Where is Samsun Türkiye? | Samsun attractions + travel guide

Samsun is a port city in Türkiye and the center of the province of the same name, which is located on the coast of the Black Sea. Therefore, this city is known as “a window to the Black Sea”. Samson dates back to the 6th century BC and has been a center of commercial activity since its founding. The people of this city have played an important role in the founding of the Republic of Türkiye. Despite its rich history, natural and historical attractions, numerous museums, modern shopping centers, various recreational facilities, cheap costs and pleasant weather, Samsun city attracts many tourists every year.

Get to know more about Samson Türkiye:

Where is Samsun Türkiye?

• Location: Northern Türkiye, Samsun province (view on the map)
• Language: Istanbul Turkish
• Currency: Turkish Lira or Tele (TL)
• Time difference with Tehran: 30 minutes behind Tehran

“Samsun” is located in the north of Türkiye in the province of the same name. This city is connected to the Black Sea from the north. Kizilirmak River flows in the west of Samson and Yesilirmak River in its east.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Gerwin Pennings}

Samson is about 730 km (9 hours by car) from Istanbul and about 420 km (five hours by car) from Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Samsun Airport named “Carsamba Havalimani Airport” (SZF) is located less than 25 km away from the city (25 minutes by car).

History of Samson Türkiye

Samson dates back to the 6th century BC. At that time, the Greeks established this city and carried out commercial activities there. In the past, Samson was known as “Amisos”. This word is of Greek origin and means “shipping place”.

_{Samson in the Ottoman period; Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Alexandre J. Anthopoulos}

With the passage of time, Samson fell into the hands of various governments, including the Achaemenids, Romans, Byzantines, and Islamic governments such as the Seljuks and Ottomans.

The Byzantines paid special attention to the Christian religion, and for this reason, during their rule, they built many churches in Samson; Nevertheless, during the time of Islamic governments, the religion of Islam became very popular among the people, and at the same time, the economy and trade of this city became strong.

In 1919, “Mustafa Kemal Atatürk” went to Samson and prepared the preparations for the establishment of the Republic of Türkiye in this city. Finally, the republican government was established in Türkiye. In fact, the people of Samson have played an important role in the founding of the modern Republic of Türkiye. The population of Samsun, Türkiye, in 2024 is more than 706,000 people.

Sights of Samson, Türkiye

Samson’s attractions include natural attractions, historical monuments, and recreational sites.

Lake of love

Lake of Love or “Sevgi Golu” in Samson, Türkiye is an artificial lake located in a 60-hectare park. This lake was designed with inspiration from nature and modern architecture. There are gardens, cafes, restaurants, walking and cycling paths, picnic areas and playgrounds around the lake.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Öner Akgün}

Bayrak Tepe Natural Park

The area of ​​”Bayrak Tepe Natural Park” is 132 hectares. This park has a variety of vegetation, such as oak, oak, beech, etc. Also, various animals live in this park, including foxes, rabbits, squirrels, etc. The park has amenities such as children’s playground, cycling and walking path, sports field, etc.

Amisos hill

“Amisos Tepesi” (Amisos Tepesi) is one of the historical attractions of Samson city, you can use the cable car to reach the top of the hill. The height of Amisos hill reaches 100 meters and from its top you can see a view of the Black Sea and the city. There is an ancient cemetery on this hill. From the tombs of the local nobles of this cemetery, treasures belonging to the Hellenistic period were discovered, which include gold jewelry, coins and pottery with special and complex designs.

Samson City Museum

“Samson City Museum” has two main wooden buildings that were established in 1928 as the Samson-Sivas Railway Construction and Operation Department and the State Railway Residence. This museum introduces visitors to the cultural, social, economic and geographical dimensions of Samson. Among the works in the museum, we can mention the works related to famous people of the city, old photos, wax sculptures, sculptures related to wedding customs, sports history, food culture, etc.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Cobija}

Bafra Tobacco Museum

“Bafra Tutun Muzesi” (Bafra Tutun Muzesi) was built in 2016 by the municipality and people’s aid due to the importance of tobacco as one of the most important agricultural elements of Bafra region in Samson. The Tobacco Museum is a two-story building with a garden. In this museum, visitors can see wax figures preparing tobacco, tobacco processing machinery, tobacco garden, and the stages of tobacco production.

Panorama Museum 1919

“Panorama 1919 Museum” (Panorama 1919) has two main sections, which include painted images and digital images. The painting in this museum is the largest oil painting in Türkiye. This painting shows the arrival of Atatürk to Samson on May 19, 1919; Its height is 13 meters and its area is 1,000 square meters. In the digital part, there is a panoramic screen that depicts the history of Türkiye.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Cobija}

Bandirma Ship Museum

In 1919, Atatürk and his companions came to Samson from Istanbul by the passenger ship “Bandirma” to carry out their actions for the national struggle. Due to the importance of Bandirma for the Turkish people, this ship has now been turned into a museum. In this museum, there are works such as statues of Atatürk and his comrades-in-arms, accessories from the 1900s, etc.

Samson Freedom Road

“Samson Freedom Road” (Kurtulus Yolu Tutun Iskelesi) is a road that starts from Tutun Samson Pier and extends to Gazi Samson Museum. This road is 400 meters long. On the morning of May 19, 1919, Atatürk and his companions disembarked from the Bandirma ship and took their first steps on the Samsun pier. The arrival and march of Atatürk and his comrades is considered very honorable for the people of Türkiye. Hence, the path they walked on was named the Freedom Road. Wax statues of these people are also displayed on this road.

