Samsun
| Samsun | |
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  Samsun
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country |  Turkey |
| Region | Black Sea |
| Province | Samsun |
| Area | |
| - Total | 9.083 km2 (3.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2008) | |
| - Total | 1,233,677 |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) |
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) |
| Postal code | 55 |
| Area code(s) | (+90) 362 |
| Licence plate | 55 |
| Website | www.samsun.bel.tr |
Samsun is a city in northern Turkey, on the coast of the Black Sea, with a population of over 1 million. It is the capital city of Samsun Province and an important port. Samsun was founded as the colony Amisos (alternative spelling Amisus, Eis Amison - meaning to amisos took the name Samsunta or Samsus (Eis Amison - Samson - Samsounta) as in Greek + ounta "Greek toponomical suffix".[1] ) by settlers from Miletus in the 7th century BC.
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History
Samsun's original name was Enete (from Hitits.) Samsun's ideal combination of fertile ground and shallow waters attracted numerous traders. Greek colonists settled in the 6th century BC and established a flourishing trade relationship with the ancient peoples of Anatolia. At that time, Samsun was part of the Greek colony of Amisus. In the 3rd century BC, Samsun came under the expanded rule of the Kingdom of Pontus. The Kingdom of Pontus had been part of the empire of Alexander the Great. However, the empire was fractured soon after Alexander's death in the 4th century BC. At its height, the kingdom controlled the north of central Anatolia and mercantile towns on the northern Black Sea shores.
The Romans took over in 47 BC, and were replaced by the Byzantines after the fall of Rome. In 1200 Samsun was captured by the Seljuks, to be later taken over by the İlhanlılar. Samsun was incorporated into the network of Genoese trading posts and was taken by the Ottomans in the beginning of the 15th century. Before leaving, the Genoese razed the town.
Atatürk founded the Turkish republic movement at Samsun and it served as its base during the Turkish War of Independence.
The city is both an Eastern Orthodox and a Roman Catholic titular see.
Geography
Samsun is situated between two river deltas which jut into the Black Sea. It is located at the end of an ancient route from Cappadocia: the Amisos of antiquity lay on the headland northwest of the modern city. To Samsun's west, lies the Kızılırmak ("Red River", the Halys of antiquity), one of the longest rivers in Anatolia and its fertile delta. To the east, lie the Yeşilırmak ("Green River", the Iris of antiquity) and its delta.
Rivers
Terme river, Yeşilırmak, Aptal river, Mert river, Kürtün river, Kızılırmak [2]
Lakes
Akgöl, Dumanlı, Semenlik
Sites
Archaeological Sites: 41 Urban Sites: 4 Natural Sites: 7 Historical Sites: 1
Other Sites
Archaeological and Natural Sites: 3 Total: 56 Cultural (at Single Construction Scale) and Natural Heritages: 369 TOTAL: 424
Travel
Highway: the coach station is outside the city centre, but most bus companies provide a free transfer there if you have a ticket. Details can be found at ticket sales offices
Coach station Tel: (+90-362) 238 17 06
Railway: Samsun - Sivas and Samsun - Amasya railway connections are available. The train station is in the city center.
Train station Tel : (+90-362) 233 22 93
Light Rail: First section due to open late 2010 between the city center and Ondokuz Mayis University.
Maritime lines: Freight RORO to Novorossiysk. The port is in the city center.
