Things to do in Trabzon
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Şişman Efes Pub
Now this is a proper pub: wooden tables, doodling barman, music drowned out by the general hubbub and the eponymous Efes beer served in 2.5L towers (around €8) on request.
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Aya Sofya Museum
One of Trabzon's star attractions, the Aya Sofya Museum, originally Hagia Sophia (Church of the Divine Wisdom), is 4km west of the centre on a terrace that once held a pagan temple. Built in the late Byzantine period, between 1238 and 1263, the church was clearly influenced by Georgian and Seljuk design, although the marvellous wall paintings and mosaic floors follow the prevailing Constantinople style.
It was converted to a mosque after the conquest in 1461, and later used as an ammunition storage depot and hospital by the Russians, before being fully restored in the 1960s.
Enter through the western entrance into the vaulted narthex to view the best-preserved, vividly col…
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Atatürk Villa
Escape busy Trabzon at the Atatürk Villa, 5km southwest of Atatürk Alanı. Set above Trabzon in a forested neighbourhood, it has fine views and lovely gardens. The three-storey white villa, designed in a Black Sea–style popular in the Crimea, was built between 1890 and 1903 for a wealthy Trabzon banking family, and given to Atatürk when he visited in 1924. It's now a museum of Atatürk memorabilia. Don't miss the simple table in the study with a map of the WWI Dardanelles campaign scratched into the wood.
City buses labelled 'Köşk', leave from the bus park opposite the old coast road (Devlet Sahil Yolu Caddesi) and drop you outside the villa (TL1.50). Don't get out at…
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Trabzon Museum
Just south of Uzun Sokak, this Italian-designed mansion was originally built for a Russian merchant in 1912 and inhabited briefly by Atatürk. The fantastic interiors and original furnishings put most Ottoman re-creations to shame, with a series of impressive high-ceilinged rooms displaying ethnographic and Islamic artefacts, mostly labelled in English. The basement archaeological section also has significant pieces, including a flattened bronze statue of Hermes from local excavations at Tabakhane and Byzantine finds from near Sumela.
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Boztepe Picnic Place
On the hillside 2km southeast of Atatürk Alanı, is the Boztepe Picnic Place (Boztepe Piknik Alanı), with fine views of the city and the sea, tea gardens and restaurants. In ancient times, Boztepe harboured temples to the Persian sun god Mithra. Later, the Byzantines built churches and monasteries here. Now it's a top place for a sunset beer.
From Atatürk Alanı, take a frequent Boztepe dolmuş (TL1.50) from near the southeastern end of Atatürk Alanı. The route goes uphill 2.2km to Boztepe park.
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Eyce Tours
Offers day trips to Sumela (TL20, departing 10am daily), Uzungöl (TL30, departing 10am daily) and Ayder (TL50, minimum six people).
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Çarşı Camii
Check out the recently restored Çarşı Camii in the lively bazaar district. It's to the west of Atatürk Alanı, in the Çarşı (Market) quarter, accessible by the pedestrianised Kunduracılar Caddesi from Atatürk Alanı, which cuts through the tightly packed streets of the ancient bazaar.
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Mevlana Kuruyemiş
Trabzon's renowned kuruyemiş (dried fruit) vendor also sells lokum (Turkish delight), helva (a traditional sweet made from sesame seeds), pestil (sheets of dried fruit) and excellent kestane balı (chestnut honey).
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Sıramağazalar Caddesi
Half a dozen shops along Sıramağazalar Caddesi sell jackets, bags and other garments, with alterations or made-to-measure fittings available - it's a prime area for leather goods. At time of research the standard asking price for a basic soft-leather jacket was US$100, maybe half what you'd pay in İstanbul.
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Taş Han
Close to the recently restored Çarşı Camii (Market Mosque), you'll see the Taş Han, a single-domed han (caravanserai) thought to have been constructed around 1647, making it the oldest marketplace in Trabzon. It's now full of workshops and stores.
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Russian Bazaar
Thanks to the influx of cheap goods and materials from the former Soviet territories, Trabzon is a good place to shop for clothes and other essentials, especially from the Russian Bazaar stalls; a T-shirt, complete with designer logo, should set you back just around €3.
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Sekiz Direkli Hamamı
Six hundred metres west of the Çarşı Camii, this is Trabzon's best Turkish bath. The rough-hewn pillars – 'Sekiz Direkli' translates to 'Eight Columns' – date from Seljuk times, although the rest of the building has been modernised. A few of the creaking old-timers who work here appear to be only slightly younger. They're damn strong though. Expect a very robust massage.
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Fevzi Hoca Balık-Köfte
There are no menus at this fish restaurant. Just choose your glistening beastie and it comes in a meal deal with salads, pickles and dessert. The hushed ambience makes it resemble somewhere you'd go with your parents for a birthday dinner. Cheaper köfte meals (TL7) are available if you're a bargain-seeking fish phobic. It's on the 1st floor of a shopping arcade.
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Brasserie Pera
The Pera brings full European bar-bistro style to Trabzon, from the pop art and plasma screens to the eccentric music policy. The menu takes in burgers, salads, pasta, chicken, plenty of lighter grills and a good range of beverages.
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Bordo Mavi
This cosmopolitan garden-cafe adjoins the clubhouse of Trabzonspor, the local football team. It's not at all boozy and noisy, though. The strongest drink you'll get is a Coke, and the excellent pizzas and pasta have an authentic tinge of Italy. Next door is a shop selling Trabzonspor merchandise. Blue and red is such a fetching combination, don't you think?
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Park Café & Restaurant
Tucked away behind a courtyard car park off Uzun Sokak, this 1st-floor family restaurant adds a refined, almost exclusive feel to the kebap experience. The hall underneath is popular for weddings and other big occasions.
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Gülbahar Hatun Camii
West of the centre, Gülbahar Hatun Camii (Mosque of the Ottomans) is another interesting mosque. It was built in 1514 by Selim the Grim, the great Ottoman conqueror of Syria and Egypt, in honour of his mother, Gülbahar Hatun. Next to it, there is a tea garden and a reconstructed wooden serander. Heading west on Zaǧnos Cadessi in the neighbourhood of Ortahisar, turn left into Şenol Güneş Caddesi.
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Stress Cafe
Stress? You must be joking. One of Trabzon's best live music and nargileh spots, the Stress Cafe is so laid-back it's almost horizontal. The Ottomans-R-Us decor is a bit naff, but this is a relaxing haven. Look for the backgammon-playing mannequins out front. Live music kicks off at 8pm most Friday and Saturday nights.
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Hürrem Sultan Sofrası
An above-average cafeteria restaurant in shades of pistachio, enlivening the usual kebap-grill spectrum with regional specialities such as muhlama and kuymak (melted cheese dishes).
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Atapark
Next to the Gülbahar Hatun Camii (Mosque Of The Ottomans), the Atapark has a tea garden for refreshments and a reconstructed wooden serander from a village further along the coast.
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Keyif Coffee & Tea Store
Trabzon's studenty types gather amidst Anglophile vintage sporting gear and leather armchairs to enjoy more than 200 varieties of hot beverage.
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Beer Time
Another hostelry in the same vein as the Şişman, but spread over two whole storeys, with wooden floors and a largely male crowd just avoiding that spit'n'sawdust feel.
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Cirav Fındık
Off Kahramanmaraş Caddesi, this tiny shop has served Trabzon folk hazelnuts and confectionery since 1940.
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Tuvana Café
Discreetly mounted on the 1st floor of a restored house, this quietly chic café-restaurant show some ambition in its dishes and some class in its presentation.
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