The Walls of Trabzon and Ortahisar Between Two Ravines

Start the walk at the highest part of the walls, at the southern end where the Upper Fortress and the Inner Citadel stand. Kültür Portalı and the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism divide the walls of Trabzon into three parts, the Upper Fortress with the Inner Citadel, the Middle Fortress and the Lower Fortress. These three parts do not work like a single castle but like a city wall running down to the sea; English Wikipedia also stresses that the structure is city walls rather than a castle. So in the first minutes, instead of looking for a single entrance gate, follow with your eyes where the line of walls runs.

The Upper Fortress is the acropolis of the city and the part that protects the inner citadel. Turkish Wikipedia writes that the first castle is believed to have been built around two thousand years before Christ. The sources differ on the date of the oldest section of the walls visible today. Kültür Portalı dates the oldest section to the fourth century BC, while English Wikipedia links the oldest part to the first century AD in the Roman period and adds that Xenophon, who saw the city in the fifth century BC, mentioned walls. It is best to keep this difference in mind and not tie the walls to a single period.

To the south of the inner citadel there is a section strengthened with a thick two-storey wall and towers; the sources describe this part as higher than the other fortresses. When you look closely at the walls, you see stones of different sizes used together. Turkish Wikipedia writes that the castle was built with stones gathered from older monuments, and that at the beginning of the twentieth century the same stones were in turn used in new buildings. The sources also mention human reliefs found in some sections built of rubble and block stone, so scan the face of the wall without hurrying.

English Wikipedia states that the palace of the Empire of Trebizond was in the Upper Fortress. KÜRE Ansiklopedi explains that archaeological excavations are carried out in the Inner Citadel area south of the Zağnos Valley under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. These excavations uncovered the masonry remains of a palace thought to belong to the Komnenos dynasty, a bath, wall remains and vaulted structures. The excavation area is usually fenced; do not try to enter, and try to read the plan of the remains from the edge. Since the aim is to restore the finds and open the area to visitors, more may be seen here in the future.

Evliya Çelebi describes the moat on the mountain side of the castle as a deep moat resembling a well of hell. Keeping this image in mind, look from the edge of the walls at the valleys on both sides; the Zağnos valley to the west and the Tabakhane valley to the east are the natural counterparts of the moat. Kültür Portalı writes that the walls were built exactly on the high mass of rock between these two valleys. English Wikipedia also reports that an aqueduct was built in the Roman period to bring fresh water to the Upper Fortress; you will look for traces of water channels at the next stop, on the western slope.

The sources state that the Middle Fortress was built by Emperor Alexios II, with the İmaret and Zağanos gates on its western side and the Tabakhane and Kule gates on its other sides. Some Ottoman-era inscriptions found between the walls are displayed today in the Trabzon Museum. Wait for the morning light for photographs, because the high walls fall into shadow in the afternoon. From here, walk down the western slope to the Zağnos Valley Park; the descent is steep, so watch your step on wet stones.

Source: Kültür Portalı, Trabzon Kalesi; KÜRE Ansiklopedi, Zağnos Vadisi; Wikipedia, Trabzon Kalesi; Wikipedia, Walls of Trabzon.

The Zağnos Valley is the valley that forms the western moat of the walls, and today it is used as a park within the city. KÜRE Ansiklopedi writes that the valley is named after Zağnos Pasha, who carried out building work after Trabzon joined the Ottoman lands in the fifteenth century. At the beginning of the two-thousands the Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality and the Mass Housing Administration started urban renewal work here. Unplanned buildings were removed, and walkways, landscaping, open green areas and social facilities were built. English Wikipedia notes that with this redevelopment the walls and the aqueduct can now be seen without obstruction.

When you go down into the park, first walk a few steps along the floor of the valley and look up at the line of walls. The walls you have just stood on are visible from here in their full height, and you understand at a glance why the city was built on top of this mass of rock. The valley has footpaths, seating areas and children's playgrounds. KÜRE Ansiklopedi also writes that the park has a bird observation park set up to introduce local and exotic species. Sitting on one of the benches and watching the western face of the walls without hurrying is the real task of this stop.

