Tourist day in Amasya

October 13, 2023

The main things to see in Amasya are the Ottoman buildings in the old town and the tombs of the Kings of Pontus.

A view across the Yeşilırmak River to the Ottoman houses in the old town.

The street in which our hotel is located.

Pontus is the region on the southern coast of the Black Sea. The name is derived from the ancient Greek name for the Black Sea, Eúxinos Póntos (Εύξεινος Πόντος) meaning "Hospitable Sea". An independent Pontic kingdom with its capital at Amasya was established by the Persians at the end of the 4th century BCE. By 183 BCE, the city was settled by Greeks, eventually becoming the capital of the kings of Pontus from 333 BCE to 26 BCE.

The tombs are carved in the limestone rock formation above Amasya and contain big stone grave chambers. The grave chambers are separated from the mountain from which they are carved by a passage running through all three sides. The exception is the largest tomb which was never completed because Pontus fell to the Romans.

Two of the tombs directly above our digs. In front of our digs is a hamman and next to it a small Mosque. The minaret of the Mosque is also small but the speakers are full sized. The call to prayer made our bed shake.

The path to the tombs is cut into the mountainside.

It is difficult to describe the passage carved into the rock behind each tomb. The passage extends over the tomb to completely separate it from the mountain.

The gap separating a tomb from the mountain.

Looking down at our digs, the hamman and the very loud Mosque.

In the afternoon we enjoyed a visit to the small Archeological Museum. The most dramatic exhibits were two very good mosaic floors from the third century CE and a rather grisly array of seven mummies, at least five if which had "unnatural" deaths (including three children). The mummies were from the Seljuq era.

In evening we had a quick look at the Sultan Iı Bayezit Mosque before heading off to have dinner at the same restaurant as last night.

Our stay in Amasya has been relaxing and enjoyable. Tomorrow we will get back on the road and will probably end up wildcamping somewhere along the road between here and Çorum.

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