Trabzon - City

Trabzon is the largest port of Black Sea. It also known as Trebizond or Trapezus. Trabzon's history goes back to the 8th century BC, Milesian emporia. During the World War I it was captured by Russians but it has been taken back to the hands of Turkey by Treaty of Lausanne. In the Byzantine period caravans from Persia were passing through the Trabzon to sell their goods to Europe. Trabzon is still a busy trading centre.



TRABZON-Sümela Monastery

Sümela Monastery take place on a steep cliff of Trabzon. This place also known as “Meryem Ana” or “the Virgin Mary”. It was founded in 386, during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius I. According to legend, two Athenian priests, Barnabas and Sophronius, found the icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave of the mountain and built the Sümela Monastery here. Monastry has ruined and restored many times in the history. In the Ottoman era, Sümela Monastery protected by Sultan's order, but it was abandoned and badly damaged during the War of Independence. It is one of the most visited place in the Black Sea area.

Hagia Sophia was a Eastern Orthodox church at Byzantine period which completed in 537. It also known as the Ayasofya Museum and Church of Holy Wisdom. It was converted to a mosque at Ottoman period after Fatih Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 29 May 1453. After 1935, it was converted into a museum. Hagia Sophia is neighbour to Topkapı Palace and Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) in İstanbul.

Hagia Sophia is known as one of the greatest buildings of the world and generally considered the Eighth Wonder of the World.

Some building details: The works was started on December 23, 532 AD and completed on December 27, 537. The size of the inner space of basilica is 100x70m and it is covered by the magnificent dome (diameter 30.31m. after some restoration, it was lost its perfect circular dome schema), supported by the four large piers, 55m high.

There are just 3 larger church after Hagia Sophia all around the world. They are St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St.Peter's Basilica in Vatican and Duomo in Milan.

































































































Location of Hagia Sophia Map

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