ORDU TURKEY

Ordu

Ordu, which was ruled bythe Cimmerians, Persians, Macedonians, Pontus, Romans andByzantines since 7^th century BCE, and finally came under the rule of the Turks, is one of the most popularcities of the Black Sea with its thousands of years ofhistory, cultural richness and natural beauty.

Ordupromises its visitors extremely pleasant times with its historical buildings,local cuisine, handicrafts and natural beauties in addition to thekilometers-long coastline.

Theplaces you should definitely see when you go to Ordu can be listed as follows:

Boztepe

Boztepe is one of the oldest settlements in Ordu provincewhere houses are scattered on its slopes. It is 450 meters above sea level. Itis possible to reach here by a 6 km road from the city center or by cable carif you wish. You will be awarded with a fascinating view of Ordu, the blue ofthe Black Sea and the horizon from Boztepe. There are alsofood, beverage and recreational facilities and picnic areas in Boztepe.

Kurul Castle

Thecastle is an ancient settlement, 13 km from the city center, within the bordersof the village of Bayadı, a protected archaeological andnatural site.  During the excavations initiated in 2010, temple andcastle walls dating back 2300 years were found. A marble Cybele Statue wasunearthed in 2016 during the excavations. The statue in question drawsattention as it is the first in-situ (in its originalplace) example of cybele sculptures dating to the Hellenistic period.  

Eskipazar (Bayramlı) Mosque and Baths

Themosque, located in Eskipazar, the second settlement of Ordu,is thought to be built by Hacıemiroğulları in the 1380s. Thewindow shutters and pulpit of the mosque are among the best examples of woodcarving and are exhibited in Ankara Ethnography Museum. Next to themosque there is a large hamam with a dome made of rubble stone on the outsideand smooth hewn stone inside and a small square bath, thought to be built inthe 15-16^th centuries.

Laleli Çivisiz Mosque

Themosque, located in the center of İkizce, was built during the TulipPeriod. The lumber used in the mosque, which is completely made of wood, isvalonia oak, which is resistant to the elements. The door of the mosque isdecorated with tulip motifs.

Bolaman Castle Hazinedaroğlu Mansion

There isa small basilica-planned chapel inside the castle in Fatsa district, Bolaman locality. HazinedaroğluMansion (Hazinedaroğlu Konağı) is a wooden mansion built within theinner castle in the 18^th century. It is one of the mostimportant examples of civil architecture in the region.

Ünye Castle

Thecastle in Ünye district of Ordu is 2500 yearsold. At the entrance of the castle, there is a Tetrastyle rock tomb, 3 metersin width and 2 meters in height. There is an eagle statue in relief on each ofthe three points of the triangular thickness of the tomb.

Paşaoğlu Mansion Ethnography Museum

Themansion, which has extremely rich stone workmanship among the registered worksof art in Ordu, was built by Paşaoğlu Hüseyin Efendi in1896. Along with 663 archaeological and 1574 ethnographic artifacts,there is a collection of 4361 artifacts in total, consisting of 2090 coins and34 seals in the museum.

Ünye Museum House

Thebuilding has the characteristics of 16^th centuryclassical Ottoman architecture. The house was built of wood ona stone floor.

Taşbaşı Cultural Center (Old Prison-Church)

Thechurch, located in Taşbaşı district of Ordu citycenter, was built entirely of cut stone in 1853 and has survived until today toa great extent. The church, which has a basilica-like structure, has been usedas a cultural center since 2000.

Yason Cape Peninsula and Yason Church

Yason Cape, which is one of the places worth seeing with itsnatural beauty, is located on the Samsun-Ordu highway in Perşembe district.The church, built in 1869, became one of the most important tourism attractioncenters of Ordu with its location by the sea after it wasrestored and landscaped according to its original form and opened to visitors.This is the only peninsula with a church along the Black Sea coast.It is mentioned in the Argonauts myth.

Plateaus

Ordu is one of the regions where the transhumance traditioncontinues. Each of the many plateaus and hundreds of nomad groups in the regionhas its own characteristics. Çambaşı, Argın, Perşembe, Düzoba, Korgan,Keyfalan, Yeşilce and Topçam plateaus of Ordu are among the mostfestive and touristic plateaus of the Black Sea. Festivals areorganized and local markets are established on these plateaus.

