The Black Sea Coast - Northern Turkey
TRABZON TO ERZURUM
6 nights, 7 day tour
| Itinerary | Day 1: Trabzon. |
| Day 2: Aya Sophia Church, Gulbahar Mosque and Sumela Monastery. | |
| Day 3: Uzungöl and guided trekking in the highlands. | |
| Day 4: Guided trekking in Ayder and visiting Zilkale and Sinciva. | |
| Day 5: Guided trekking in Avusor. | |
| Day 6: Erzurum to visit the churches of Ishan and Oskvank. | |
| Day 7: Erzurum City, Ulu Mosque, Cifte Minareli Medrese and return journey. | |
| Overnight | Trabzon (Zorlu), Maçka (Sumela), Uzungöl (Inan Tesisleri), Ayder (Sis, 2 nights) and Erzurum (Polat Renaissance). |
| Fly to | Trabzon |
| Cost | £1,800 per person |
| or a £1,300 per person add on to an Istanbul or Cappadocia holiday. |
Erzurum is a ski centre. Please call us for a quotation on additional nights for skiing in the region.
THE BLACK SEA COAST
The verdant Black Sea Coast is home to some of Turkey's most stunning scenery.
THE HIGHLANDS
The life style of the Black Sea region is shaped by the landscape and the climate. Early May is the traditional opening of the yayla (highland) season, where the locals leave the lowlands both to escape the humid heat and to let the cows enjoy the fresh grass.
Summer villages with the traditional stone and wooden houses stay empty for a good part of the year, some of which now welcome travellers and provide a good base for our escorted walks which are a highlight of the Black Sea Tour. Located above the tree line the highlands are rich in verdant shades of green added to by the diverse colours of the traditional wooden houses, local garments and astonishing diversity of natural flora.
TRABZON - Sumela Monastery (a Greek Orthodox Monastery of the 'Virgin Mary')
Trabzon first became known in the ancient world with 'the retreat of ten thousands'. During the course of history, Trabzon has been integrated into many differing kingdoms and empires but the nature if its people has changed little.
Located on the western edge of the Kackar Mountain range, Trabzon has a history of more than 4000 years. It is like an open air museums with its churches, mosques, old houses and cobble-stoned pavements. The frescoes of the C13th imperial church - revealed in the 1960's - are among the best collections of late Byzantine art.
Perched high up on a cliff rising from a forest valley, the site of Sumela is breathtaking. The monastery was built around a cave church where an icon of Virgin Mary, reportedly painted by St Luke himself, was founded in the C4th. It was already an important one by the C6th, eventually acquiring its current size in the C14th.