Amasra ‘The eye of the world’
Reputedly, when Fatih Sultan Mehmet (Mehmet the Conqueror) conquered Amasra, which is located on the shores of Black Sea, taking it from the hands of the Genoese, he arrived at the spot that is now called Bakacak Hill and asked his lala (educator), “Lala, could this be the Çeşm-i Cihan (eye of the world)?”
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We don’t know what his lala’s response was, but we do know that Fatih Sultan praised this lovely coastal city on the Black Sea, Amasra. It is a place where the sea embraces the green. Excitement fills your heart when you arrive at Bartın, the closest town to Amasra, and you can’t wait to get to your final destination.
“It is 17 kilometers from Bartın to Amasra,” says the driver. But the road curving among the verdant, picturesque hills seems endless. As you approach the coast, the Kuş Kayası (bird rock) monument comes into view. The monument, four kilometers from Amasra, was built as a resting place along the road during the Roman Empire. The memorial fountain, next to the monument, has been weathered by time and the elements.
Once you climb the hill and turn the last corner, time seems to freeze for a few seconds and you lose yourself in the endless view of the sea. You are jolted back to reality upon entering the city center. Concrete buildings surround you on all sides. But wandering down any of Amasra’s side streets, you can easily escape back to the deep blue sea. If you visit downtown Amasra early in the morning, the cafes at the Küçük Liman, which is one of the two sea inlets to the west, will brew a strong cup of tea for you. Despite the less than dazzling appearance of the cafes, the breakfast of fresh bread, honey, butter, cucumber, tomato, cheese, eggs and tea makes you quickly forget the surroundings.
Amasra is surrounded by low and rather flat-topped hills in the east and west; these hills are increasingly rocky as you approach the shore. Boztepe, Küçüktepe and Çıraköy are the major hills of the city.
As for weather, Amasra receives rain in all seasons, as is typical for the Black Sea region. The winters are fairly temperate and the summers are comfortably cool. It is normally quite rainy in spring and windy days are common in autumn. So whatever time of year you visit, it is a good idea to bring a coat to keep you warm and dry.
Amasra is also known as the pioneer in Turkey of camping and guesthouses, which first sprung up in the 1940s. The Büyük Liman harbor on the eastern side of Amasra has a public beach where you can enjoy the refreshing waters of the Black Sea during the summer.
Don’t take just a day trip
The artisans of Amasra have been complaining about the crowd and the day trippers visiting the city. Traffic is very congested and it is difficult to find accommodation during July and August.
Coal deposits are the primary source of income for Amasra. Thousands of people earn their living from the mines. Amasra Castle, built during the Roman Empire, was refurbished by the Genoese and the Ottomans and is one of the town’s must-sees. The iç kale (inner castle) area is called the Genoese castle. The Genoese turned the inner castle into a palace and built a main door with a Genoese coat of arms on it that provides passage into the main palace. The door is reached via a winding set of steps.
The Amasra Museum and the Little Church Chapel at the city center and the Bedesten are other places you should visit. The Bedesten, one-and-a-half kilometers from the beach at the south of Amasra, is believed to be a Roman provincial palace. Purportedly, the palace began to be called Bedesten (a market where art objects, jewelry, etc. are sold) after people started to use it as trading center at the beginning of the second century.
Let’s not forget the Fatih Mosque. The mosque, located in Amasra castle, was built as a Byzantine church in the ninth century. It was turned into mosque when Fatih Sultan conquered Amasra in 1460. One of the striking features of the mosque is that the speaker still performs the usual Friday khutba (sermon) with a sword at his waist. The original sword was stolen but officers found a replica and continued the tradition. There is also the Çekiciler bazaar where you can find a variety of souvenirs and handmade products such as woodwork, hand-woven textiles and embroidered canvas.
If you decide to spend the night in Çeşm-i Cihan, after touring the city, you should head to the Küçük Liman to watch the sunset. The sun, disappearing over the waters of the Black Sea, is a sight that will draw you back to this place time and again.
[QUICK TIPS]
What to eat
The Canlı Balık Restaurant in Küçük Liman is the oldest eatery in Amasra. The restaurant’s popularity has already reached beyond the borders of the district. Don’t miss the restaurant’s famous salad. If you would like dessert after your meal, we recommend the yogurt and honey. Tel.: (378) 315 2606
How to get there
In order to get to Amasra, one must go to Bartın. The bus trip takes four-and-a-half hours from Ankara and seven hours from İstanbul. There are regular bus routes between Bartın and Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Trabzon, Bursa and Antalya. The distance between Bartın and Amasra is 17 kilometers and there is a minibus between the two every 30 minutes; the journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
Where to stay
It is easy to find accommodation in the district outside of July and August. In addition to its 1,500 bed hotel capacity, there are also more than 100 guesthouses.
The Amasra Hotel, Amastris Hotel, AOTML Hotel, Hotel Bedesten, Belvü Palace and Büyük Liman Hotel are good choices.
