Middle East - Anthony Ham [505]
Eating
Trabzon is not the Black Sea’s gastronomic highpoint, but scores of good eateries line Atatürk Alanı and the two streets to the west.
İstanbul Kır Pidesi ( 321 2212; Uzun Sokak 48; mains TL3-5) Three-floors of wood-fired goodness for the pide and börek aficionado within.
Hürrem Sultan Sofrası ( 321 8651; Maraş Caddesi 30; mains TL4-10) This popular lunch den sometimes serves regional dishes such as muhlama and kuymak (melted cheese dishes). Businessmen, students and cops are all regulars at this friendly spot.
Üstad ( 326 5406; Atatürk Alanı 18b; meals TL5-8) Locals squeeze into this compact lokanta right on Trabzon’s main square. We can thoroughly recommend the biber dolması (stuffed peppers) that come with a robust pinch of chilli.
Bordo Mavi ( 326 2077; Halkevi Caddesi 12; meals TL6-10; 11am-10pm) This cosmopolitan garden café adjoins the clubhouse of Trabzonspor, the local football team. It’s not at all boozy or noisy though, and the excellent pizzas and pasta have an authentic tinge of Italy.
Reis’in Yeri (meals TL8-14; Liman Mukli Ídare; 11am-11pm) It can be easy to forget Trabzon is a coastal city, until you head downhill, away from the traffic and over the pedestrian overbridge, to this sprawling fish/chicken/köfte grill place. It doubles as a beer garden and you can hire rowboats to steer around the tiny cove.
Drinking
Stress Café ( 321 3044; Uzun Sokak) Stress? You must be joking. One of Trabzon’s best live music and nargileh spots, the Stress Café is so laid-back it’s almost horizontal.
Café Life ( 321 2955; Halkevi Caddesi 15) Two floors up, past wildlife pics from National Geographic, this is one of Trabzon’s more vibrant venues, with live music, fast food and free-flowing booze.
Kalendar (Zeytinlik Caddesi 10) Low tables and mood lighting give this place near the Trabzon Museum a cosmopolitan vibe. It’s perfect for a coffee and brunch.
Getting There & Away
Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Onur Air and Sun Express fly to/from Turkish locations including İstanbul. At the time of writing, Azerbaijan Airways was trialling a weekly flight from Trabzon to Baku.
Two shipping offices down by the harbour sell tickets for ferries going to Sochi in Russia (about €55), but you need to have your Russian visa sorted. There are two to three weekly services.
From Trabzon’s otogar, you can reach numerous destinations in Turkey as well as Tbilisi (Tiflis) in Georgia and Erivan in Armenia (via Georgia). There are regular services to Erzurum (TL25, six hours), Kars (TL35, 10 hours) and Kayseri (TL45, 12 hours).
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ERZURUM
0442 / pop 402,000
Erzurum is a contradictory place: it’s Islamic to its core, with deep roots in tradition, but has adapted to Western consumerism. Here you can shop till you drop and quaff rakı – all while the muezzins call the faithful to prayer. A gregarious student population adds a liberal buzz to the air. The city promotes itself as the architectural capital of eastern Anatolia and an impressive array of Seljuk monuments make this tag well deserved. If oohhing and aahhing over the wonderful medreses and mosques on the main drag isn’t your thing, come in winter and enjoy the nearby Palandöken ski resort.
Orientation & Information
The otogar is 2km from the centre along the airport road. The centre is compact, with the main sights within walking distance of each other. You’ll find lots of banks with ATMs, the PTT and internet cafés on or around Cumhuriyet Caddesi, the main drag.
The Iranian consulate ( /fax 316 2285/1182; Atatürk Bulvarı; 8.30am-noon & 2.30-4.30pm Mon-Thu & Sat) is about 2km west of the centre, towards Palandöken.
Sights
The well-preserved walls of the 5th-century citadel (admission TL2; 8am-5pm) loom over a maze of narrow streets, offering good views of the town and the surrounding steppe.
Another must-see is the beautifully symmetrical Çifte Minareli Medrese (Twin Minaret