A glimpse of Trabzon in Turkey's eastern Black Sea region

Sun, 07/06/2008 11:37 AM | Travel

Leaving history-rich Istanbul behind, we soon arrived at Trabzon in Turkey's eastern Black Sea coastal area. My preconceived notion, possibly shared by other Indonesian folk who have never been to the Black Sea, that the region was a somewhat gloomy place vanished immediately and instead, I wondered, "What's wrong with the color black?"

It turns out that the Black Sea region, especially the eastern part where Turkey's Trabzon and Gumushane are located, is blessed with mountainous terrain that offers more than just stunning landscapes. It also produces agricultural products like hazelnut, tea, corn, tobacco, strawberry and fish, from which restaurants offer a variety of meals to visitors.

It is true that the color of the Black Sea is somewhat black. However, locals claim this is not due to oil pollution or the like but due to the reflection of clouds that often darken the coast.

Box-like houses, shops and other public buildings standing on level land amid the rolling hills dot the mountainside along the winding road. Trabzon is sprawled across the mountainside, and as a result, the unique topography creates a dramatic view of Trabzon City landscape.

Meanwhile, the sight of deep valleys, highlands, plateaus, rivers, hills and mountains is common in the countryside. Strangely, the rocky hills and mountainous areas are lush with greenery. Tea and corn fields and cherry and hazelnut orchards are spread out on the lower slopes.

Besides the natural beauty, Trabzon is rich in cultural heritage and has both historical and religious remains. But most of all, Turkey's eastern Black Sea coast is safe, with hospitable people having a high degree of tolerance and environmental awareness, both in the countryside where residents lead a modest life and in vibrant and cosmopolitan Trabzon City where people are sports crazy, especially when it comes to soccer.

It is little wonder that with the rocky green mountain setting, tourism spots in Trabzon and beyond are becoming increasingly popular among holidaymakers and tourists even though for some visitors, reaching particular places could be a "challenge" due to the long, winding and steep roads, along which deep ravines are clearly visible. And, of course, when driving in the countryside, one would not even consider drink driving because of the risk!

But for Mustafa, a Turkish driver who drove us around during our Fam Trip to the Black Sea region, with Trabzon as the major city to visit, driving on such roads seemed to present no challenge, even when driving up the steep incline to Sumela Monastery, which is about 1,000 meters above sea level, and Karaca Cave, about 1,500 meters above sea level.

Sumela Monastery, one of the popular tourist spots in Trabzon, is located around 50 km from Trabzon City. It usually takes about two and a half hours by road to reach the site from Trabzon City. But we took longer than that. Many spots were too picturesque to be left undocumented and so we stopped every time we found scenery worth photographing.

Quiet often, we came across a huge stone on the lower parts of mountain slope, right at the edge of the road or in the river where clean water flows freely and naturally, unlike in several developing countries where rivers in rural areas are often used to wash clothes or bathe cows.

Even though Sumela Monastery was still several kilometers away, we stopped and got out of the car. In the distance we could see the exterior of the monastery clinging to the cliff face high above the treetops.

What's so special about the monastery? Filiz Uzunkusak, an experienced guide who led the trip, said the monastery was built in the 4th century by Greek Orthodox monks to honor the Virgin Mary, known as Meryemana. "The name of the monastery is derived from the Black Mountain on which it stands, or it could be associated with the black color of the icon of the Virgin Mary," she said.

"According to legend, Greek monks Barnabas and Sophronios discovered the icon of the Virgin in a cave on a narrow ledge on a sheer cliff. Finding that Sumela matched the one in their vision, they dedicated a monastery to it."

Upon reaching a parking lot high above the valley, we got ready for the walk up to the monastery. There was an original entryway to the monastery, a long narrow stairway leading to a guardroom with a steep drop on the far side.

For Christians coming the site, they may relate their religious knowledge with what is inside the monastery as the surface of the monastery interior is covered in 18th century frescoes, with scenes telling the story of the Virgin Mary and Christ as found in the Bible.

But lots of non-Christian visitors also thronged the building as they were amazed by its architecture and by how people in the past could build such a building when engineering technology was nowhere near as advanced as it is now.

"It is really incredible," said a visitor from Iran, who was on holiday in Trabzon with his wife, adding that curiosity had prompted him to visit the monastery.

Unlike Sumela Monastery which is located in the countryside, Ataturk Pavilion, another edifice with historical significance, is relatively easily accessible from Trabzon as it is located in Soguksu, one of the recreation sites of Trabzon. The four-story Ataturk Pavilion or museum, built in 1890, not only houses a collection of Ataturk items but also portraits of his activities and watchwords.

Ataturk, whose complete name was Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, was an army officer, revolutionary statesman and founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first president. The influential and charismatic leader held a special place in hearts of the people of Trabzon as he visited the city three times and inspired local people to have a high regard for Turkish history and understand the value of the mother tongue in praying.

This may explain the presence of a statue of Ataturk in Ataturk Alani (Ataturk Square) in the heart of the city, which we visited while enjoying the sights of the city's nightlife and drinking strong Turkish coffee outside of our scheduled program.

Aside from history-related tourist spots, we also visited tourist-designated spots related to natural beauty, including Karaca Cave or Karaca Magarasi in Turkish, Lake Uzungol and Ayder waterfalls. The natural beauty of Trabzon and

-- Sudibyo M. Wiradji

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