The Tail End Beyond Amasra
Beyond Amasra, the Black Sea gets prosaic. The area of Zonguldak is Turkey's principal coalmining region. The city itself is a surprisingly neat and attractive one, but the only noteworthy feature of the environs is the mines which extend for hundreds of miles into the bowels of the earth. Underneath, thousands of coal-blackened miners work in a night marish setting directly borrowed from 19th century Newcastle. Tours down the mine shafts into the underground tunnels may be arranged through the State Coal Company (TKI) offices in Zonguldak.For those with an even greater interest in the realm of darkness, the region also offers some of the most spectacular natural caves in Turkey. The Cumayanı Cave, near Çatalağzı town, is considered a speleologist's delight. Its ten-kilometer length can be explored by inflatable raft. More accessible for the layman is the Gökgöl Cave, near Üzülmez Village, which has remarkable elephant-tusxstalactites.Eregli is the Heracleia Pontica of antiquity, where the philosopher Heracleides first postulated that the earth revolved around its axis in 24 hours. The name of the town refers to an episode in the Argonaut legend where Heracles cries in anguish over his friend Hylas who has been abducted by lovesick nymphs. So Virgil in the Sixth Georgic:"His adjungit Hylan nautae quo fonte relictumClamassent. ut litus HYLA, HYLA, omne sonare t."Ereğli now boasts the largest steelworks of the whole near east.Further west, at Akçakoca start the endless sandy beaches that attract weekenders and property speculators from Istanbul. There are a few scattered points of interest, but the poetry of the Black Sea is no longer there. The traveler's imagination recoils, and hastens back to the landscape of Trabzon for another excursion into the remote marvels of the Pontic coast
Amasra
Amasra is a historical seaport built on a peninsula. For centuries there have been two bays and two islands that have welcomed mariners from across the seas. And five hills, each more beautiful than the last. Looking down from Boztepe (or Sandy Hill) is one of the most spectacular scenes ever to be seen. The night-lights and the evening shadows are a subtle invitation to follow the road from the center of town over the historical bridge. One of the most beautiful towns on the Black Sea coast, was called Sesamos in ancient times, when it was founded by the Miletians in the sixth century B.C. it stands on a peninsula split by two inlets. The eastern side enjoys a reputation for good swimming. On the rocky promontory rise the ramparts of the Byzantine citadel, inside of which is an old church, now the Fatih Mosque. The necropolis dates from the Roman period. Remnants from Amasra’s entire history are displayed in the Archaeology Museum. You can purchase a hand carved wood souvenir on Cekiciler street. Continuing eastward along the coast, you arrive at Cakraz, a typical fishing village with excellent beaches, friendly accommodations and restaurants. The winding road between Cakraz and Inebolu has steep mountainsides and offers a spectacular panoramic view. Amasra is mostly a fishing town. The townspeople for centuries have always loved the sea and fish and the town has been a favored port in the stormy Black Sea. The fishermen have remained at port awaiting the end of the storm and during the severe winter months the houses of Amasra have harbored fishermen for whole six-month seasons as they awaited the coming of spring. The sea and fish continued to play an important role in the development of contemporary tourism in the area. The boarding houses in the town are run by the townspeople. The people of Amasra opened their houses to tourists long before the first hotel or boarding house was built to accommodate visitors. It has been felt as an obligation to establish a museum in Amasra, as this city is a centre of archaic settlement and rich in terms of historical monuments. Many activities were carried out for long years under the leadership of the poet - author Tahir Karaoğuz to establish a museum in Amasra. The building was opened to visitors on January 30th, 1982 upon the completion of restoration work. The museum is on a single floor and has four exhibition halls, two of which are archaeological and two of which are ethnographic halls. Most of the monuments in the exhibition halls were collected from Amasra and its environs.(Ezop Travel) The salads from Amasra are famous, having up to thirty three ingredients depending on the time of year. The other famous dish is of course fish and squid. Typically fried, the portions are extremely generous, and with the excellent salad makes for a top flight rural eating experience. I would recommend restaurants that are busy with Turkish visitors over ones that look swanky. The museum is well worth a visit for 2ytl (a buck!), with exhibits labeled in a simple fashion for non-archeologists. Amasra has a superb welcoming feel that is very different from tourist areas (where people constantly bug you to buy stuff). Off the beaten track, and on the colder Black Sea, those looking for "booze and birds" don't show up here. The result is a relaxed town with extremely friendly people, a few good pubs and some decent restaurants.(PJL)
AMASRA
AMASRA
One of the most beautiful towns on the Black Sea coast, was called Sesamos in ancient times, when it was founded by the Miletians in the sixth century B.C. it stands on a peninsula split by two inlets. The eastern side enjoys a reputation for good swimming. On the rocky promontry rise the ramparts of the Byzantine citadel, inside of which is an old church, now the Fatih Mosque. The necropolis dates from the Roman period. Remnants from Amasra’s entire history are displayed in the Archaeology Museum. You can purchase a handcarved wood souvenir on Cekiciler street. Continuing eastward along the coast, you arrive at Cakraz, a typical fishing village with excellent beaches, friendly accommodations and restaurants. The winding road between Cakraz and Inebolu has steep mountainsides and offers a spectular panoramic view.
