55 · City guide
Samsun
Where the National Struggle began, city of two deltas
Samsun, stretching between the Kızılırmak and Yeşilırmak deltas, is the largest port city of the Central Black Sea. In the city where Mustafa Kemal landed on 19 May 1919, the Gazi Museum, the Onur Monument and the İlkadım Monument tell of the first days of the National Struggle; the Atatürk House in Havza was the first headquarters of that journey. The new Samsun Museum displays the mosaic and treasure of ancient Amisos, while the Tekkeköy caves and İkiztepe reveal the region's prehistory. The Kızılırmak Delta in Bafra, a Ramsar site, is the place for birdwatchers, and Şahinkaya Canyon in Vezirköprü is the spot for boat tours. The nail-free wooden mosques of Kavak and Çarşamba, Ladik's lake with floating islands and the Akdağ ski resort are inland surprises. Bafra pide, nokul and kaz tiridi (goose tirit) are the symbols of Samsun cuisine.
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Places
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Routes
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Where shall we explore?
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Castle
Akalan Castle
Atakum, Samsun
An ancient settlement castle on the plateau beside the Karadere in Atakum, surrounded by walls about 1 km long.
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Akdağ Ski Center
Ladik, Samsun
A ski center 7 km from Ladik, opened in 2009; according to Ministry sources, the only ski center in the Central Black Sea.
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Museum
Alaçam Population Exchange Museum
Alaçam, Samsun
A thematic ethnography museum displaying the belongings, documents and photographs of the exchangees who settled in and around Alaçam with the 1923 population exchange.
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Village and rural life
Ambarköy Open-Air Museum
Ladik, Samsun
An open-air museum on the 'living village' concept, with a water mill, wooden bridges and village-house re-creations.
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Amisos Hill
İlkadım, Samsun
A hill reached by cable car, with Hellenistic tumuli, offering a wide view of the Samsun coast.
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Asarkale, Rock Tombs and Postern
Bafra, Samsun
A castle on a huge rock mass overlooking the dam lake on the Kızılırmak, with a secret passage (postern) carved into the rock and rock tombs.
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Church
Ayaklıalan Church
Asarcık, Samsun
A 19th-century church on a hill above the village of Ayaklıalan in Asarcık, its roof collapsed but colorful decoration still on its walls.
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Nature park
Bayraktepe Nature Park
Tekkeköy, Samsun
A viewing and recreation area on a forested hill containing the remains of the old Samsun Castle, declared in 2015.
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Mosque
Bekdemir Nail-Free Mosque (Bekdemir Çivisiz Camii)
Kavak, Samsun
A wooden mosque dated 1596 in the village of Bekdemir in Kavak, built by fitting oak logs together without nails, with root-dye painted decoration.
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Great Mosque (Valide Mosque)
İlkadım, Samsun
The two-minaret Great Mosque (Valide Mosque) near Saathane, rebuilt in 1884 after the 1869 fire.
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Çakırlar Grove (Çakırlar Korusu)
Atakum, Samsun
A grove 19 km west of Samsun, one of the city's oldest known picnic and nature-walk areas.
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Çetinkaya Bridge
Bafra, Samsun
A 250-meter reinforced-concrete arched bridge built in 1937 in Bafra, associated with the wedding tradition of brides walking across it.
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Castle
Garpu Castle (Amazon Castle)
Salıpazarı, Samsun
An open-air temple popularly called Amazon Castle, on a rocky hill overlooking the Çarşamba Plain, known for its rock-cut stairs and Phrygian-type rock altar.
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Gazi Museum (Mıntıka Palas)
İlkadım, Samsun
The former Mıntıka Palas hotel where Mustafa Kemal stayed when he landed at Samsun on 19 May 1919; today a museum displaying Atatürk's belongings.
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Göğceli Mosque
Çarşamba, Samsun
A mosque dated to 1206 by carbon testing, built with the nail-free interlocking timber technique and still open for worship.
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Gölalan Waterfalls
Canik, Samsun
A series of waterfalls in the village of Gölalan in Canik, reached by a narrow path along the streambed.
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House museum
Havza Atatürk House Museum
Havza, Samsun
The former Mesudiye Hotel where Mustafa Kemal stayed from 25 May to 13 June 1919; the first headquarters of the War of Independence, now a free museum.