Then walk to the Zağnos Bridge in the middle of the valley. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism writes that the bridge connects the Zindan Gate with the İmaret Gate, and that historical sources mention a wooden drawbridge here in earlier times. Turkish Wikipedia reports that the bridge takes its name from Zağanos Pasha, who renewed it in 1467, and that it was renewed and widened in 1888. Kültür Portalı describes the bridge as a cut-stone structure with two supports, a single span and a round arch. The sources differ on the number of spans; the Provincial Directorate speaks of two spans with arches one above the other, so count the arches yourself from below.

Look closely at the piers of the bridge. Kültür Portalı writes that Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman workmanship can be seen on the piers, and that researchers have identified four building phases in the bridge. The present railing is not original; the bridge was widened with brackets for traffic and a reinforced concrete deck was added on top. That is why photographing the bridge from below, from the angle where the stone arch shows, gives a more faithful result than from above.

Near the bridge rises the Zağnos Tower, built of cut stone on a square plan. News sources report that the tower was built in the time of Alexios II and was used as a dungeon for a while. Do not miss the Abdullah Paşa Fountain at the eastern entrance of the tower. The fountain was built of marble in 1844 by the Governor of Trabzon, Haznedarzade Abdullah Pasha, and originally stood in front of the water distribution house on today's Taksim Square; it was dismantled when the streets were widened and moved here. On the Empire-style facade there is the tughra of Sultan Abdülmecid in the middle of the triangular pediment, a tree of life motif around the spout and a nine-line Persian inscription on the panel.

The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism writes that there is a five-arched aqueduct over the İmaret stream on the western slope of the castle, and that the clay pipes that carried water can be seen in the surrounding rocks. Look for these traces on the slopes of the valley, but do not climb the slopes. As you leave the valley, look at the top of the line of walls on the eastern slope; the timber house that is the next stop can be picked out from there. You will climb back inside the walls by a short but steep slope.

Source: KÜRE Ansiklopedi, Zağnos Vadisi; Kültür Portalı, Zağnos Köprüsü ve Abdullah Paşa Çeşmesi; Trabzon İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, Köprüler, Çeşmeler ve Su Kemerleri.

The Kanuni House is a two-storey timber building standing next to the line of walls, just above the Zağnos Valley. Turkish Wikipedia writes that the house was built in the nineteenth century and entered service as a museum after being restored by the Governorship of Trabzon in 1994. The house is in the quarter where Suleiman the Magnificent was born; however, the sources present this building not as the house where the sultan was born, but as a museum house bearing his name. Visiting with this distinction in mind lets you read both the house and the quarter correctly.

Turkish Wikipedia reports that Suleiman was born in Trabzon on 6 November 1494, when his father Selim was governor of Trabzon. According to the same source, he spent his childhood years in Trabzon together with his foster brother Yahya Efendi. This is why Trabzon today presents itself as the city where Kanuni was born. Keeping this connection in mind during the visit explains why the objects on display are here.

For years the house was known as the Kanuni House. A news report dated February 2018 writes that the building had been turned into the Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Osmanlı Kültürevi a year earlier and that it greets visitors with wax figures of three Ottoman rulers. The same report notes that the display includes images, sculptures and introductory publications, and that visitors could wear an Ottoman caftan. You may see both names on local signs and maps; both refer to the same place. Since the arrangement of the display may change over time, you may not know in advance exactly what you will find inside.

Turkish Wikipedia writes that the museum collection includes a sword, a caftan, a portrait and a poem he wrote, all stated to belong to Kanuni. Read the information panels in front of these objects, because that is where you learn which piece is original and which is a reconstruction. The house also hosts temporary exhibitions from time to time. In May 2022 the Süleymanname exhibition opened here, with fifty-four miniatures telling the reign and daily life of Kanuni's era in chronological order.