Port Tel : (+90-362) 445 16 05
Air: Samsun-Çarşamba Airport is 23 km east of the city center. It is possible to reach the airport by Havas service buses: they depart from the coach park close to Kultur Sarayi in the city center. [4]
Airport Tel : (+90-362) 844 88 30 - 844 88 24 - 844 88 25
Samsun Guide - Samsun, Turkey [5]
Climate
Samsun has a typical Black Sea climate with high and evenly distributed rainfall the year round. Summers are warm and humid, and the average maximum temperature is around 27°C in August. Winters are cool and damp, and the lowest average minimum temperature is around 3°C in January. Precipitation is heaviest in late autumn and early winter. Snowfall is quite common between the months of December and March, snowing for a week or two, and it can be heavy once it snows. The water temperature like in the whole Turkish Black Sea coast is always cool and fluctuates between 8° and 20°C throughout the year.
| Climate data for Samsun | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F | 50 | 52 | 54 | 59 | 66 | 73 | 79 | 81 | 75 | 70 | 63 | 55 | 64.7 |
| Average low °F | 37 | 37 | 39 | 45 | 54 | 61 | 64 | 64 | 61 | 55 | 48 | 43 | 50.8 |
| Average high °C | 10 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 18.2 |
| Average low °C | 3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 6 | 10.4 |
| Source: bbc.co.uk [6] | |||||||||||||
Economy
Samsun is an important Turkish trade centre and the most important port on the Black Sea coast. Samsun is one of the major Turkish tobacco producing provinces. In the later Ottoman period the land around the town mainly produced tobacco. The town was connected to the railway system in the second half of the 19th century, and tobacco trade boomed. The Çarşamba Plain and the Bafra Plain contain fertile farmland.
Manufacturing industry includes medical devices and products, textiles, furniture, tobacco products, paper and paper products, chemicals and automobile spare parts.
Education
The University of Samsun (19 Mayis Üniversitesi) is one of the seven best universities of Turkey. Moreover the city has colleges, 58 grammar schools, 1.048 primary schools, and public libraries.
Places to see
- Kultur Sarayi (Palace of Culture). Concerts and other performances are held at the Kultur Sarayi, which is shaped much like a ski jump.
- Archaeological and Atatürk Museum. The archaeological part of the museum displays ancient artifacts found in the Samsun area. The Atatürk section includes photographs of his life and some personal belongings. The museum is open from 8:30 till 12:00 and from 14:00 till 17:00.
- The Russian Market (Rus Pazari).
- Statue of Atatürk. By Austrian sculptor Heinz Kriphel, from 1928 to 1931. The statue was depicted on the obverse of the Turkish 100,000 lira banknotes of 1991-2001.[7]
- Atatürk (Gazi) Museum. It houses Atatürk's bedroom, his study and conference room as well some personal belongings.
- Pazar Mosque, Samsun's oldest surviving building, a mosque built by the Ilhanid Mongols in the 13th century.
- Karadağ Geçidi (Karadag Pass) (at an altitude of 940 metres). The landscape, on the way to Amasya.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Samsun is twinned with:
Novorossiysk, Russia
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Neumünster, Germany
Kalmar, Sweden
Sükhbaatar, Mongolia
Milan, Italy
Notable natives
- Mustafa Dağıstanlı - two times Olympic gold medalist sports wrestler
- Yaşar Doğu - Olympic gold medalist sports wrestler
- Orhan Gencebay - musician
- Ferhan Şensoy - writer, actor and stage director
- Tanju Çolak - soccer player/striker, who was the top scorer in Europe in 1987 and 3rd scorer in 1986
- Yıldıray Çınar - musician
- Neyzen Tevfik – poet, satirist, and ney player
- Ece Erken – TV-hostess and actress
See also
- Anatolian Tigers
References
Notes
- ↑ Özhan Öztürk. Karadeniz: Ansiklopedik Sözlük (Blacksea: Encyclopedic Dictionary). 2 Cilt (2 Volumes). Heyamola Publishing. Istanbul.2005 ISBN 975-6121-00-9
- ↑ Samsun
- ↑ Metro turizm sales offices in Samsun
- ↑ Transportation to/from airport: place and schedule
- ↑ Samsun Guide
- ↑ "Average Conditions: Samsun, Turkey". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT004400. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
- ↑ Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. Banknote Museum: 7. Emission Group - One Hundred Thousand Turkish Lira - I. Series, II. Series & III. Series. – Retrieved on 20 April 2009.
External links
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