Where to Visit in Samsun?

Samsun is one of the most important provinces of the Black Sea Region. Samsun, which stands out with its historical and natural beauties, hosts local and foreign tourists every year.

Historical Places to Visit in Samsun

Samsun is a city with a rich history and culture. The city is home to important historical sites such as the Ancient City of Amisos, which was founded in the 6th century BC. Amisos Ancient City hosts important ruins such as walls, temples, tombs, baths, theater and agora. You can visit these unique places by purchasing a Samsun bus ticket or a Samsun flight ticket .

amisos Hill

Amisos Hill is an archaeological site located in the İlkadım district of Samsun. The hill is located on the Black Sea coast and is about 100 meters high.

Amisos Hill is where the city of Amisos was located in ancient times. Amisos is a colonial city founded by the Milesians in the 7th century BC. The city has become one of the most important port cities of the Black Sea.

Amazon Village

Amazon Village is a museum located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The museum was established to reflect the life and culture of Amazon women.

The museum is established on an area of 50 thousand square meters. On the island, there are wax statues, reliefs, sections from their daily lives and items reflecting the lives of Amazon women.

Tekkeköy Caves

Tekkeköy Caves is an archaeological site located in the Tekkeköy district of Samsun. The caves were formed approximately 200 thousand years ago and have been used uninterruptedly until today.

The caves host traces of settlement from the Old Stone Age, Middle Stone Age, Chalcolithic Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period and Ottoman Period.

Şahinkaya Canyon

Şahinkaya Canyon is a canyon located on the Altınkaya Dam Lake in the Vezirköprü district of Samsun. The canyon is approximately 1500 meters long and 324 meters high. The canyon is surrounded by red pine and hornbeam forests.

Şahinkaya Canyon is the second largest canyon in Turkey. The canyon was declared a national tourism region in 2012 and was made a nature park in 2015.

İkiztepe Mound

İkiztepe Mound is a mound located in Tekkeköy district of Samsun. The mound measures approximately 200 x 150 meters and is 25 meters high.

Traces from the Chalcolithic Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period and Ottoman Period were found in the mound.
During the excavations carried out in the mound, finds such as ceramics, terracotta pots, bronze tools and weapons, bone tools, ornaments, bronze ingots, gold and silver jewelry were unearthed.

Kaledoruğu Mound

Kaledoruğu Mound is a mound located in the Kavak district of Samsun. The mound measures approximately 350 x 250 meters and is 25 meters high.

Traces from the Chalcolithic Age, Bronze Age, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Byzantine Period, Seljuk Period and Ottoman Period were found in the mound.

Sunken Minaret

In fact, this is both a natural and historical place. West Minaret is a historical building located in Bafra district of Samsun. It is the minaret of a mosque built in the 18th century. The mosque was flooded with the establishment of the Derbent Dam on the Kızılırmak between 1984 and 1990. The minaret is left alone in the middle of the dam lake.

The West Minaret is 25 meters high and 8 meters in diameter. The minaret has a square plan and is made of cut stone. The body of the minaret has a single balcony. The balcony is located at the top of the minaret and is surrounded by railings.

Asarkale and Rock Tombs

Asar Castle and Rock Tombs is a historical protected area located in Tekkeköy district of Samsun. The castle and tombs date back to the 5th century BC.

Asar Castle is a castle located on the Black Sea coast. The castle is located on a hill approximately 200 meters high. The castle has survived intact to this day and is still in use.

Wednesday Historical Bridge

Çarşamba Historical Bridge is a bridge located in Çarşamba district of Samsun. It was built in the 1890s. The bridge is located on the Yeşilırmak River and is one of the most important symbols of Çarşamba.

The bridge is 160 meters long and 10 meters wide. The bridge has five arches and is made of stone. The bridge has survived intact to this day and is still in use.

Cetinkaya Bridge

Çetinkaya Bridge is a bridge located in the Bafra district of Samsun. It was built by the Romans about 1,500 years ago. The bridge is located on the Kızılırmak River and is one of the most important historical structures of Samsun.

The bridge is 50 meters long and 5 meters wide. The bridge has three arches and is made of stone. The bridge has survived intact to this day and is still in use.

Natural Beauties to Visit in Samsun

Pigeon Pond

Güvercinlik Pond is a pond located in the Havza district of Samsun. The pond is a branch of the Karakaya Dam Lake, which was built in 1966. The pond has an area of approximately 100 hectares and its depth reaches up to 15 meters.