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İkiztepe Mound
Bafra, Samsun
A mound near Bafra that has yielded more than ten thousand artifacts from the pre-Hittite Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age.
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İlkadım Monument
İlkadım, Samsun
A monument by Hakkı Atamulu marking the site of the pier where Atatürk set foot in Samsun on 19 May 1919.
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Kızılırmak Delta Bird Sanctuary
Bafra, Samsun
The wetland that best preserves the natural character of the Black Sea coast; a Ramsar site with lakes, reed beds and a birdwatching tower.
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Kunduz Forests
Vezirköprü, Samsun
A forested tourism area in Vezirköprü at an altitude of 1,100–1,500 meters, with a large camping area and highland houses.
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Lake Ladik (Ladik Gölü)
Ladik, Samsun
An intriguing natural lake and birdwatching area of 870 hectares on the Ladik Plain, with floating islands made of peat.
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Mater Dolorosa Church
İlkadım, Samsun
A Catholic church built in 1846, named Mater Dolorosa since 1885, open for worship and visits.
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Miliç Beach
Terme, Samsun
A beach in Terme where pine forest meets the sand, with a camping and caravan area.
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Nebiyan Highland (Nebiyan Yaylası)
19 Mayıs, Samsun
A green highland in 19 Mayıs around Nebiyan, at 1,224 meters the highest mountain in the area.
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Onur Monument (Monument of Honor)
İlkadım, Samsun
A bronze monument unveiled in 1932, showing Atatürk on a rearing horse; it was made with donations from the people of Samsun.
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Şahinkaya Canyon
Vezirköprü, Samsun
A canyon about 5 km long formed by the Kızılırmak within the Altınkaya Dam Lake, toured by boat.
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Samsun City Museum
İlkadım, Samsun
A city museum in former railway buildings dating from 1928, telling the story of Samsun's history, culture and daily life through thematic areas.
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Samsun Museum
İlkadım, Samsun
The largest museum in the Black Sea Region, with the Amisos mosaic and Amisos Treasure; archaeology and ethnography in its new wave-shaped building.
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Seyyid Kutbiddin Mosque and Tomb
İlkadım, Samsun
A brick mosque with a wooden portico, dated 1292 according to its inscription, and the tomb beside it; among Samsun's oldest buildings.
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Simenit and Akgöl (Gölyazı Lakes)
Terme, Samsun
The Simenit, Akgöl and Silindir lakes in Terme, connected by channels; a wildlife area with more than 200 bird species.
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Reservoir and pond
Suat Uğurlu Dam Lake (Ayvacık)
Ayvacık, Samsun
A forested dam-lake shore dividing Ayvacık into two sides, known for boat trips, canoeing and angling.
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Mosque
Taceddin İbrahim Paşa Mosque
Vezirköprü, Samsun
Vezirköprü's historic mosque, built around 1495 according to its waqf deed as an imaret with a zaviye and later converted into a mosque.
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Bridge
Historic Çarşamba Bridge
Çarşamba, Samsun
A historic bridge over the Yeşilırmak in Çarşamba, opened in 1931, with 10 spans and 270 meters long; today open to pedestrians only.
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Hammam (Turkish bath)
Historic Şifa Hamam
İlkadım, Samsun
A historic building near Saathane Meydanı, dated to the 15th century, operating as a hamam again after its 2021 restoration.
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Tekkeköy Caves Archaeological Valley and Museum House
Tekkeköy, Samsun
An archaeological valley consisting of caves bearing traces of the Hittite and Bronze Ages and a museum house displaying replicas of the finds.
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Vezirköprü Clock Tower
Vezirköprü, Samsun
A clock tower in the Vezirköprü bazaar, built in 1908 and re-erected true to the original in 1959 after the 1943 earthquake.
Practical information
Machine translated — This content was machine-translated and may differ from the original Turkish text.- Note
- Bring mosquito repellent and binoculars to the Kızılırmak Delta; check museum hours at muze.gov.tr.
- Climate
- Mild and humid on the coast; inland, winters are colder and snowier.
- Best time
- June–September for the coast and yaylas; spring and autumn for bird migrations in the delta; winter for skiing at Akdağ.
- Getting there
- Samsun-Çarşamba Airport; Samsun Port and rail connections; a tram in the city and a cable car to Amisos Hill.
- Getting around
- The museums in İlkadım, the Saathane area and the seafront monuments are walkable along the tram line.