Samsun is Turkey's largest Black Sea port city and the capital of Samsun Province, with a metropolitan population of approximately 1.36 million. The city holds a special place in Turkish history as the landing point of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk on May 19, 1919 — the moment that launched the Turkish War of Independence. Today Samsun is a vibrant modern city combining deep patriotic heritage, a long sandy Black Sea coastline, fertile hazelnut and tobacco countryside, and an increasingly lively dining and nightlife scene. The Kıyı Park seafront promenade stretches 7 km along the coast, the replica Bandırma Vapuru museum ship recalls Atatürk's historic arrival, and a modern tramway connects the city's main districts with ease.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Samsun.
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1
Amisos founded by Greek colonists from Miletos
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2
Incorporated into the Kingdom of Pontus
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3
Captured and burned by Roman general Lucullus; rebuilt under Roman control
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4
Became part of the Empire of Trebizond (Byzantine successor state)
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5
Ottoman conquest under Mehmed I
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6
Major fire destroyed much of the Ottoman city; rebuilt as a modern port
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7
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk lands at Samsun harbour — the symbolic beginning of the Turkish War of Independence
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8
Turkish Republic founded; Samsun becomes a provincial capital
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9
Population exchange — Greek population departed as part of the Lausanne Convention
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10
Centenary of Atatürk's 1919 landing — massive national celebrations in Samsun
Historical sites
Places where Samsun's past comes alive.