Samsun (tour. Samsun) is a port city in northern Turkey, off the Black Sea coast, at the confluence of the Kyzylirmak River. The administrative center of Samsun silt and the city district of the same name. Since 2015, it has been developing as a resort city.

Etymology
The current name of the city may come from the Greek name “Amisos” (O.G. Ἀμισός) and “ounta” (Greek suffix for names) “Sampsunda” (Σαμψούντα), and then Samsun. The Greek historian Hecataeus wrote that Amisos was formerly called Enete, a place mentioned in Homer’s Iliad. It was also known as Peiraieos with Athenian settlers and even briefly as Pompeopolis.

History
Antiquity
The city of Amis or Amisos was founded by the ancient Greeks as one of the colonies of Pontus near the Black Sea in the middle of the 7th century BC. e. on a strategically important section of the southern coast, in a place from which practically the only road at that time led from the coast to the hills, inland and to the Mediterranean. For some time, the city probably bore the name ΠΕΙΡΑ, which is reflected in Strabo and on coins. Then it came under the control of the Roman Empire.

Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, the city was part of the Byzantine Empire and was the main port of the Armenian province, after its capture by the Crusaders in 1204, it became the second most important city of the Trebizond Empire. In the period from 1204 to 1261, the city passed several times from hand to hand: it was captured by the Greeks, then by the Seljuk Turks. In the XV century, it finally passes to the Ottoman Empire, which led to the Islamization and Turkization of the city.

Geography
Samsun stretches along the sea coast between two river deltas that flow into the Black Sea. It is located at the end of the ancient path from Cappadocia.
Rivers
To the west of Samsun is the Kyzylyrmak (“Red River”, formerly Khalis), one of the longest rivers in Anatolia and its fertile delta. To the east lie the Yeshilyrmak (“Green River”, formerly Iris) and its delta. The river Mert reaches the sea in the city.

Climate
The climate is subtropical oceanic (Köppen climate classification: Cfa). In terms of temperature, it is similar to Sochi, but there is much less precipitation. Low by the standards of similar cities lying at this latitude, the maxima of the average July temperature are explained by the softening influence of the Pontic Mountains, which lie to the south. The temperature rarely exceeds +30°C even in July-August, and spring and autumn come with a delay. Frosts are very rare, but they do happen. In the city, snow falls extremely rarely and reaches only 2 centimeters.

Population
Despite the diversity of the national composition of Anatolia, almost exclusively Pontic Greeks and Armenians lived in Samsun until the end of the 15th century, and the main religion was Christianity, the language of communication was Greek and Armenian, the Armenians had their own quarters inside the old city and 35 villages in the city. district. There were 40 Armenian churches in Samsun and its environs. Since the 15th century, the presence of Turkic tribes has increased, the Islamization of the region begins, the increased Turkization of the Greeks and Armenians, culminating in the pogroms of the latter in 1897.
In the second half of the 19th century, a significant number of Circassians arrived on the coast, expelled from the Western Caucasus (historical Circassia) after their defeat in the Caucasian War. Numerous quarters and settlements of the descendants of the exiles still exist in the Samsun area.
In 1912, Greeks lived in the city and the region – 73,605 people, Muslims – 39,599 people, Hemshils (Armenians) – 1,264 people.
Modern Samsun is a Turkish city, in 1970 134.3 thousand inhabitants lived in it, in 2007 about 440 thousand. The main language of the population is Turkish, Circassian, English, Russian, etc. are also used.

Economy
The city has a mixed economy. Samsun is a large port on the coast of the Black Sea bay. In 1973, the cargo turnover was about 1.5 million tons (BSE). Exported mainly tobacco, grain, wool, fruits. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey financed the construction of the harbor. Before the construction of the harbor, ships had to be anchored to deliver cargo approximately 1 mile or more from the shore. Trade and transport were centered around the road to and from Sivas. A private port in the city center handles cargo transportation, including ferries to Novorossiysk, while fishing boats land their catches in a separate harbor a little further east. Ships are being built in the eastern part of the city. Road and rail freight links with central Anatolia can be used both for shipping within the country and for agricultural products of the surrounding wells. irrigated lands, and fertile lands, as well as imports from abroad.