Amasra is a pretty little town off by itself, set on a fortified promontory jutting northward into the Black Sea.
Because the coastal roads to east and west are not all that good, Amasra gets only a moderate number of summer visitors, keeping it pleasant and relatively undeveloped though the road from Ankara is quite nice thus most of its visitors are from Ankara.
You can come to Amasra for a night or two for seaside relaxation, explore the fortress, taste the delicious fish and salad and take a dip in the chilly Black Sea.
Bus and car are the only ways to get here. Intercity buses serve Bartin, the provincial capital 16 km (10 miles) to the south, from which you take a minibus to Amasra. The nearest airport is in Ankara, the nearest train station in Zonguldak.
By the way, don't confuse the Black Sea town of Amasra with the Central Anatolian mountain town of Amasya, 130 km (81 miles) south of Samsun.
In order to go to Amasra you should take the E-5 Istanbul Road and when you arrive to Gerede (half way to İstanbul) you should turn right and follow the signs to Bartın. In Bartın you will see the signs showing the way to Amasra.
One of the most beautiful towns on the Black Sea coast, was called Sesamos in ancient times, when it was founded by the Miletians in the sixth century B.C. it stands on a peninsula split by two inlets. The eastern side enjoys a reputation for good swimming. On the rocky promontry rise the ramparts of the Byzantine citadel, inside of which is an old church, now the Fatih Mosque. The necropolis dates from the Roman period. Remnants from Amasra’s entire history are displayed in the Archaeology Museum. You can purchase a handcarved wood souvenir on Cekiciler street. Continuing eastward along the coast, you arrive at Cakraz, a typical fishing village with excellent beaches, friendly accommodations and restaurants. The winding road between Cakraz and Inebolu has steep mountainsides and offers a spectular panoramic view.
Amasra is a pretty little town off by itself, set on a fortified promontory jutting northward into the Black Sea.
Because the coastal roads to east and west are not all that good, Amasra gets only a moderate number of summer visitors, keeping it pleasant and relatively undeveloped though the road from Ankara is quite nice thus most of its visitors are from Ankara.
You can come to Amasra for a night or two for seaside relaxation, explore the fortress, taste the delicious fish and salad and take a dip in the chilly Black Sea.
Bus and car are the only ways to get here. Intercity buses serve Bartin, the provincial capital 16 km (10 miles) to the south, from which you take a minibus to Amasra. The nearest airport is in Ankara, the nearest train station in Zonguldak.
By the way, don't confuse the Black Sea town of Amasra with the Central Anatolian mountain town of Amasya, 130 km (81 miles) south of Samsun.
In order to go to Amasra you should take the E-5 Istanbul Road and when you arrive to Gerede (half way to İstanbul) you should turn right and follow the signs to Bartın. In Bartın you will see the signs showing the way to Amasra.
AMASRA
AMASRA
Amasra is a historical seaport built on a peninsula. For centuries there have been two bays and two islands that have welcomed mariners from across the seas. And five hills, each more beautiful than the last. Looking down from Boztepe (or Sandy Hill) is one of the most spectacular scenes ever to be seen. The night-lights and the evening shadows are a subtle invitation to follow the road from the center of town over the historical bridge. One of the most beautiful towns on the Black Sea coast, was called Sesamos in ancient times, when it was founded by the Miletians in the sixth century B.C. it stands on a peninsula split by two inlets. The eastern side enjoys a reputation for good swimming. On the rocky promontry rise the ramparts of the Byzantine citadel, inside of which is an old church, now the Fatih Mosque. The necropolis dates from the Roman period. Remnants from Amasra?s entire history are displayed in the Archaeology Museum. You can purchase a handcarved wood souvenir on Cekiciler street. Continuing eastward along the coast, you arrive at Cakraz, a typical fishing village with excellent beaches, friendly accommodations and restaurants. The winding road between Cakraz and Inebolu has steep mountainsides and offers a spectular panoramic view.
Amasra is mostly a fishing town. The townspeople for centuries have always loved the sea and fish and the town has been a favored port in the stormy Black Sea. The fishermen have remained at port awaiting the end of the storm and during the severe winter months the houses of Amasra have harbored fishermen for whole six-month seasons as they awaited the coming of spring. The sea and fish continued to play an important role in the development of contemporary tourism in the area. The boarding-houses in the town are run by the townspeople. The people of Amasra opened their houses to tourists long before the first hotel or boarding-house was built to accommodate visitors. It has been felt as an obligation to establish a museum in Amasra, as this city is a centre of archaic settlement and rich in terms of historical monuments. Many activities were carried out for long years under the leadership of the poet - author Tahir Karao?z to establish a museum in Amasra. The building was opened to visitors on January 30th, 1982 upon the completion of restoration work. The museum is on a single floor and has 4 exhibition halls, 2 of which are archaeological and 2 of which are ethnographic halls. Most of the monuments in the exhibition halls were collected from Amasra and its environs.
