Amasra

GPS coordinates: 41.738499, 32.365700

Amasra, next to Amasya, is one of the most beautiful Turkish towns located in the Black Sea region of the country. Founded on a peninsula jutting into the sea, it seems to be an ideal place for holiday rest for the inhabitants of Istanbul. However, the relatively difficult access to the city effectively discourages larger crowds of holidaymakers, which only adds to Amasra's charm. People who decide to visit Amasra often combine their stay with a visit to the not too distant Safranbolu.

Amasra
Amasra

Historical overview: 

In ancient times, Amasra belonged to the land known as Paphlagonia and was called Sesamus. Homer mentions it under this name, next to another Paphlagonian settlement - Cytorus. The current name of the town comes from the times of the Persian rule in Asia Minor. Amastris was the niece of the Persian king Darius III. At that time, the city was the administrative centre of the Black Sea Ionian colonies: Cytorus, Cromna, and Tium.

As an area rich in timber, Amasra was gifted to the Pontic king Ariobarzanes by the local ruler Eumenes around 260 BCE. In 70 BCE, it was conquered by the Romans. It was managed by Pliny the Younger, then the governor of Bithynia and Pontus. He praised the city and contributed to improving the comfort of its inhabitants by building a river flowing through it that served as a sewer. During the time of Emperor Trajan, Amasra was known as Metropolis.

Detail of Amasra fortifications
Detail of Amasra fortifications

In the Byzantine times, the hill overlooking the centre of Amasra was turned into a fortress. A church was also built on it in the 9th century CE, and it has survived to this day.

Amasra fortress
Amasra fortress

In the years 1261–1460 CE, Amasra was under the control of the Genoese, who wanted to dominate trade in the Black Sea basin. In Amasra, they expanded the existing Byzantine fortress. Their plans were thwarted by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror who got the entire Anatolian Black Sea coast under his control.

Currently, Amasra is a small town inhabited by 6,000 people who make their living mainly from tourism. In the centre of Amasra there is a 400-meter-long sandy beach, many restaurants, an amusement park, a disco, and plenty of souvenir shops.

Finding accommodation is not a problem, there are many hotels and guest houses here, both the more expensive ones and those intended for tourists on a limited budget. Unfortunately, prices, especially in summer, are higher than in other towns on the Black Sea.

Sunset in Amasra
Sunset in Amasra

Objects in town: 

Sightseeing: 

In Amasra, you should firstly visit the fortress on a hill, on a narrow peninsula jutting into the sea - built in Byzantine times and rebuilt by the Genoese. The fortress gates and part of the walls date back to their times. The fortress area is currently inhabited.

Street within Amasra fortress
Street within Amasra fortress

It is worth walking through the narrow streets in this district, observing everyday life, lazy cats and looking for passages leading through the walls to the sea. The fortress offers beautiful views of the surrounding area.

Local cat in Amasra
Local cat in Amasra

There is a church from Byzantine times within the fortress. In fact, it is a small chapel whose narthex is divided into three parts. In Ottoman times it functioned as a mosque, and since 1930 it has been closed for religious purposes.

Byzantine chapel in Amasra
Byzantine chapel in Amasra

In the park named after Bariş Akarsu, there is a monument to this artist - a Turkish rock musician and actor who died in 2007 in a car accident while returning from a charity concert for children. Since the accident took place on his 28th birthday, with some margin he can be classified as the member of the so-called Club 27 - a group of musicians who died at the age of 27 (including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse).

Statue of Bariş Akarsu in Amasra
Statue of Bariş Akarsu in Amasra

The city museum is located a bit off the beaten path, but it is worth visiting as it has an interesting collection of exhibits, including the ones from Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine times.

There are two islands near Amasra. The larger one, called Büyük Ada (Big Island), is connected to the mainland by a stone bridge. The smaller one, Tavsan Adası (Rabbit Island), is wild and undeveloped.

Finally, do not forget to taste the iconic dish of Amasra - Amasra salad. The fame of this delicious salad surpassed the town itself. It is such a beautiful and colourful dish that you can even consume it as a whole meal. It includes all shades of green and red with fresh ingredients, such as cucumbers, carrots, onions, tomatoes, but first of all - beetroots.

Amasra salad
Amasra salad

Getting there: 

By bus: To get anywhere from Amasra, take the minibus to the centre of Bartın, located 18 km north of Amarsa. From there you can take a coach to the most important cities in Turkey, including Istanbul and Ankara.

By car: take the scenic route 010 from Sinop (320 km). The road is narrow and very winding, so you need to allocate the whole day for the journey or plan an overnight break in İnebolu.

From Istanbul, take the highway (route no. 80) through Izmit and Bolu until the exit before Gerede (toll section). Then follow route no. 750 through Devrek and Bartın to Amasra. The total length of the road is 460 km.

Harbour of Amasra
Harbour of Amasra