following the funks

TURKEY: Top 3 sites in Amasya, Turkey

Little Recap:

Jason and I have talked about doing a Black Sea Road trip throughout the North East area of Turkey ever since we moved to Turkey, but it has never happened in the last 4 years of living here. On HIS birthday, Jason surprised me by setting aside some dates, finding tickets, renting a car, and making a ‘let’s go’ plan!  So in less than 10 days before leaving, we finalized our itinerary and booked all our lodging for 12 nights. It was a little stressful but we made it happen! ***Spoiler: It turned out to be an amazing time, to say the least.

COVID-19 has not made 2020 fun for anyone, even us living the expat life in Turkey, and traveling in the midst of the virus meant we had to be extra careful and mindful of our exposure. You can check out some of our other travels during COVID times to Kalkan this past summer.

Now on to Amasya!

Amasya will charm your socks off and you may just decide to relax in this little town for longer. It will for sure make you want to come back and just slow your pace of life to match this little peaceful mountain life.

Located 2 hours SouthWest of Samsun, Amasya is the capital of the Amasya province in the Black Sea region. This area is famous for its juicy apples (which we have tried in Izmir but not there ironically!). Amasya’s history dates back around 7,500 years, was home of the famous Greek Strabo. The well fortified area produced many kings, artists, philosophers, and sultans throughout the centuries.

The most appealing beauty that draws people to Amasya today are the Ottoman era houses, also known as Yalıboyu Evleri. Carved into the cliff jetting up behind these homes are rock tombs of former Pontus kings who once ruled this area. History lovers, especially Ottoman ones, are drawn to this location as the birthplace of sultan Murad I and Selim I.

Wether you love the beauty of a rivertown, climbing mountains, or history, everyone can find something to love about Amasya. Read on to read our recommendations for Rize.

What you should see and do in Amaysa, Turkey:

1. Amasya Castle aka Harşena Castle:

• Overlooking the city at 227 meters Harşena mountain, the Amasya Castle or Fortress has 3 different levels. Built during the Pontiac Kingdom, this fortress has undergone tons of changes, additions, and rebuilds over the centuries as it was attacked by the Persian, Roman, Pontus and Byzantine Empires. Shortly in the 18th century, it lost its strategic importance and was no longer necessary.
• Although modern stairways make it accessible to reach the top, it is still a long steep (aka. not the easiest) climb to the top – (check out our video to see why)! Along the way you will pass city walls, 8 levels of defenses, living quarters, cisterns, public baths, and maiden’s palace.

2. Rock Tombs

• One can’t miss the ancient rock tombs (Kral Kaya Mezarları in Turkish) carved into the rock of Harşena. The impressive manmade tombs of the kings of Pontus are visible from almost every spot in Amasya. The Royal Necropolis is the first and the only necropolis of the royal family in the world.
• By day visitors can climb the old stars to see the 18 rock tombs measuring between 8-15 meters in height unclose and get a unique view of the city. By night they are illuminated for all to see from the riverside. Remember the Greek philosopher Strabo? Yeah, he first wrote about this Pontus Kings tombs back in 40 B.C.

3. Take a walk along the riversides:

• This will most likely be the first thing you do when you get to town, like we did. However, If you have time, I always suggest to start at the highest point (see #1- the castle) and work your way down!
• But the serenity and peacefulness that extends from the calm waterways jutted with Ottoman style homes will definitely be the reason you fall in love with this town. Not to mention the background views of the mountain with its previously mentioned rock tombs and crowning castle walls.

