Formerly known as Trebizond, Trabzon once served as the capital of a small but formidable Crusader kingdom and remains one of Turkey’s most historically rich cities on the Black Sea Coast. Nestled between lush forests, mountains, and the sea, it sits at the mouth of a river — offering a breathtaking natural setting and clean, invigorating air.
Trabzon’s story begins in the 8th century BCE, when Greek colonists arrived on these shores. It was a favored stop for Greek mercenaries during the Persian Wars and later welcomed the armies of Alexander the Great. Over the centuries, it passed through the hands of the Romans, Goths, Byzantines, and others — accumulating layers of influence from Greek, Georgian, Persian, and Armenian cultures.
Legend holds that Saint Andrew the Apostle founded a Christian community here, which led to the construction of a church named after Constantinople’s most iconic cathedral — the Hagia Sophia. Trabzon also gained renown as the last stronghold of the Byzantine Empire, continuing to thrive even after the fall of Constantinople.
Today, the city still bears the marks of this extraordinary heritage — from Byzantine walls, Christian churches, and mosques, to the former residences of Armenian archbishops and Greek metropolitans. Trabzon is a living mosaic of empires, faiths, and peoples — where the spirit of the Latin Empire and centuries of multicultural history converge in a singular coastal city.
