Land of Green Mountains The Black Sea is different from the rest of Turkey in terms of landscape and history. A high range of mountains - the Pontic Alps - have historically blocked access to the region, giving rise to strongly marked local cultures. High rainfall supports a lush vegetation in the mountain valleys crossed by wild streams and waterfalls. The northern foothills of the Kaçkar range, where it rains 250 days a year, are covered with jungle-like forest. There is no shortage of beaches along the coast yet neither the umpredictable climate nor the charmless sprawl of coastal cities encourages serious beach tourism. The true splendours of the Black Sea lie in the mountains, where traditional lifestyles survive intact and monuments like the Sumele monastery near Trabzon or the Georgian churches of Artvin amaze the infrequent visitor. Safranbolu Safranbolu in the Zonguldak province, is a settlement which has preserved its ancient city structure. Mansions & Houses dating back to the late 15th-19th century, are admirably striking with their architecture and interior decorations. Safranbolu, with its mansions, houses, streets, fountains and conventional lifestyle of its people is an open air museum Amasya Amicable Amasya lies along the banks and cliffs of the Iris (Yesilirmak) river. Its residents live against the backdrop of monumental tombs carved into the cliffs above Amasya and also this was the first capital of the Pontus kingdom. On the banks of the Yesilirmak (Green River), surrounded by high cliffs, Amasya's dramatic setting adds interest to its numerous historic buildings: the rock-hewn tombs of the kings of Pontus, some fine old mosques, picturesque Ottoman half-timbered houses and a good little museum. Set away from the rest of Anatolia in its tight mountain valley, Amasya has a feeling of independence, self sufficiency and civic pride. Amasya, possibly the loveliest town in the Anatolia interior, the river bisects the town, its banks lined with the states houses of the 15th century rich, the massive rock tombs of the kings of Pontus looming overhead. Rickety cafes on the embankment shaded by chestnuts and weeping willows remind one of the banks of the Selne. One of the riverside mansions has been tastefully restored as a museum, offering a glimpse of the grace and wealth of the Anatolia before the upheavals of the early 20th century. Trabzon From its hilltop vantage point above the Black Sea, Trabzon has watched great empires come and go, presenting a little of each in its eclectic architecture and way of life. Founded by the ancient Greeks as the port of Trepezus, the city is best known as a trade emporium which attracted merchants from all over the world. The most dramatic tourist attraction in the area, however and one of the most fascinating Byzantine sites anywhere, is the Sunete monastery set among lush forested mountains. Established in 385 CE, this cliff-side monastery reached its zenith in the late middle ages when it contained 72 rooms and an immense library. Monks lived here until the population transfer between Greece and Turkey in 1523, and the monastery has been sadly neglected since, although restoration has recently been undertaken. The monastery of the Black Virgin at Sunete is similar to Mount Athos and the Meteora for the Greek flair for selecting the eeriest and most spectacular settings to comtemplate divinity. The enormous 7 story monastery is perched on a ledge halfway between heaven and earth on a 1200 ft sheer rock face, far in the depths of an uninhabited forest valley. Monks came up here as early as the 4th century and it remained an influential institution until 1923. Artvin Carved into the mountain pass is the city of Artvin, offering panoramic views add an eerie stage-set-like feeling to the unexpecting explorer. Artvin is perched on a high hill which rises steeply above a bend in the Coruh River and valley where rafting trips are fast becoming popular with Turkish and foreign sports adventurers. The land is covered with forests, broken by walnut, apple, cherry, and mulberry orchards. The view through the layers of cloud, which may be positioned either above or below the town, is astonishing.