SAMSUN

Samsun (418km northeast of Ankara) is a modern industrial city that has served as a major port for centuries. Products from all over the region are exported from this city, which annually hosts the Samsun Trade and Industrial Fair. Samsun found itself at the center of the Turkish War of Independence on May 19, 1919, when Atatürk landed here to organize the defense of Anatolia. The Atatürk Museum houses many objects and documents relating to the war. An equestrian statue honoring the founder of the Republic stands in a prominent place in the city park. The 14th-century Pazar Mosque and the 19th-century Büyük Mosque reflect two different Turkish architectural styles and are interesting to compare. The Archaeology Museum not only displays the finds from Ikiztepe but also artifacts from Dündartepe and Amisos, as Samsun was known in ancient times.