Ghazi Museum

“Gazi Museum” is a two-story building. The building of this museum was built in 1902 and was used as a hotel. Atatürk, the first president of Türkiye, stayed in this hotel during his trip to Samson. Years later, Governor Samson donated this hotel to Atatürk.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Cobija}

The hotel had many uses over the years; Finally, in 1988, it became Ghazi Museum. Currently, wax statues of Atatürk and his companions, Atatürk’s personal belongings, etc. are kept in this museum.

Ladik Akdagh ski resort

“Ladik Akdag” ski resort is located in Ladik region and 75 km from Samsun city, and tourists can experience snow skiing in this resort in winter. This ski center is considered the most up-to-date ski center in the Black Sea region. Aladagh ski resort is more than 1,350 meters long. Among the amenities of this complex, we can mention the sled track, accommodation, cafe, restaurant, etc.

Samson Türkiye shopping centers

In Samson shopping centers, all kinds of Turkish and foreign products such as clothes, cosmetics, household appliances, etc. are offered at reasonable prices; Of course, brand products are sold at a higher price.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Cobija}

Piazza Samson shopping center

“Piazza Samsun” shopping center is located on Atatürk Blvd. This shopping center with an area of ​​62,500 square meters was opened in 2013. Piazza Samson has 190 stores and offers a variety of clothing, bags and shoes, sports equipment, toys, cosmetics, electronics and home accessories from the best Turkish and international brands. One of the positive features of this shopping center is the presence of a food court and a cinema. According to users’ opinions, Piazza is considered one of the best Samsun shopping centers.

Lovelet shopping center

“Lovelet” shopping center has been built on a land of 75,000 square meters with an infrastructure of more than 36,000 square meters. Turkish and international brands are sold in this shopping center. Among the stores in this shopping center, we can mention bags and shoes, clothes, toys, furniture and decorations, cosmetics, supermarkets, sports equipment, home appliances, textiles, etc. There are also restaurants and cafes in this shopping center.

Samson Boulevard Shopping Center

“Samsun Bulvar” has a space of 17,400 square meters. This boulevard includes various sections such as shops, cafes and restaurants, office building and covered parking. 45 Turkish and international brands operate on Samson Boulevard. This shopping center is very similar to Valiasr Street in Tehran.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Cobija}

Yeshilyurt shopping center

“Yesilyurt Shopping Center” on Atatürk Samsun Boulevard has an area of ​​5,000 square meters. This shopping center has four floors and includes 70 stores, a supermarket, seven cinemas, restaurants, a cafeteria and a children’s play area. The goods in this shopping center are Turkish and international brands. All kinds of textiles, electronics, cosmetics, clothes, especially women’s clothes, etc. are sold in Yeshilyurt shopping center.

Travel guide to Samson, Türkiye

To travel to Samson, there are two ways for travelers, land and air. Each of these trips is considered by a group of tourists according to their taste, travel time, cost, etc.

_{Photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Bertramz}

Land trip to Samson, Türkiye

To travel by land to Samson, you can use tourist tours or a private car.

To travel by land to Samsun by private car, it is better to go to Bazargan Border; This border is 270 km away from Tabriz (four hours by car), 300 km away from Urmia (4.5 hours by car) and about 900 km away from Tehran (11 hours by car). After completing customs procedures at Bazargan border terminal and crossing the border, continue to Samson by private car. It is about 870 kilometers from Bazargan border to Samsun (about 12 hours by car); Pay attention to the fact that in order to cross the border with a private car, you need a document such as car hood, international license, etc.

It is a bit difficult to travel to Samsun using public transportation such as buses; From the borders of Iran, there is no direct bus or van to the city of Samson.

Air travel to Samson, Türkiye

It is not possible to fly directly from Iran to Samson; But tourists can get to Samson airport by buying a Samson plane ticket from one of the cities of Iran such as Tehran, Tabriz, Shiraz and Isfahan, with one or more stops in Istanbul or Ankara airports (or both).

Samson tour of Türkiye

Most travel agencies offer Samsun tours to travelers in combination with the cities of Urdu, Trabzon or Erzurum. These tours provide tourists with services such as round-trip plane tickets, hotel reservations, breakfast, free city tours, Persian language guides, travel insurance, etc.

Samsun land tours by bus are usually held during Nowruz and late every year. Samson and Trabzon combined land tour from Tabriz is one of the popular tours for tourists. The distance between Tabriz and Samson, Türkiye is about 1,200 kilometers (16 hours by car).

The best time to travel to Samson, Türkiye

In general, Samson is cloudy, rainy, and rainy most days of the year; However, between the months of March and May, the city has a pleasant and moderate climate; Of course, if you are interested in water sports in the Black Sea, you should choose the summer season to travel to Samson. In winter, you can also go to the ski resort of this city and enjoy skiing on the snow.

Stay in Samson, Türkiye

The price of accommodation in Samsun Türkiye depends on the level of services and the type of hotel. In Samson, in addition to luxury and expensive hotels, there are also cheap hotels and guesthouses.

_{Photo source: Google Map; Photographer: Marwa Al Anis}

One of the most luxurious hotels in Samsun is the five-star Sheraton Grand Samsun Hotel, whose price for a double room starts from $137 per person per night. This hotel offers many services to travelers, including a king-size bed, free Wi-Fi, minibar, safety deposit box, restaurant with local and international menu, indoor pool, sauna, jacuzzi, gym, etc. .

“Gloria Tibi Hotel” (Gloria Tibi Hotel) is considered one of the economic and affordable accommodations of Samson. The cost of one night stay per person in this hotel starts from 25 dollars. The room of this hotel has facilities such as toilet, bathroom, air conditioning, mini bar, etc.

_{Photo source: Google Map site; Photographer: Oral Güle}

Have you ever traveled to Samsun? We will be happy to write your experiences of this city for your friends.

_{Cover photo source: Wikimedia; Photographer: Sami Yılmaz}