Production
There is a light industry zone between the city and the airport. The main products produced are medical devices and products, furniture (wood is imported all over the Black Sea), tobacco products (although tobacco production is currently restricted by the government), chemical and automotive spare parts.
Flour enterprises import wheat from Ukraine and export part of the flour.

Trade
A former tobacco factory in the city center has been converted into a shopping mall. The construction of new retail outlets is also underway.

Transport
Intercity buses and the bus station are outside the city center, but most bus companies provide a free shuttle service. Passenger and freight trains leave for Sivas via Amasya. The railway station is located in the city center.
Modern trams run between the train station and Ondokuz Mayi University. There is a plan for rapid transit of electric buses between the railway station and Tekkekoy. Horse-drawn carriages, (Turkish: Feiton) run along the waterfront.
Samsun-Charshamba Airport is located 23 km (14 miles) east of the city center. It can be reached by Havas buses leaving from the bus park next to Kultur Sarayi in the city centre. The airport was opened for international traffic in 1999. At the moment, direct air communication has been established with Germany, the Czech Republic, three Russian cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar), Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Sights
– One of the main attractions of the city is the ship-museum Bandirma. The ship was built in the 19th century in England and was part of the British Royal Navy. He joined the Turkish merchant fleet in 1894 and it was on him that Atatürk arrived in Turkey in 1919. In 1924, the ship was decommissioned, and subsequently scrapped. The Turkish authorities recreated an exact copy of this ship in 2003, which now houses the Museum of the Turkish Revolution.
– Buyuk Mosque – was built in 1884 in the central part of the city of Samsun from sawn stone. It has a double minaret, marble floors and a wooden platform for sermons.
– Ethnographic Museum – a museum where you can get acquainted with the heritage of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. The most valuable exhibit is the “Mosaic of Amisos”, the manufacture of which is dated 222-235 AD, during the reign of Alexander Severus.
– The ruins of the Dundar hill – are located three kilometers from the city, at a height of 15 meters. In the depths of the ruins, unique antique objects from the Bronze Age and Eneolithic times were found. Such finds include: small figurines, flint knives, bone needles and pottery.
– The village of the Amazons in the vicinity of the city of Samsun, considered by the ancient Roman historian Pliny – the birthplace of the Amazons. According to him, the capital for the Amazons was the city of Themyscira, located near the river Therma.
– A bird sanctuary in the delta of the Kyzyrylmak River, where rare birds listed in the Red Book live. Anyone can visit it.
– Thermal spring Ladik Hamamayagy Kaplidzhasy – located in the vicinity of Samsun. Buildings are prohibited near Lake Ladik. It is protected by the authorities and declared a national park, with a total area of ​​about 870 hectares. It often hosts surf races, sailing competitions and fishing tourism.
– Akalan waterfalls – consisting of 18 waterfalls, and located near the village of Akala, 20 kilometers from Samsun.
– Waterfalls Kabajeviz – located 32 kilometers from the center of Samsun. The height of the water fall in which reach 60 meters in height. The famous caves of Tekkekoy are also located here, in which in ancient times there were various sites of primitive people. The settlements that lived here expanded the caves, artifacts from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Bronze Age were found here.
– The golf club is the only golf club in the world built on the surface of the sea. During its construction, stones from the mountains and sand brought from all over the country were used. The total area is 600 square meters. You can play it completely free.
– Bandirma Beach, where you can ride the first cable water ski in Turkey over the sea.
Mountains Nebiyan and Akdag, on which natural pastures are located, attracting with untouched nature.

Holidays and festivals
Annual “International Festival of National Dances”
Rice Festival (June 3rd to 14th)
Amazon Festival (from 28 to 30 July)
Watermelon Festival (August 22-23)
Bafr Fair – last Sunday in August