Best things to do in Trabzon

Trabzon's Unmissable Highlights

Trabzon’s historical landscape spans from the Byzantine era to the Ottoman Empire. This collection features the Hagia Sophia, a 13th-century church-turned-mosque, and the Panagia Theoskepastos Monastery. Ottoman architecture is represented by the 16th-century Gülbahar Hatun complex and the 20th-century Kostaki Mansion, now the Trabzon Museum. Natural landmarks include the Boztepe viewpoint, offering panoramas of the Black Sea, while the Atatürk Pavilion highlights the city's early Republican history through its preserved 19th-century European-style villa and gardens.

Trabzon's Unmissable Highlights — Map

Alaexis / CC BY-SA 3.0

A

Aya Sofya Museum

Hagia Sophia is a formerly Greek Orthodox church that was converted into a mosque following the conquest of Trabzon by Mehmed II in 1461.

PlanetKorriban / CC BY-SA 2.0

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Trabzon Museum

Housed in the early 20th-century Kostaki Mansion, this museum displays archaeological artifacts from the Bronze Age to the Roman period, alongside ethnographic exhibits detailing Ottoman life in the Black Sea region.

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Ataturk Pavilion Museum

This 19th-century mansion, built with European architectural influences, served as a residence for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. It features original period furniture, personal belongings, and landscaped gardens on a hill overlooking the city.

Bertramz / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Panagia Theoskepastos Monastery

The Panagia Theoskepastos Monastery, today known in Turkish as Kızlar Monastery, is a former female monastery built during the Empire of…

Aleksasfi / Public domain

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Boztepe

View Point

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Kanuni Park

A central green space located near the historic city walls, named in honor of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who was born in Trabzon.

Tarih / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Catholic Church of Saint Mary

Established in the 19th century to serve Trabzon's foreign community, this church remains one of the few active Catholic places of worship in the Black Sea region.

Francesco Bini / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Gulbahar Hatun Mosque

Built in 1514 by Sultan Selim I for his mother, this mosque is a key example of early Ottoman architecture in Trabzon, featuring a single dome and a prominent minaret.

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Gulbahar Hatun Tomb

An octagonal mausoleum situated within the Gülbahar Hatun complex, housing the tomb of the mother of Sultan Selim I.