Samsun City Guide

Short History of Samsun

It is known that the first settlement in Samsun dates back to 60.000 BC. The oldest known people in Samsun are the Kaşkalar, which existed until the 12th century BC. The city, which lived through the Hittite period after the Kaşkans, changed hands several times between 1182 BC and 546 BC and subsequently came under Persian rule. After the Persians, the city was dominated by Macedonia, Pontus, Rome and Byzantine. Then Samsun became a Genoese colony. In this period, the city was surrounded by Dânişmend Principality but could not be conquered. A new city called “Muslim Samsun” was established next to the city by Danişments. The two-city system continued until Samsun joined the territory by the Ottomans. Mehmed I was united by joining both cities to the territory of the Ottoman State. Between 1422 and 1428, the city came under the domination of Kubadoguls. Samsun later joined the Ottoman territory again. It remained under Ottoman rule until 1923.

With the loss of World War I, the territories of the Ottoman Empire began to be occupied by the Entente States. In the face of this situation, the Turkish people resisted the occupations in Anatolia. Samsun has a very special place at the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence. The arrival of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to Samsun with the Bandırma Ferry on 19 May 1919 is considered to be the actual beginning of the War of Independence. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk laid the intellectual foundations of the national movement in Samsun. This event is one of the turning points in Turkish history. May 19, 1919 is the first step for Turks to national independence, modernization and democratization.

Cultural Mosaic of Samsun

Samsun is located in the middle of two very fertile lowlands which are Bafra and Çarşamba. The city, which has a coast to the sea, offers convenience to its visitors in terms of transportation with its geographical structure that passes through the south. With these features, Samsun has been a city that has attracted the attention of human communities since the earliest times in history. Samsun lands have hosted many nations. The city has been under the domination of different states throughout the history. This ethnic, religious and cultural diversity has created the unique texture of the city.

Accommodation in Samsun is an important issue for people who visit city for different purposes like tourism or business. In Samsun, close to the city center, it is possible to find luxury hotels in all-inclusive concept and accommodation options that serve in bed and breakfast, half board and room concepts only. You can stay in Samsun hotels with pools as well as city hotels suitable for the needs of visitors coming to Samsun for business and tourism purposes. If you want to get away from the city center to holiday resorts of Samsun and going to the swimming beaches you can choose the hotels in Yakakent and Terme. You can find a lot of accommodation alternatives in almost all holiday resorts of Samsun. There are world-famous hotel chains like Hilton, Sheraton and Radisson.

Samsun climate varies on the coast and inland due to the location and geography of the city. While the Black Sea climate is seen in the coastline, the continental climate is dominant in the interior. Summers are very hot and humid, winters are warm and cool on the coastline. Winters are cold, rainy and snowy, summers are cool in the interior. Annual average temperature about 14.5 ºC in the city.  Since summer or winter is full of different activities, the best time to visit Samsun is every time in the year. Find the best hotels in Samsun in our guide easily.

If you are looking for real estate for sale in Samsun or real estate for rent in Samsun, you are on the right page. The prices of houses for sale in Samsun have increased by 15.30% in the last year. The average residential area is 140 square meters. The depreciation period of the houses for sale is around 20 years. The fact that Samsun is the most developed city of the Black Sea Region in terms of education, health, industry, trade, transportation and economy. It is possible to see housing projects of various construction brands in most parts of the city. The districts that gained the most value in Samsun province were Vezirköprü, 19 Mayıs, Terme, Bafra, Havza respectively. On the other hand, The districts with the fastest return in Samsun province were  Yakakent, 19 Mayıs, Ladik, Atakum, İlkadım respectively. Since affordable and luxurious sites are built in these regions, it is preferred by those who want to invest. You can make the most correct investment by examining our ads for apartment options for sale from Samsun real estate agent. You can also add your listings easily if you are selling or renting a house in different districts of Samsun.

Do you want to get detailed information about hospitals in Samsun? If you’re, our special health guide will be helpful for you. In Samsun, there are 14 state hospitals, 1 university hospital and 8 private hospitals. Almost all districts have hospitals in different regions of the city. You can get high-quality health services in many health instutitions in Samsun. Especially, Ondokuz Mayıs University Hospital is the biggest and full-fledged hospital of the city with its high capacity.

If we look at the general perspective to Samsun, the city is located in Black Sea Region of Turkey. There are many transportation alternatives for the city. You can reach Samsun by air, seaway and road transportation. Samsun Çarşamba Airport is located 19 kilometers away from the city center. You can come to the city center by using Bafaş services from the Samsun Çarşamba Airports to different regions of the city. If you want to come to Samsuun by bus, there are bus services from many cities to Samsun.

Road Transportation

For the road transportation concept, Samsun has the two main connections. You can visit Samsun by D-010 and D-795 and some other important roads from Sinop, Kastamonu, Çorum, Amasya, Tokat and Ordu. Samsun Intercity Bus Station is the main bus station of Samsun and it’s located in İlkadım district. You can find direct lines from many cities of Turkey to Samsun.

Air Transportation

Samsun Çarşamba Airport is the main airport in Samsun and this is located in Çarşamba district. It takes about 19 km from Samsun Çarşamba Airport to the city center, so you can use Bafaş and public bus shuttle to reach city center from the airport. You can find connecting and direct international flight from Samsun to many countries and cities of the world. Also, you can fly to many domestic cities of Turkey from Samsun Çarşamba Airport.

Inner-city Transportation

There are tramway, minibuses and public bus transportation alternatives in Samsun. You can use all of the districts of the city by public transportation. There are currently one tramway line operating in Samsun as the name Samulaş. The tramway line of the city :

T1 – Yurtlar – Tekkeköy

You will find the answers of the “Best places to visit in Samsun” or “Top 10 things to do and see in Samsun” questions in this guide. Choose your destination, click on the guide and start discovering Samsun deeply now. Samsun has a lot of places to visit. Samsun is very important for tourism with its clean beaches, rich culture and history. Samsun has a very special place in the history of the Republic. There are many museums in the city that reflect the War of Independence. Samsun Archeology and Ethnography Museum, Bandırma Ferry and Gazi Museum are one of the places to visit. The most interesting structures among the historical buildings of Samsun are mosques. Samsun Büyük Mosque, Gökgöl Mosque, Sivrikese Mosque, Göğceli Mosque, Taşkale Mosque are among the most visited mosques by tourists. You can also add the historical Fazıl Ahmet Pasha Madrasa and Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church to your list of places to see in Samsun. Samsun also has ruins such as Amisos Hill, Lerdüge Tumuli, İkiztepe Mound and Dündartepe Mound. Ladik Lake, Akalan Waterfalls, Kabaceviz Waterfalls, Tekkeköy Caves, Kızılırmak Delta Bird Paradise are among the places worth seeing. You can visit Geyikkoşan Beach to enjoy the sea, Hamamağı Spa and Ladik Spa to make use of thermal waters, Samsun Ladik Akdağ Ski Center for winter sports. For more, check out our guide now !

There are 2 state university in Samsun named as Ondokuz Mayıs University and Samsun University. Especially, Ondokuz Mayıs is one of the oldest universities in Turkey and it’s preferred by thousands of students every year. Find the best university in our guide below.