BONUS: Nearby (ish) Unesco Hattusha Hittite Capital:

• If you decided to drive from Ankara to Amasya like us, you will pass right through Boğazkale District of Çorum Province, home to Uncesco site of Hattusha, the once Hittite capital. Monumental for it’s time the city wall of more than 8 km in length surrounds the whole city and speaks to the urban organization for its time. Some of the construction, rich ornamentation, ensemble of rock art date back to the 13th century B.C! The 6 km road made it easy to drive around this spread out site in see it all in 1-2 hours, depending on how long you stay at each stop – walking all of it would take all day (and exhausting).
• Completely overlooked and forgotten by foreign tourist, it is a hidden gem I wished we had had more time to explore! The Çorum museum in Çorum city is home to some of the historical findings and statues that can no longer weather the outdoors. If you do have time and love ancient stuff, definitely check out the museum in Çorum museum city. (We are sad we didn’t have time!) As well, several different historical sites like Örenyeri and Kalehisar Kalesi are all located in this area.

Our other tips for this area:

Getting There:

• For our road trip, we flew from Izmir to Ankara on Pegasus Airlines and drove a rental car from Ankara to Rize- stopping in Amasya, Samsun, Ordu, and Trabzon along the way.
• The closest airport to Amasya area is the Samsun plus a 2 hour drive inland. Like I said, not the closest to the Black Sea but still a major historical significance to the Black Sea Region that we do NOT regret stopping here!

Lodging: 

• Çifte Konak Butik Otel: Nice hotel in an old Ottoman style home. Good Turkish breakfast and walkable to the riverside and downtown area. You can see a little more about this in our video.

Restaurants: 

• Amaseia Mutfagi: Recommended by a friend, this little restaurant has amazing views being right on the riverside. The food was very reasonably price and not disappoint. But the service was definitely lacking.

Nearby:

• If you are looking for a few extra stops, NorthEast-bound Samsun is located right on the Black Sea. Enjoy a night there, hang out on the coastline, and ride the cable car up the hill side.

Overall, Amasya is totally overlooked by tourist. If you want an authentic Turkish city and feel, this is a must stop on your Black Sea Road Trip. It is totally worth coming inland for a night or 2!

You can Explore Amasya with us over on our Following The Funks YouTube Channel via our video Explore Amasya.

Comment below and let me know about some of the questions below:

• Do you want to travel to Amasya now?
• Have you traveled to Amasya before?
• If so, what did you love? What did we miss?!

Other Black Sea Road Trip Post and Videos:

• SPOILERS: Instagram highlights
• My top 5 tools video for how we planned our travels – VIDEO
• Part 1: Explore Ankara, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 2: Explore Amasya, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 3: Explore Samsun, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 4: Explore Ordu, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 5: Explore Trabzon Part 1, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 6: Explore Rize ParT 1, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 7: Explore Rize PART 2, Turkey – VIDEO
• Part 8: BSRT FINALE! Explore Trabzon Part 2, Turkey – VIDEO

TURKEY: Top 5 sites in Ordu, Turkey (and a BONUS one)

Little Recap:

Jason and I have talked about doing a Black Sea Road trip throughout the North East area of Turkey ever since we moved to Turkey, but it has never happened in the last 4 years of living here. On HIS birthday, Jason surprised me by setting aside some dates, finding tickets, renting a car, and making a ‘let’s go’ plan!  So in less than 10 days before leaving, we finalized our itinerary and booked all our lodging for 12 nights. It was a little stressful but we made it happen! ***Spoiler: It turned out to be an amazing time, to say the least.

COVID-19 has not made 2020 fun for anyone, even us living the expat life in Turkey, and traveling in the midst of the virus meant we had to be extra careful and mindful of our exposure. You can check out some of our other travels during COVID times to Kalkan this past summer.

Now on to Ordu!

Back in the 5th century BC, Ordu was the site of ancient Cotyora, founded by Greek colonists from Sinope. A lot like Samsun, it follows the history of most of the Turkish Republic being passed from one empire to the next.

At the turn of the 20th century, the city was more than half Christian (Greek and Armenian). Taşbaşı Church, a former Greek Orthodox church in the neighborhood Taşbaşı, is one of the only prominent surviving churches. It was first built in 1853, used as a prison between 1937-1977, and then restored in 1983 by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. The church, which was converted into a cultural center in 2000, continues to be transformed into an archaeological museum. It was closed when we went but we peeked at the outside from the fence. 