No. 1 Archaeological Monument Hall: Small findings belonging to Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Eras are being exhibited in this hall. Earthenware and glass vessels for perfume and collecting tears, golden and bronze burial ornaments, various kinds of amphora and jugs recovered from the sea are also exhibited in this hall. There are also bronze statues, bracelets, fishing hooks, crucifixes, weapons, oil - lamps and vessels of the same period. Besides, golden, silver and bronze coins of Hellenistic, Rome and Byzantine Times are exhibited as well.
No. 2 Archaeological Monument Hall: This hall is wholly allocated to the marble monuments of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Genoese Eras. Statues, statue heads, grave steles, various embossed architectural objects are exhibited in this hall.
No. 1 Ethnographical Monument Hall: Small monuments of the Late Ottoman Period are exhibited in this hall. These monuments include copper kitchen vessels, weapons, writing sets, candlesticks, stamps, scales, ceramics, rings and vessels reflecting tree drawings, an art specific to the Amasra region.
No. 2 Ethnographic Monument Hall: Clothes reflecting the customary clothing of the region and silver ornaments belonging to Late Ottoman Period are exhibited in this hall. There are also bedding and bed covers, Korans, carpets, small bags and old wall clocks in this hall. In addition, a Mediterranean map dated 1852, printed in the printing press of the palace, is exhibited in the corridor of the museum. There are stone monuments of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Genoese Times in the garden of the museum.
History
Situated in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, the original city seems to have been called Sesamus, and it is mentioned by Homer in conjunction with Cytorus. Stephanus says that it was originally called Cromna; but in another place , where he repeats the statement, he adds, as it is said; but some say that Cromna is a small place in the territory of Amastris, which is the true account. The place derived its name Amastris from Amastris, the niece of the last Persian king Darius III, who was the wife of Dionysius, tyrant of Heraclea, and after his death the wife of Lysimachus. Four small Ionian colonies, Sesamus, Cytorus, Cromna, also mentioned in the Iliad , and Tium, were combined by Amastris, after her separation from Lysimachus5, to form the new community of Amastris, placed on a small river of the same name and occupying a peninsula. Tium, says Strabo, soon detached itself from the community, but the rest kept together, and Sesamus was the acropolis of Amastris. From this it appears that Amastris was really a confederation or union of three places, and that Sesamus was the name of the city on the peninsula. This may explain the fact that Mela mentions Sesamus and Cromna as cities of Paphlagonia, and does not mention Amastris.
The territory of Amastris produced a great quantity of boxwood, which grew on Mount Cytorus. Its tyrant Eumenes presented the city of Amastris to Ariobarzanes of Pontus in c. 265?260 BC rather than submit it to domination by Heraclea, and it remained in the Pontic kingdom until its capture by Lucius Lucullus in 70 BC in the second Mithridatic War. The younger Pliny, when he was governor of Bithynia and Pontus, describes Amastris, in a letter to Trajan, as a handsome city, with a very long open place (platea), on one side of which extended what was called a river, but in fact was a filthy, pestilent, open drain. Pliny obtained the emperor's permission to cover over this sewer. On a coin of the time of Trajan, Amastris has the title Metropolis. It continued to be a town of some note to the seventh century of our era.
The city was not abandoned in Byzantine Era, when the acropolis was trasformed in a fortress and the still surviving church was built. But it was in 1261 that Amastris regained part of its former importance; in that year the town was taken by the Italian city-state of Genoa in its bid to obtain sole control of the Black Sea trade. Genoese domination ended in 1460 when the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II conquered the hole Anatolian shores of the Black Sea, forcing its inhabitants to move to Istanbul. The Greeks were replaced with Turkish villagers and the church became a mosque, the town losing most of its former importance.
Distances & Travel TimesAnkara: 310 km (193 miles) S, 6 hoursBartin: 16 km (10 miles) S, 25 minutesIstanbul: 374 km (232 miles) W, 7 hoursKastamonu: 197 km (122 miles) E, 4 hoursSafranbolu: 90 km (56 miles) S, 2 hoursSamsun: 480 km (298 miles) E, 9 hours by carSinop: 312 km (194 miles) E, 7 hours by car (no direct bus service)Zonguldak: 100 km (62 miles) W, 2 hours
Amasra is a historical seaport built on a peninsula. For centuries there have been two bays and two islands that have welcomed mariners from across the seas. And five hills, each more beautiful than the last. Looking down from Boztepe (or Sandy Hill) is one of the most spectacular scenes ever to be seen. The night-lights and the evening shadows are a subtle invitation to follow the road from the center of town over the historical bridge. One of the most beautiful towns on the Black Sea coast, was called Sesamos in ancient times, when it was founded by the Miletians in the sixth century B.C. it stands on a peninsula split by two inlets. The eastern side enjoys a reputation for good swimming. On the rocky promontry rise the ramparts of the Byzantine citadel, inside of which is an old church, now the Fatih Mosque. The necropolis dates from the Roman period. Remnants from Amasra?s entire history are displayed in the Archaeology Museum. You can purchase a handcarved wood souvenir on Cekiciler street. Continuing eastward along the coast, you arrive at Cakraz, a typical fishing village with excellent beaches, friendly accommodations and restaurants. The winding road between Cakraz and Inebolu has steep mountainsides and offers a spectular panoramic view.
