TRABZON

The history of Trabzon, as far as historians know, begins in 746 BC. Miletus colonists arrived and founded a settlement they named Trapezus, coming from a word that means "table", referring to the table of land they settled on, above the harbor. As a port city, it thrived until the Fourth Crusade seized Constantinople in the 1200s, forcing many nobles out of the city and into Eastern Anatolia. The noble family of Comneni established their empire along the Black Sea coast, including Trabzon, which was renamed Trebizond. It became an important city for trade before falling to the Ottomans in the 15th Century. After WWI, the Ottoman Empire was defeated and the Greeks in Trebizond sought to establish their own republic but failed. It was incorporated into the Republic of Turkey and is now a part of the Black Sea Region of Turkey.

Famous Local Sites: Sumela Monastery, Long Lake, Pontic Mountains

Must Try Local Eats: Mihalama, Trabzon Pide