With a population of 220,000, Ordu is the capital of Ordu Province. The main city spans along the 10 kilometers of beautifully maintained public Black Sea coastline. Quickly become a modern symbol for the city, the Boztepe teleferik, or cable car transports passengers from the coast to the Boztepe hill, a good 550 m (1,800 ft) and is THE thing to do here.

As well, Ordu produces 25 percent (YES, TWENTY FIVE!) of the worldwide crop of hazelnuts (Turkey as a whole produces about 75 percent of the world’s hazelnuts). This was a fun stop for us and we would definitely come back!

Read on to know what you should see and do in Ordu, Turkey:

1. Teleferik and Boztepe

• Located 550 meters above sea level, Boztepe is the highest place in the city of Ordu. A quick 6-minute cable car ride takes you to a cobblestone road lined with little vendors selling everything from hazelnuts to little handmade trinkets. There are several little cafes, restaurants, and tea houses with a stunning view of the sea just waiting to serve visitors. For 15 TL a roundtrip ticket, it is one of the most affordable and enjoyable things to do in Ordu!
• I don’t know much about the paragliding but we did see a couple gliding through the air as we enjoy our cable car ride. This website can give you a few companies to check out if it interest you!

2. Ters Ev (Upside-down house)  

• Completed by Ordu Metropolitan Municipality in 2019, the Ters Ev (aka – Up-side Down House) is 150 square meter, 2 story home sitting on it’s roof and even has a small car ‘parked’ out front. A quick 2 minutes walk from the teleferik, visitors enjoy 2 of the cities most visited attractions.

3. Black Sea Coastline

• I mentioned this in our Samsun post too, but really, it’s a must! Take some time to just stroll down the 10 kilometers of seaside and even take a dip in the sea. Multiple beaches are positioned along the way equipped with restrooms, changing areas and even showers.

4. Hazelnuts

• Ok, not really a site but a ‘must-learn-about-and-try’ item! In between the Teleferik loading area and the Ters Ev lies an open market with several wooden stands for businesses to display their products.
• Like I mention, Ordu produces a whopping 25 percent of the worldwide crop of hazelnuts – that’s amazing! So you can imagine they sell almost everything imaginable that they can do with hazelnuts! One of our favorite stands, Meşhur Ordu Helva, treated us with a taste of hazelnut and walnut Helva, and we definitely ended up buying some to take with us.

5. Colorful Buildings of Downtown

• In my research about what to see in Ordu, NO one mentioned how COOL the downtown area is. A pedestrian-only street lined with colorful buildings where visitors can meander while window shopping is one of my favorite things! I wish we had more time to explore this area, but I was able to snap a few shots!

BONUS: Nearby Yason Kilisesi

• The location isn’t exactly in Ordu, but if you are driving from Samsun to Ordu, like we did, then take the detour to Yason Cape just before you get to Persembe. Do NOT miss it! I PROMISE if the weather is even somewhat good then this place is the best stop you can make!
• This small peninsula facing the sea is currently a governmental environmental protection area and there is no charge or touristy thing about it. Yason’s, or Jason in English (my Jason loved that!), Church built in 1868 by Georgians and Greeks still stands among the ruins of its garden wall. It is said the church was built in the place of an old temple that was built as a protector of the sailors of Black Sea‘s treacherous waters. The church held a similar mission.
• Nearby the church is a lighthouse and a quiet, beautiful area full of green grass and wild flowers. We even took a dip in the calm, little cove.

Our other tips for this area:

Getting There:

• For our road trip, we flew from Izmir to Ankara on Pegasus Airlines and drove a rental car from Ankara to Rize- stopping in Amasya, Samsun, Ordu, and Trabzon along the way.
• Looks like Pegasus Airlines may have a few direct flights from Izmir to the remote Ordu-Giresun airport. Otherwise, most flights will have 1 stopover via Istanbul airports.
• Istanbul has direct flights to the Ordu-Giresun airport.