Amasra is mostly a fishing town. The townspeople for centuries have always loved the sea and fish and the town has been a favored port in the stormy Black Sea. The fishermen have remained at port awaiting the end of the storm and during the severe winter months the houses of Amasra have harbored fishermen for whole six-month seasons as they awaited the coming of spring. The sea and fish continued to play an important role in the development of contemporary tourism in the area. The boarding-houses in the town are run by the townspeople. The people of Amasra opened their houses to tourists long before the first hotel or boarding-house was built to accommodate visitors. It has been felt as an obligation to establish a museum in Amasra, as this city is a centre of archaic settlement and rich in terms of historical monuments. Many activities were carried out for long years under the leadership of the poet - author Tahir Karao?z to establish a museum in Amasra. The building was opened to visitors on January 30th, 1982 upon the completion of restoration work. The museum is on a single floor and has 4 exhibition halls, 2 of which are archaeological and 2 of which are ethnographic halls. Most of the monuments in the exhibition halls were collected from Amasra and its environs.
No. 1 Archaeological Monument Hall: Small findings belonging to Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Eras are being exhibited in this hall. Earthenware and glass vessels for perfume and collecting tears, golden and bronze burial ornaments, various kinds of amphora and jugs recovered from the sea are also exhibited in this hall. There are also bronze statues, bracelets, fishing hooks, crucifixes, weapons, oil - lamps and vessels of the same period. Besides, golden, silver and bronze coins of Hellenistic, Rome and Byzantine Times are exhibited as well.
No. 2 Archaeological Monument Hall: This hall is wholly allocated to the marble monuments of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Genoese Eras. Statues, statue heads, grave steles, various embossed architectural objects are exhibited in this hall.
No. 1 Ethnographical Monument Hall: Small monuments of the Late Ottoman Period are exhibited in this hall. These monuments include copper kitchen vessels, weapons, writing sets, candlesticks, stamps, scales, ceramics, rings and vessels reflecting tree drawings, an art specific to the Amasra region.
No. 2 Ethnographic Monument Hall: Clothes reflecting the customary clothing of the region and silver ornaments belonging to Late Ottoman Period are exhibited in this hall. There are also bedding and bed covers, Korans, carpets, small bags and old wall clocks in this hall. In addition, a Mediterranean map dated 1852, printed in the printing press of the palace, is exhibited in the corridor of the museum. There are stone monuments of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Genoese Times in the garden of the museum.
History
Situated in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, the original city seems to have been called Sesamus, and it is mentioned by Homer in conjunction with Cytorus. Stephanus says that it was originally called Cromna; but in another place , where he repeats the statement, he adds, as it is said; but some say that Cromna is a small place in the territory of Amastris, which is the true account. The place derived its name Amastris from Amastris, the niece of the last Persian king Darius III, who was the wife of Dionysius, tyrant of Heraclea, and after his death the wife of Lysimachus. Four small Ionian colonies, Sesamus, Cytorus, Cromna, also mentioned in the Iliad , and Tium, were combined by Amastris, after her separation from Lysimachus5, to form the new community of Amastris, placed on a small river of the same name and occupying a peninsula. Tium, says Strabo, soon detached itself from the community, but the rest kept together, and Sesamus was the acropolis of Amastris. From this it appears that Amastris was really a confederation or union of three places, and that Sesamus was the name of the city on the peninsula. This may explain the fact that Mela mentions Sesamus and Cromna as cities of Paphlagonia, and does not mention Amastris.
The territory of Amastris produced a great quantity of boxwood, which grew on Mount Cytorus. Its tyrant Eumenes presented the city of Amastris to Ariobarzanes of Pontus in c. 265?260 BC rather than submit it to domination by Heraclea, and it remained in the Pontic kingdom until its capture by Lucius Lucullus in 70 BC in the second Mithridatic War. The younger Pliny, when he was governor of Bithynia and Pontus, describes Amastris, in a letter to Trajan, as a handsome city, with a very long open place (platea), on one side of which extended what was called a river, but in fact was a filthy, pestilent, open drain. Pliny obtained the emperor's permission to cover over this sewer. On a coin of the time of Trajan, Amastris has the title Metropolis. It continued to be a town of some note to the seventh century of our era.