Çambaşı Plateau

This isone of the most important plateaus of the Black Sea Region. It is1850 meters above sea level. Regular minibus services are available between thecity and the plateau. There are also trout restaurants andaccommodation facilities. The plateau is suitable for both summer and wintertourism. "Çambaşı Winter Sports and Ski Center (Çarşamba Kış Sporlarıve Kayak Merkezi)” was commissioned in 2017 for sports activitiesin Çambaşı Plateau (Çambaşı Yaylası).

Perşembe Plateau

Thealtitude of the plateau in Aybastı district is around 1500meters. Traditional oil wrestling and highland festivals which have beenongoing for a thousand years are held every year in July. It is an ideal placefor relaxation, picnics, safari and paragliding. There is also asmall lake.

Keyfalan Plateau

Theplateau is located at an altitude of 1,200 meters. Three nomad groups populatethe plateau, which is located on the slopes of Kara Tepe, in openareas covered with grass among pine forests. It stands out among other plateauswith its traditional highland  architecture. Keyfalan Plateau(Keyfalan Yaylası), offering unlimited opportunities for hiking, picnickingand relaxing in addition to its clean air, healthy waters and natural products, has a very favorable environment for human health.

Ulugöl Nature Park

It is acrater lake located 17 km from Gölköy district center. Thelake has a diameter of 250 meters. The lake is surrounded by forests. The areais suitable for camping. There are bungalows for accommodation.

Ünye Yalı Church

Thechurch was built by Greeks living in the region during thesecond half of the 19^th century. The church was restored asa Culture and Art Center with a restoration project carriedout in 2015.

Ünye Saray Bath

The bathhouse was made of stones extracted from Ünye by Armenian stonemasters in the 1800s. The bath is named Saray (Palace) Bath because SüleymanPasha commissioned the building of this bath for the use of the palacepeople and guests. It is rectangular-shaped on the outside. The bath consistsof cold, warm and hot sections and is still used as a bathhouse today.

Gaga Lake

Gaga Lake (Gaga Gölü), located 10 km northeastof Fatsa district, was formed as a result of a landslide inthe region. The depth of the lake, which covers an area of 60 decares, variesbetween 10-15 meters and there is a small islet in the center. This lake,surrounded by greenery, among hazelnut groves, hosts many plant and animalspecies. The lake, where 4 different fish species live, has been taken underprotection as a natural protected area.

Sıtkıcan and Menekşe Street

On thisavenue and street in Taşbaşı neighborhood, where thehistorical Taşbaşı Church (Taşbaşı Kilisesi) islocated, you can see the best examples of the historical houses that reflectthe characteristics of Armenian, Greek and Ottoman architecture,which were built in the Ottoman period and have been restoredtoday.

Gölköy Castle

Locatedin Gölköy district, the historical castle was built with asingle door and on a wide area. It was built on a hill dominating the district,suitable for observation and defense.

The Beaches

Çaka Beach (Çaka Plajı), which is one of theuntouched corners of Perşembe district, is near HoynatIsland (Hoynat Adası). It is one of the rare beaches that has not beenaffected by ecological pollution much. On Efirli Beach (Efirli Plajı),which is one of the most important holiday destinations of Ordu; public holidaycamp sites serve visitors with food and beverage facilities and music andentertainment venues during the summer period.

Gülyalı district is also a district rich in beaches.Restaurants, changing cabins and gazebos await their visitors both in summerand winter. There are many hotels, motels, pensions and campingareas on Uzunkum Beach (Uzunkum Plajı) in Ünye district. It isbelieved by the locals that the magnetic black sand on Uzunkum beachis good for some rheumatic diseases, skin diseases and stress.

Kabakdağı Village

Thevillage is 9 km away from Fatsa. It is one of the villages that isinvolved in eco-tourism work together with organic agriculture. The village,which was established by migrants from  Batumi after the 1877Ottoman - Russian War, has more than 100 local dishes. It has also beensuccessful in producing organic honey, eggs, dairy products, vegetables andfruits. The village stands out in tourism with its rich vegetation, trekkingtracks, local folk dances unique to the village.