Lodging: 

• Hampton by Hilton Ordu: Rooms are a little tight for space and we had some issues with our check-in. Otherwise, the location is PERFECT. It is literally 3 minute walk to the sea-side and restaurants.

Restaurants: 

• Tomur Cafe: Great outdoor space by the water. It is known more for it’s burgers, pizza, salad – not a traditional Turkish food restaurant.
• Our hotel provided breakfast, and we fill up on all the treats while touring in the morning so proper lunch was not necessary.

Nearby:

• If you are looking for a few extra stops, west-bound Samsun is the provincial capital and starting point of the 1919 Turkish War of Independence.
• As you continue eastward, Trabzon and Rize are next two stops you can not miss. Videos and blog post for this area coming soon!

Overall, Ordu is on our ‘visit again’ list. The beauty of the Black Sea and friendly people made want to come back for more! Even though a day is sufficient time for a short visit, I am sure a few more days would give you a deeper view into the city. You can explore Ordu with us over on our Following The Funks YouTube Channel via our Ordu video and see what all we did in our late afternoon/ morning visit!

Comment below and let me know about some of the questions below:

• Do you want to travel to Ordu now?
• Have you traveled to Ordu before?
• If so, what did you love? What did we miss?!

Check out our other locations on this road trip! This is just a piece of our 8 part video and blog post series of our road trip.

• SPOILERS: Instagram highlights
• My top 5 tools video for how we planned our travels – VIDEO
• Part 1: Explore Ankara, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 2: Explore Amasya, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 3: Explore Samsun, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 4: Explore Ordu, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 5: Explore Trabzon Part 1, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 6: Explore Rize ParT 1, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 7: Explore Rize PART 2, Turkey – VIDEO
• Part 8: BSRT FINALE! Explore Trabzon Part 2, Turkey – VIDEO

TURKEY: Top 5 sites in Samsun, Turkey

Jason and I have talked about doing a Black Sea Road trip throughout the North East area of Turkey ever since we moved to Turkey, but it has never happened in the last 4 years of living here. On HIS birthday, Jason surprised me by setting aside some dates, finding tickets, renting a car, and making a ‘let’s go’ plan!  So in less than 10 days before leaving, we finalized our itinerary and booked all our lodging for 12 nights. It was a little stressful but we made it happen!

***Spoiler: It turned out to be an amazing time, to say the least.

COVID-19 has not made 2020 fun for anyone, even us living the expat life in Turkey, and traveling in the midst of the virus meant we had to be extra careful and mindful of our exposure. You can check out some of our other travels during COVID times to Kalkan this past summer.

Samsun is the largest city, an important shipping port, and the traditional provincial capital of the Black Sea region of Turkey. We learned it was supposedly the home to the legendary Amazon warriors. According to Greek legends, these women warriors were famous for wielding bows and arrows and using double-headed axes for fighting in battles.

Samsun, like the rest of Turkey, has passed through the hands of many empires. One of the oldest names it holds is Amisos given by Miletusians (Miletus), which was one of the Ionian city-states, between 760-750 BC.

Unfortunately, most of Samsun was burnt to the ground by Genoese raiders in the 1400s. So, even though it is very old, there is not much old architecture left to enjoy.

Regardless, this city will always have a special in the republican history of Turkey. Samsun is the location of the start of the War of Turkish Independence in 1919 by the republic’s founder, Kemal Atatürk. The most famous symbolic monument in the town is a bronze statue depicting equestrian Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

Read on to know what you should see and do in Samsun, Turkey:

1.Amazon Warrior & Twin Lions Statues:

• Located near Bati Park in Baruthane along the seafront, the twin gold lion and Amazon warrior statues are hard to miss. A man-made canal runs through the center of the park. Supposedly, the park has lots of activities for children such as go-carting and play areas as well as plenty of wide shaded areas for picnicking. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there wasn’t much open. For a small fee currently 5 lira, you can also visit the nearby Amazon village.