The city was not abandoned in Byzantine Era, when the acropolis was trasformed in a fortress and the still surviving church was built. But it was in 1261 that Amastris regained part of its former importance; in that year the town was taken by the Italian city-state of Genoa in its bid to obtain sole control of the Black Sea trade. Genoese domination ended in 1460 when the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II conquered the hole Anatolian shores of the Black Sea, forcing its inhabitants to move to Istanbul. The Greeks were replaced with Turkish villagers and the church became a mosque, the town losing most of its former importance.
Distances & Travel TimesAnkara: 310 km (193 miles) S, 6 hoursBartin: 16 km (10 miles) S, 25 minutesIstanbul: 374 km (232 miles) W, 7 hoursKastamonu: 197 km (122 miles) E, 4 hoursSafranbolu: 90 km (56 miles) S, 2 hoursSamsun: 480 km (298 miles) E, 9 hours by carSinop: 312 km (194 miles) E, 7 hours by car (no direct bus service)Zonguldak: 100 km (62 miles) W, 2 hours
Amasra
Amasra is one of the most beautiful towns along the Black Sea coast poised on a peninsula split by two inlets. The site was first settled in the 12th century B.C. and named after the Persian Princess Amastris. After you leave Ankara and drive towards Bartın you will be accompanied, to one side, by a beautiful mountain panorama that marches along the road for miles. The northeast road will lead you to Amasra. There are two routes. One goes via Gerede-Mengen-Devrek and Bartın. The other is via Gerede-Karabük and Safranbolu. Because the coastal roads to the east and west are not well maintained, Amasra gets only a moderate number of summer visitors, keeping it pleasant and relatively undeveloped.
This cozy holiday district also has two islands, one of which is rowing distance in a small boat, while the other is connected to the main-land with a Roman vault used as a bridge.
There are various activities you can enjoy while in Amasra. First of all, you can rent a boat and explore the coastal environs. You can climb to the summit of the Rabbit Island where a population of gray, black and white rabbits, hop around the caves and enjoy the view of Amasra from the sea. Among the other sites are Fatih mosque - which was previously a church - the hamam and the theater. Remnants of Amasra's long and interesting history are displayed in the Amasra Museum. You can purchase hand-carved wood souvenirs on Çekiciler Street. Check of the toy helicopters fashioned from nutshells, the ships from seashells, and other curiosities from fish bones. Local craftsmen produce a "wish table" in the shape of a heart with a turtle model on for export to Italy. It is also a fisherman district and has several good fish restaurants with local produce. Canlı Balık and Çeşm-i Cihan are the most famous ones. Don't miss the fried mussels and salad.
Continuing eastward along the coast, you arrive at Cakraz, a typical fishing village with excellent beaches, friendly accommodations and restaurants. The winding road between Cakraz and İnebolu has steep mountainsides and offers a spectacular panoramic view. The eastern Amasra enjoys a reputation for good swimming besides Çakraz and Bozköy and Akkonak offer the best beaches.
Hotels and pensions are neat and cozy however the climate is a bit cool and bring something heavy with you.
Canlı Balık RestaurantKüçük Liman CaddesiTel: (378) 315 26 06
amasra
This cozy holiday district also has two islands, one of which is rowing distance in a small boat, while the other is connected to the main-land with a Roman vault used as a bridge.
There are various activities you can enjoy while in Amasra. First of all, you can rent a boat and explore the coastal environs. You can climb to the summit of the Rabbit Island where a population of gray, black and white rabbits, hop around the caves and enjoy the view of Amasra from the sea. Among the other sites are Fatih mosque - which was previously a church - the hamam and the theater. Remnants of Amasra's long and interesting history are displayed in the Amasra Museum. You can purchase hand-carved wood souvenirs on Çekiciler Street. Check of the toy helicopters fashioned from nutshells, the ships from seashells, and other curiosities from fish bones. Local craftsmen produce a "wish table" in the shape of a heart with a turtle model on for export to Italy. It is also a fisherman district and has several good fish restaurants with local produce. Canlı Balık and Çeşm-i Cihan are the most famous ones. Don't miss the fried mussels and salad.
Continuing eastward along the coast, you arrive at Cakraz, a typical fishing village with excellent beaches, friendly accommodations and restaurants. The winding road between Cakraz and İnebolu has steep mountainsides and offers a spectacular panoramic view. The eastern Amasra enjoys a reputation for good swimming besides Çakraz and Bozköy and Akkonak offer the best beaches.
Hotels and pensions are neat and cozy however the climate is a bit cool and bring something heavy with you.
Canlı Balık RestaurantKüçük Liman CaddesiTel: (378) 315 26 06
amasra
Amasra, Turkey
Amasra is a pretty little town off by itself, set on a fortified promontory jutting northward into the Black Sea.
Because the coastal roads to east and west are not all that good, Amasra gets only a moderate number of summer visitors, keeping it pleasant and relatively undeveloped.
If you visit the charming historic town of Safranbolu, come to Amasra (ah-MAHSS-rah, pop. 7000) for a night or two of seaside relaxation, explore the fortress, and take a dip in the chilly Black Sea.
