Information

Samsun is the ultimate gate of Anatolia that opens to Black Sea; a busy junction point on the transit way connecting Europe and Asia, and possesses the greatest water courses of Turkey. It is an important agricultural centre founded on a fertile delta between Kızılırmak and Yeşilırmak and a real natural paradise with its sea, forests and meadows.

Alternative tourism activities, an addiction for many people, as well as sea, sands and sun, the indispensible tourism trio, are performed in Samsun.

The natural beaches with lovely sands which are located along the coastal line from Yakakent to Terme are ideal for swimming. Green hills covered with pine groves extend to deep blue water on Yakakent Çamgölü locality. In the lovely coastal town of Yakakent, which enjoys a life which is one with the sea, is a spectacular sight with its unique beach.

The Kızılırmak Delta, which covers some of the lands of Alaçam, Bafra and 19 Mayıs Counties on the coastal line, is among the most interesting places of our country with its wetland flora and fauna. Galeriç Forest of deciduous trees, located on 19 Mayıs County, Yörükler locality, whose entire base is covered with water every spring is quite interesting from the point of wildlife.

Samsun also possesses important centres in terms of thermal tourism. Havza and Ladik thermal springs are health centres known for 2000 years. Two areas in Havza county, “25 Mayıs Thermal Tourism Centre” and “Havza Thermal Springs Locality”, have been declared as Thermal Tourism Centres. Hamamayağı Thermal spring in Ladik is among the primarly important and preferred thermal centres in our country. The water of Ladik Thermal Spring, who bears radioactive features has a stimulating effect on the organisms. Thus, the said water is called “the water of youth”. It has been medically proved that the water of Havza and Ladik Thermal Springs have a positive effect on the treatment of maladies like rheumatismal maladies, primarily, gynaecological diseases, neural diseases, joint problems and calcification.

Like other plateaus in Black Sea Region, the Plateaus of Samsun also are ready to embrace those who are thirsty for green, fresh air and silence. It is quite convenient to access to the plateaus of Samsun. Most Plateau roads are in such a good condition that one can even go to the plateaus by their personal vehicle. Ladik-Akdağ Plateasu, Vezirköprü-Mt. Kunduz Plateaus nestle beauties worth seeing separately in the summer and in the winter. The fact that Kunduz Plateaus are one with the texture of the forests and that the forest connect with the Altınkaya Dam Lake earn the locality an untold beauty. This place has quite convenient areas for hiking, water sports, fishing, motorboat tours, camping as well as plateau torusim. Moreover, there is an accommodation installation in the region. Plateau revelries have been made since 1997 on Ladik-Akdağ Plateau. Ladik has been declared “Akdağ Tourism Centre”.

Samsun attracts attention with its historical areas as well as its natural beauty. Cave-castle settlements in Tekkeköy, used as places of settlemen in Palaeolithic Age; Bafra İkiztepe, which has continuously been used as habitation since 5000 B.C., Asarkale, coming up to today since 3000 years ago, which is located in Bafra Kızılırmak Valley and whose fortification walls, galleries and stairs are still seen and sepulchres of the Paphlagones, Garpu Castle in Bafra Kızılırmak Valley which is related to the Amazons are worth seeing.

One can see the most beautiful examples of Anatolian Woodwork Architecture in Samsun. Göğceli Mosque in Çarşamba is the most interesting among them. Whereas the exact date of building of the structure, in whose construction not a single nail was used, is unknowns, it has been standing intact for approximately 800 years.

Revelries-Festivals

International Folk Dances FestivalUluslararası Halk Dansları Festivali
Hıdırellez
Water-melon Festival

Wrestling at Bengü Karakucak
Altın Fındık Oiled Wrestling

Yaşar Doğu Revelry

Traditional Wrestling and Horce Racing in Karakucak

Is organized in Asarcık county in the closing days of September and on Sundays.