Inside, look at the house itself as much as at the objects. The arrangement of the rooms, the timber ceilings and the position of the windows facing the valley reflect the traditional civil architecture of Ortahisar. A news report from 2022 counts this house, together with the Yarımbıyıklıoğlu and Kundupoğlu houses, among the buildings that carry the urban culture of Ortahisar. The same report describes Ortahisar through its Ottoman-era houses, cobbled streets, steep slopes and fountains. When you leave the house, read the surrounding streets with this in mind.

We do not give the museum's visiting days and hours in figures; check the current information with official sources. If you come across crowded groups, a good choice is to walk the surrounding streets first and come back later. From the point in front of the house that looks towards the Zağnos Valley, you see from above the park you have just walked through below. From here walk east through Ortahisar to the Tabakhane valley; since the way passes through the middle of the old town, it is worth walking slowly and looking at the street fabric.

Source: Wikipedia, Kanuni Evi; Karar, Osmanlı'nın izlerini taşıyan müze ilgi görüyor; İstiklal, Tarihi dokusunu koruyan Ortahisar kültür rotasında.

The Tabakhane Bridge stands over Kuzgun Dere to the east of Ortahisar and connects the Ortahisar and Cumhuriyet quarters. Kültür Portalı writes that the western foot of the bridge rests on Ortahisar; in other words, this bridge is the exit of the walled old town on its eastern side. English Wikipedia lists the Tabakhane Gate among the gates of the Middle Fortress. When you reach the bridge, first stop at one end and look at both slopes of the valley; the eastern moat you saw from above at the castle stop is now right in front of you.

The most striking feature of the bridge is its two-level structure. Kültür Portalı writes that the first level has a single span and the second level consists of six oval arched spans. To see this arrangement, do not stay on top of the bridge; move to a point from which you can look from the valley side or from the side. A wide-angle frame helps to catch all the arches in the same shot.

The history of the bridge is told at length and in layers in the sources. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism writes that its first construction goes back to the first century in the Roman period, that the bridge in its present form is an Ottoman structure, and that it took its final shape in the nineteenth century. According to a news report dated April 2026, the bridge was widened in the time of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, repaired during the Empire of Trebizond, and comprehensively renewed in 1833 by the Governor of Trabzon, Emin Muhlis Pasha. According to the same report, the bridge consists of two main parts, a Roman one in the south and an Aq Qoyunlu and Ottoman one in the north.

The sources diverge on some points. The Provincial Directorate reports that Evliya Çelebi described the bridge as a Qara Qoyunlu work, while the news report writes that it was rebuilt in masonry by the Aq Qoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan. Turkish Wikipedia, on the other hand, says that the present bridge was built in the 1800s and repaired in 1880. These differences show that the bridge was reworked many times over the centuries; instead of looking for a single construction date, look at the difference in stonework between the southern and northern parts.

The same report says that an archaeological excavation and then restoration work are planned to study the Roman layers, especially in the southern part of the bridge. An expert quoted in the report says that there are Roman rock tombs, aqueducts and quay remains in the valley. If work is under way during your visit, part of the bridge may be fenced off; do not enter the work area, and read the information panel if there is one. The Provincial Directorate also mentions a small thirteenth-century aqueduct over the same stream known as the İnce Köprü.

Like Zağnos, the Kuzgun Dere valley was covered by buildings for years. English Wikipedia writes that the illegal buildings in the valley were torn down and that the area will eventually be turned into a park. So the open spaces you see when looking into the valley are the preparation for a new layout. End the route here; with a walk that started at Zağnos and ended at Tabakhane, you have crossed the old town from one end to the other between its two moats. To return to the city centre from the eastern end of the bridge, ask the way locally.

Source: Kültür Portalı, Tabakhane Köprüsü; Trabzon İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, Köprüler, Çeşmeler ve Su Kemerleri; İstiklal, Trabzon'daki Tabakhane Köprüsü gün yüzüne çıkacak.