2. Black Sea Coastline

• 14 kilometers of seaside…. just enjoy a long beautiful walk (hopefully if it’s not too windy!)

3. Amisos Hill and Gondola/Cable Car:  

• The first settlement in Samsun, formerly known as Amisos, was around 750 B.C. by the Milesians, a Hellenic civilization. While I didn’t see any ancient tombs, I heard there were some scattered along the walking path to see.
• At the top of the hill, a cafe with a stunning view of the sea waits for you to enjoy a cup of tea, or even a meal. The cable car is right beside the cafe. A quick 5-minute ride takes you down to the park close to the twin lions.

4. Onur Park/ Downtown

• Sandwiched between the seaside and downtown is a beautiful city park perfect to enjoy a chat with a friend or a well–equipped park for the kids. The Onur Anıtı positioned in the middle of the park depicts the equestrian Turkish founder, Ataturk, riding a horse.

5. All the Museum: (Unfortunately most do not have lots of English translations.)

• Bandirma Ship Museum – Entrance Fee: 5 TL – I wish we would have seen this one! The ship is a replica of the original ship that was destroyed in the 1920s. The ship reminds the visitors of Mustafa Kemal’s journey to the city in 1919 at the start of the War of Independence.
• Samsun City Museum – Good museum to learn about the city’s history. Even though most signs do not have English, there are supposedly audio guided tours recorded on a device in multiple languages.
• Archeological and Ethnographic Museum and, right next door, the Atatürk Museum

Our other tips for this area:

Getting There:

• For our road trip, we flew from Izmir to Ankara on Pegasus Airlines and drove a rental car from Ankara to Rize- stopping in Amasya, Samsun, Ordu, and Trabzon along the way.
• Pegasus Airlines and Turkish Airlines have daily flights from Istanbul to Samsun. No direct flights from Izmir unfortunately.
• Bus service is frequent and convenient to Samsun, especially with the Ulusoy company.

Lodging: 

• Park Inn by Radisson Samsun: Although it is in the next town over and not in the hussle and bustle of Samsun, we really enjoyed staying here. The hotel has high standard, a great room service menu, and a friendly staff making it one of my favorite hotels we stayed at on our 2 week trip (and we stayed in 7 different places!).

Restaurants: 

• no special recs (because we order room service at Park Inn and it was fantastic) but this is the side location we stopped at downtown at a local place a grabbed some pide for the road.

Nearby:

• If you are looking for a few extra stops, west-bound Sinop is the highest point along the Black Sea Coastline of Turkey.
• On the way to Ordu is a town called Giresun. It’s another easy little stop if you want to spend some more time experiencing the Black Sea Region.

Overall, Samsun is a must-see location for Turkish history buffs but otherwise, I would say a full-day visit (or 2 if you have kiddos that nap) should be sufficient. You can explore Samsun with us over on our Following The Funks YouTube Channel via our Samsun video and see what all we did in our late afternoon/ morning visit!

Comment below and let me know about some of the questions below:

• Do you want to travel to Samsun now?
• Have you traveled to Samsun before?
• If so, what did you love? What did we miss?!

Check out our other locations on this road trip! This is just a piece of our 8 part video and blog post series of our road trip.

• SPOILERS: Instagram highlights
• My top 5 tools video for how we planned our travels – VIDEO
• Part 1: Explore Ankara, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 2: Explore Amasya, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 3: Explore Samsun, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 4: Explore Ordu, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 5: Explore Trabzon Part 1, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 6: Explore Rize ParT 1, Turkey – POST and VIDEO
• Part 7: Explore Rize PART 2, Turkey – VIDEO
• Part 8: BSRT FINALE! Explore Trabzon Part 2, Turkey – VIDEO