Yeşilırmak Culture and Arts revelry

Lake District Wrestling

Geyikkoşan Hıdrellez Revelry and Oiled Wrestling:

Hüseyin Dede Revelry

Neyzen Tevfik Culture Revelry

Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Cultur, Arts and Sports Festival

.Golden Rice Festival

Gölyazı International Amazon Festival:

Black Sea Short Movie Festival

Sea Games Festival
Akdağ Plateau Revelry

Handicrafts
Handicrafts in the Province of Samsun are various and many. However, like in the rest of our country, handicrafts have unfortunately fallen against the developing technology and industry in our province as well, thus, a part of our hanficrafts, our traditional culture element, has been lost, corrupted or altered. Despite all the negativities, some of the handicrafts struggling for their existence like carpets and rugs, fabric, masonry, embroidery, shoemaking, woodcarving, copper engraving, straw fabric, basket weaving, sock making, sash fabric, woodcarwing etc. have been detected in our region. Today, though not common, production is still on for the purposes of using or need.

Museums

Museum of Archaeology and Ethnnography

The Museum, founded in 1981 with the pieces of the old Province Museum, was opened on 19 May 1981 in the former fair area. The Museum consists of a central hall and two lateral halls built symmetrically. Mosaic artefacts found in Amisos are displayed in the central hall. On the mosaic base, the most eye catching work in this hall, various mythological scenes have been symmetrically embroidered.

Artefacts from the Calcholithic, First Bronze Age, Hittite, Hellenistic and Roman ages are chronologically displayed in the hall located to the right of the central hall. In the other lateral hall, works of ethnographic quality that have been inherited from the Samsun locality, and Bindallıs (embroidered clothes), napkins, boleros, money and chain watch bags, hand-written Korans, knickknacks, weapons, kitchen utensil, rugs, carpets etc. are displayed. Artefacts from the Hellenistic, roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman ages are displayed in the Museum yard.

Gazi Museum

Re-restored in 2006, Gazi Museum was enriched with the works of Atatürk and the wax statues of his 18 friens with whom he disembarked on Samsun on 19 May 1919 and re-opened to visitation.

The Museum is located on Mecidiye Street in Kale District. The two-storey sections are lathwork.

Atatürk accommodated in this building known as “Mıntıka Palas” when he came to Samsun on 19 May 1919.

The building was bestowed to the Great Leader by the people of Samsun during his visits to Samsun between September 20 – 24, 1924. Atatürk accommodated in this building when he came to Samsun on 16 September 1928 and 22 November 1930. Now used as a museum, the building includes a concert hall and a specialization library in which books about Atatürk is compiled.

Bandırma Ship Museum

Between the years 2000 – 2001, an authentic replica of the ship via which Atatürk arrived in Samsun on 19 May 1919 to start the Independence War was produced and placed on the Doğu Park shore to be used as a museum.

The Place of the Province in the tourism Sector

The historical and old settlements of Samsun and environs have been revealed as a result of the archaeological excavations conducted in these places. Today, ruined columns remain in the locality called Karasamsun that is in the plateau above the port.

Calcholithic and Bronze age artefacts have been found in the excavations conducted on Dündartepe. Lots have tomb remains have been found around Samsun. Tekkeköy caverns dating back to the Paleothic Age, located 15 Km east of Samsun are among the historical remains worth seeing.

Copper Age and Hittite settlements in Kaledoruğu in Kavak county, Oymaağaç Village of Vezirköprü county; traces of existence of the Bronze Hittite culture and evidence that the Hittites have travelled to the shores of Black Sea in İkiztepe, Hoşkademtepe, Dedetepe, Gökçeboğaz mounds between Bafra and Alaçam; and evidence that The Phrygians also paced to the Black Sea shores in the excavations conducted by the German archaeologist Markidi in Atalan Castle located 18 Km south of Samsun has been observed.

There are Paphlagonia Rock Tombs (7th Century B.C.) in Kızılırmak Valley which is 35 Km away from Bafra. Remains of Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman ages are present here in Asar Castle.
Tourism positively effects the development of economy, especially industry; accelerates the domestic and foreign money – capital movements.

That the natural blanket is convenient and that it remains between Kızılırmak and Yeşilırmak Deltas renders our Province valuable in the field of tourism while that it lies on the transit road that connects Asia and Europe and that it is connected to every part of Turkey via air, sea, railway and roads make it an important accommodation centre.

Whereas there are a number of historical and touristic places to see in the counties and villages of Samsun, as well as the centre, the sea and sands can be enjoyed in the summer time while the Province is convenient for hunting in the winter time.