Güvercinlik Pond stands out with its unique view and home to various creatures. Activities such as wildlife watching, hiking, camping and picnics can be done around the pond.

Ladik Akdağ Ski Center

Ladik Akdağ Ski Center is a ski resort located in the Ladik district of Samsun. The center was opened in 2013 and is one of the most modern ski facilities in the Black Sea Region.

The center has a runway area of 2,000 meters long and 150 meters wide. The track is divided into various difficulty levels. The center also has facilities such as a snowboard track, sled track, cafe, restaurant, accommodation facility and health center.

Atakum Coastal Road

Atakum Coastal Road is a 10-kilometer coastal road located in the Atakum district of Samsun. Yol is located on the Black Sea coast and is famous for its 10 blue flag beaches. Additionally, there are businesses providing food and beverage services, walking and cycling paths, shopping malls, entertainment venues and cafes along the road.

The road attracts a lot of attention, especially during the summer months. Along the way, there are many options for sunbathing, swimming, walking, cycling, shopping and entertainment.

Bayrak Tepe Nature Park

Bayrak Tepe Nature Park is a nature park located in Tekkeköy district of Samsun. The park is approximately 12 kilometers from Samsun city center.

The park has an area of approximately 132 hectares. The main vegetation of the park consists of beech, hornbeam and oak trees. Additionally, there are various shrub and grass species in the park.

Lake of Love

Lake Sevgi is a park located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The park is approximately 5 kilometers from Samsun city center.

The park has an area of approximately 60 hectares. In the middle of the park, there is a lake of approximately 100 acres. Around the lake, there are walking and cycling paths, picnic areas, restaurants, cafes and playgrounds.

Samsun Liberation Road (tobacco pier)

Samsun Liberation Road is a 400-meter-long road starting from Tütün Pier, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk set foot in Samsun with the Bandırma Ferry on May 19, 1919, and extending to the Gazi Museum. Along the road, there are information boards explaining the principles and activities of Atatürk and his comrades in Samsun.

Tütün Pier is the place where Atatürk and his comrades first stepped into Samsun. Today, the pier portrays the arrival of Atatürk and his comrades in Samsun with wax statues.

Samsun Zoo

Samsun Zoo is a zoo located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The zoo, built on a 22-decare land, was opened in 1954.

There are approximately 2,000 animals from more than 100 species in Samsun Zoo. There are African elephants, lions, tigers, giraffes, rhinos, chimpanzees, monkeys, bears, snakes, crocodiles, bird species and many more animals in the zoo.

Akalan Waterfalls

Akalan Waterfalls is a group of waterfalls located in the Bafra district of Samsun. The waterfalls are located within the borders of Akalan Village, approximately 35 kilometers away from Bafra district center.

The waterfalls consist of 18 waterfalls, large and small. The waterfalls fall from a height of 15 meters. The lakes in front of the waterfalls are ideal for picnics and swimming.

Yesilirmak Wildlife Park

Yeşilırmak Natural Life Park is a nature park located in Çarşamba district of Samsun. The park is approximately 20 kilometers from Samsun city center.

The park has an area of approximately 100 hectares. The main vegetation of the park consists of beech, hornbeam and oak trees. Additionally, there are various shrub and grass species in the park.

Rabbit Mountain

Of course, let me tell you a little about Rabbit Mountain. Tavşan Mountain is a mountain located in the Havza district of Samsun. Its highest point is 1,901 meters. The mountain is surrounded by red pine and hornbeam forests.

Tavşan Mountain is one of the important natural beauties of Samsun. The mountain is visited by local and foreign tourists every year.

Museums to Visit in Samsun

Bandırma Ship Museum

Bandırma Ship Museum is a museum located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The museum houses the Bandırma Ferry that brought Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades to Samsun on May 19, 1919.

Bandırma Ferry is a passenger ship built in Germany in 1875. In 1919, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was assigned to go to Anatolia. Bandırma Ferry departed from Istanbul on 16 May 1919 and reached Samsun on 19 May 1919.

Gazi Museum

Gazi Museum is a museum located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The museum was built on May 19, 1919, on the site of the Mantika Palas Hotel, where Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stayed when he first came to Samsun.

