Boztepe, Trabzon

Overview

Above the harbor of Trabzon, a hill rises behind the city. For a night in Trabzon, see the best hotels in Trabzon. In the evening, families climb it for tea and the view over the Black Sea. This is Boztepe Trabzon.

About Boztepe Trabzon

Boztepe is the classic viewpoint over Trabzon and the sea, and our Trabzon city tour ends here with tea above the water. On its southern slope stands the Kızlar Monastery, Panagia Theoskepastos, which dates from the 14th or 15th century, with sections added in the 19th. Then, in April 2023, Ortahisar Municipality opened a terrace walk of about 1,100 m (0.7 mile) that starts at the monastery.

The City on the Hill’s Slopes

Trabzon itself grew on the slopes of this hill, so the view is also a history lesson. The city first appears by name in the Anabasis, written around 400 BC, and the name comes from trapezos, a Greek word linked to a table or a trapezoid shape. Later, from 1204 to 1461, Trabzon was the capital of the Komnenos state for about 250 years. Ottoman rule followed in 1461. So, from the top, you look down on the city that grew from this hill.

The Kızlar Monastery

Also, on the southern slope, the Kızlar Monastery, Panagia Theoskepastos, grew in stages. The church dates from the 14th or 15th century, and later builders added sections in the 19th century. Then, at its highest point, stands the monumental tomb of Konstantinos. Also, a restoration by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the metropolitan municipality ended in September 2021.

More of Trabzon From the Hill

So, from the top, you can pick out the rest of your Trabzon days. First, find the coast about 3 km (2 miles) from the central square. There Hagia Sophia, built in the mid-13th century under Manuel I Komnenos, stands by the sea, and it has been a mosque again since 2013. For the empire that built it, read our guide to the Empire of Trebizond. Look southwest toward Soğuksu, where the Atatürk Pavilion, an early 19th-century summer house of stone, sits on a ridge about 7 km (4 miles) from the center. The city is thought to have begun as a colony of Miletus, so the hill has looked over Greek, Komnenos and Ottoman Trabzon in turn. However, save Uzungöl for a separate day, because the lake lies far inland at about 1,090 m (3,580 feet).

How to Visit Boztepe Trabzon

The hill is a short drive above the city center. Combine it with Hagia Sophia in the morning and Sumela Monastery or Uzungöl the next day. We plan tea on Boztepe for the last light over Trabzon.

Would you like to see Trabzon, Sumela and Uzungöl with a private guide? Boztepe, Sumela and the lake at Uzungöl fill your days from Trabzon; write to us with the dates. See our Sumela and Uzungöl tour, our Black Sea tour and our Trabzon guide.