Bus and car are the only ways to get here. Intercity buses serve Bartin, the provincial capital 16 km (10 miles) to the south, from which you take a minibus to Amasra. The nearest airport is at Ankara, the nearest train station at Zonguldak.
By the way, don't confuse the Black Sea town of Amasra with the Central Anatolian mountain town of Amasya, 130 km (81 miles) south of Samsun.
If you plan to head east from Amasra to Sinop (312 km, 194 miles) by car, allow most of the day for the trip along the narrow, winding road. Allow more than a day if you use the point-to-point local minibuses (there are no direct buses). It's probably faster--and certainly more comfortable--to take inland buses via Bartin and Kastamonu to Sinop.
Because the coastal roads to east and west are not all that good, Amasra gets only a moderate number of summer visitors, keeping it pleasant and relatively undeveloped.
If you visit the charming historic town of Safranbolu, come to Amasra (ah-MAHSS-rah, pop. 7000) for a night or two of seaside relaxation, explore the fortress, and take a dip in the chilly Black Sea.
Bus and car are the only ways to get here. Intercity buses serve Bartin, the provincial capital 16 km (10 miles) to the south, from which you take a minibus to Amasra. The nearest airport is at Ankara, the nearest train station at Zonguldak.
By the way, don't confuse the Black Sea town of Amasra with the Central Anatolian mountain town of Amasya, 130 km (81 miles) south of Samsun.
If you plan to head east from Amasra to Sinop (312 km, 194 miles) by car, allow most of the day for the trip along the narrow, winding road. Allow more than a day if you use the point-to-point local minibuses (there are no direct buses). It's probably faster--and certainly more comfortable--to take inland buses via Bartin and Kastamonu to Sinop.
Amasra
Amasra (anticamente chiamata Amastris) è una piccola città portuale sulla costa anatolica del Mar Nero; conta circa 7000 abitanti e fa parte della Provincia di Bartın, in Turchia. La città è oggi apprezzata per le sue spiagge e per il paesaggio naturale, che hanno reso il turismo l'attività principale dei suoi abitanti.
Indice[nascondi]
1 Storia
2 Curiosità
3 Bibliografia
4 Note
//
Storia [modifica]
Situata nell'antica regione della Paflagonia, il suo nome originale sembra sia stato Sesamo, ed è menzionata da Omero[1] insieme alla città di Citoro. Stefano di Bisanzio[2] dice che originariamente la città si chiamava Cromna; ma in un'altra frase [3], dove ripete l'affermazione, aggiunge che alcuni sostengono che Cromna sia solamente una piccola località nel territorio di Amastris. Una testimonianza simile viene riportata anche da Omero, nell'Iliade[4].
Il territorio di Amastris in antichità produceva una grande quantità di legno di bosso, che cresceva sul monte Citoro.
Il nome della città deriva da quello della principessa Amastris, nipote di Dario III, ultimo imperatore persiano della dinastia achemenide, che fu dapprima moglie di Dionisio, tiranno di Eraclea Pontica, e dopo la sua morte fu moglie di Lisimaco, uno dei Diadochi. Amastris, dopo la sua separazione da Lisimaco[5], unì quattro piccole colonie ioniche (cioè Tium, Sesamo, Citoro e Cromna – anche quest'ultima mezionata nell'Iliade[6]) per formare la nuova comunità di Amastris, situata lungo un piccolo fiume dello stesso nome e su di una penisola[7]. Tium, dice Strabone, si staccò ben presto dalla comunità, ma le altre cittadine restarono unite, e Sesamo divenne l'acropoli di Amastris. Si suppone quindi che Amastris in realtà non fosse una città ma una confederazione o unione di tre località, e che Sesamo fosse il nome dell'insediamento nella penisola. Questa ipotesi può spiegare il fatto che Pomponio Mela[8] cita Sesamo e Cromna come città della Paflagonia, mentre non menziona Amastris[9].
Intorno al 265–260 a.C., Eumene, tiranno di Amastris, offrì la città a Ariobarzane del Ponto piuttosto che farla cadere sotto il dominio di Eraclea. Amastris rimase a far parte del regno del Ponto fino a quando fu conquistata da Lucio Licinio Lucullo nel 70 a.C. nel corso della seconda guerra mitridatica[10].
Plinio il Giovane, mentre era governatore di Bitinia e Ponto, in una lettera a Traiano[11], descrisse Amastris come una bella città, con un lungo viale (platea), fiancheggiato su un lato da un corso d'acqua, che in realtà era un canale di scolo sporco e nauseante; Plinio ottenne dall'imperatore il permesso di ricoprirlo. In una moneta del periodo di Traiano, Amastris è nominata con il titolo di Metropoli. Continuò ad essere una città di una certa importanza fino al VII secolo.
