Trabzon, the modern name for ancient and medieval Trebizond. The port city lies on the precipitous southern shores of the Black Sea, not far from the Georgian border. Between 1204 and 1461 it was the capital city of a small but wealthy, Neo-Byzantine Empire, which later became a byword, in the Western Europe remote and exotic. The ancient palace of the Trapezuntine emperors still dominates the town.
Monastery of Sumela, founded in 386 AD, which clings perilously to a sheer cliff-face. It was here that the emperors of the Ancient Trebizond were crowned in a suitably lofty and imperial setting. It is also the place to enjoy some of the most stunning views in the Black Sea, standing as it does 1200 meters above the alpine meadows of the Altindere Vadisi, “The Valley of the Golden River”.
The
magnificent church of Hagia Sophia, which is now artisans cherished
as a museum. It has been possible for the state artisans to uncover its
glorious, brilliantly colorful frescoes to enhance the church’s sculptural
decoration that is today of the highest interest to visitors, combining
elements of The Georgian, Armenian, Byzantine and Seljuk styles, all having
contributed to the rich cultural and historical mosaic of Turkey, continuing to
coexist in harmony and peace for hundreds of years.