The museum consists of two floors. On the ground floor, Atatürk's arrival to Samsun and the first stages of the War of Independence are explained. On the upper floor, items, photographs and documents used by Atatürk in Samsun are exhibited.

Samsun Panorama Museum

Samsun Panorama Museum is a museum located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The museum hosts a panoramic painting depicting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's arrival in Samsun on May 19, 1919 and the first stages of the War of Independence.

The museum was opened to visitors in 2013. In the museum, there is a panoramic painting in a 360-degree area depicting Atatürk's arrival in Samsun and the first stages of the War of Independence. The painting covers an area of 1000 square meters and is 13 meters high. The painting describes the arrival of Atatürk and his comrades in Samsun, their welcome by the people of Samsun, and the first stages of the War of Independence.

Samsun City Museum

Samsun City Museum is a museum located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The museum was opened to visitors on February 12, 2013.

The museum reflects the historical, cultural and natural riches of Samsun, which has a history of two thousand years. Archaeological artifacts, ethnographic artifacts, photographs, documents and maps describing the historical and cultural development of Samsun are exhibited in the museum.

Museum of Archeology and Ethnography

Samsun Archeology and Ethnography Museum is a museum located in İlkadım district of Samsun. The museum was opened to visitors in 1981.

The museum is a museum where artifacts from the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze, Hittite, Hellenistic, Roman and Ottoman Periods unearthed in Samsun and its surroundings are exhibited. In addition to archaeological works, ethnographic works belonging to the Turkish culture of the Ottoman Period are also exhibited in the museum.

Alaçam Exchange Museum

Alaçam Exchange Museum is a museum located in the Alaçam district of Samsun. The museum is the first exchange-themed museum in Turkey, which contains ethnographic pieces such as daily belongings, documents and photographs of the immigrants who settled in Samsun with the Turkey-Greece population exchange, following the arrival of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades in Samsun on May 19, 1919.

The museum was restored by Samsun Special Provincial Administration in 2010. It has been open to visitors since April 16, 2012, and was officially opened on September 18, 2012, with the visit of the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ertuğrul Günay.

Sadi Lodge Kuvayi Milliye Museum

Sadi Lodge Kuva-yi Milliye Museum is a museum located in the İlkadım district of Samsun. The museum is located in the Sadi Lodge, which played an important role in the arrival of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his comrades in Samsun on May 19, 1919 and in the first stages of the War of Independence.

The museum was restored by Samsun Metropolitan Municipality and opened to visitors in 2013. Photographs, documents and wax sculptures providing information about the history of Sadi Lodge and its role in the War of Independence are exhibited in the museum.

Akpınar Education Museum

Akpınar Education Museum is a museum located in Ladik district of Samsun. The museum is located in the building of Akpınar Teacher Training School, which was established in 1940.

The museum was opened to visitors in 2017. Photographs, documents, items and materials providing information about the history and development of village institutes and Akpınar Teacher Training School are exhibited in the museum.

Yaşar Doğu Museum House

Yaşar Doğu Museum House is a museum located in the Kavak district of Samsun. The museum was created by restoring the house of national wrestler Yaşar Doğu, who came to Samsun on May 19, 1919 and played an important role in the War of Independence.

The museum was opened to visitors in 2017. Yaşar Doğu's personal belongings, medals, awards and photographs are exhibited in the museum. There are also information boards providing information about Yaşar Doğu's wrestling life and achievements.v

Bafra Tobacco Museum

Bafra Tobacco Museum is a museum located in the Bafra district of Samsun. The museum, whose project was designed by Samsun Metropolitan Municipality in 2013 and whose construction started in 2015, was opened to visitors on February 27, 2018.

The museum was built in reference to the importance of tobacco, one of the most important agricultural and cultural elements of Bafra. In addition to the works on tobacco farming exhibited in the museum, all stages of tobacco growing, from seed to drying, are shown practically in the museum garden.

Canik Toy Museum

Canik Toy Museum is a toy museum located in Canik district of Samsun. The museum, whose work started in April 2017 by Canik Municipality with an investment of ₺2 million and under the consultancy of Sunay Akın, was opened to visitors on January 31, 2018.

Around a thousand toys produced between 1800 and 1980 are exhibited in the museum. Toys are categorized as antique, traditional, fabricated, foreign and domestic.