age and Hittite culture. It is discovered that rock with holes found at region was used as Frig castle.