La città non venne abbandonata nel periodo bizantino, quando l'acropoli venne trasformata in una fortezza e la chiesa, tuttora esistente, venne costruita. Amastris ritornò ad essere un centro di una certa importanza nel 1261: in quell'anno la città fu conquistata dalla repubblica di Genova, nel tentativo di ottenere il monopolio dei commerci del Mar Nero. La dominazione genovese terminò nel 1460 quando il sultano ottomano Mehmed II conquistò le coste anatoliche del Mar Nero, costringendo i suoi abitanti a fuggire a Costantinopoli. I greci furono sostituiti da abitanti turchi, la chiesa fu trasformata in moschea e la città perse molta della sua precedente importanza.
Curiosità [modifica]
Amasra è gemellata con la cittadina italiana di Fontaniva grazie ad un Progetto, "Progetto Paflagonia", che identifica questa città come l'antica area citata da Omero, II libro dell'Iliade, versi 850-855, con il nome di Sesamo. Tra Fontaniva e Amasra è in atto un gemellaggio, esteso anche tra la Provincia di Bartin e la Provincia di Padova. Dal 2001 sono attivi una serie di contatti, scambi, visite, rapporti commerciali, iniziative archeologiche e di restauro.
amasra
Indice[nascondi]
1 Storia
2 Curiosità
3 Bibliografia
4 Note
//
Storia [modifica]
Situata nell'antica regione della Paflagonia, il suo nome originale sembra sia stato Sesamo, ed è menzionata da Omero[1] insieme alla città di Citoro. Stefano di Bisanzio[2] dice che originariamente la città si chiamava Cromna; ma in un'altra frase [3], dove ripete l'affermazione, aggiunge che alcuni sostengono che Cromna sia solamente una piccola località nel territorio di Amastris. Una testimonianza simile viene riportata anche da Omero, nell'Iliade[4].
Il territorio di Amastris in antichità produceva una grande quantità di legno di bosso, che cresceva sul monte Citoro.
Il nome della città deriva da quello della principessa Amastris, nipote di Dario III, ultimo imperatore persiano della dinastia achemenide, che fu dapprima moglie di Dionisio, tiranno di Eraclea Pontica, e dopo la sua morte fu moglie di Lisimaco, uno dei Diadochi. Amastris, dopo la sua separazione da Lisimaco[5], unì quattro piccole colonie ioniche (cioè Tium, Sesamo, Citoro e Cromna – anche quest'ultima mezionata nell'Iliade[6]) per formare la nuova comunità di Amastris, situata lungo un piccolo fiume dello stesso nome e su di una penisola[7]. Tium, dice Strabone, si staccò ben presto dalla comunità, ma le altre cittadine restarono unite, e Sesamo divenne l'acropoli di Amastris. Si suppone quindi che Amastris in realtà non fosse una città ma una confederazione o unione di tre località, e che Sesamo fosse il nome dell'insediamento nella penisola. Questa ipotesi può spiegare il fatto che Pomponio Mela[8] cita Sesamo e Cromna come città della Paflagonia, mentre non menziona Amastris[9].
Intorno al 265–260 a.C., Eumene, tiranno di Amastris, offrì la città a Ariobarzane del Ponto piuttosto che farla cadere sotto il dominio di Eraclea. Amastris rimase a far parte del regno del Ponto fino a quando fu conquistata da Lucio Licinio Lucullo nel 70 a.C. nel corso della seconda guerra mitridatica[10].
Plinio il Giovane, mentre era governatore di Bitinia e Ponto, in una lettera a Traiano[11], descrisse Amastris come una bella città, con un lungo viale (platea), fiancheggiato su un lato da un corso d'acqua, che in realtà era un canale di scolo sporco e nauseante; Plinio ottenne dall'imperatore il permesso di ricoprirlo. In una moneta del periodo di Traiano, Amastris è nominata con il titolo di Metropoli. Continuò ad essere una città di una certa importanza fino al VII secolo.
La città non venne abbandonata nel periodo bizantino, quando l'acropoli venne trasformata in una fortezza e la chiesa, tuttora esistente, venne costruita. Amastris ritornò ad essere un centro di una certa importanza nel 1261: in quell'anno la città fu conquistata dalla repubblica di Genova, nel tentativo di ottenere il monopolio dei commerci del Mar Nero. La dominazione genovese terminò nel 1460 quando il sultano ottomano Mehmed II conquistò le coste anatoliche del Mar Nero, costringendo i suoi abitanti a fuggire a Costantinopoli. I greci furono sostituiti da abitanti turchi, la chiesa fu trasformata in moschea e la città perse molta della sua precedente importanza.
Curiosità [modifica]
Amasra è gemellata con la cittadina italiana di Fontaniva grazie ad un Progetto, "Progetto Paflagonia", che identifica questa città come l'antica area citata da Omero, II libro dell'Iliade, versi 850-855, con il nome di Sesamo. Tra Fontaniva e Amasra è in atto un gemellaggio, esteso anche tra la Provincia di Bartin e la Provincia di Padova. Dal 2001 sono attivi una serie di contatti, scambi, visite, rapporti commerciali, iniziative archeologiche e di restauro.
amasra
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