Amasya

Last update September 24, 2026

The town of Amasya is situated in a narrow valley shaped by the Yeşilırmak River. This location distinguishes it from the majority of Turkish cities. Along the riverbanks there are houses from the Ottoman period with wooden facades. The buildings being painted in soft yellow and white colors, and steep cliffs rise right behind them. Cut into these cliffs are the rock-cut tombs of the Pontic kings, which date back more than two thousand years, and at night they are lit up so that they shine above the town like features from a completely different era.

If you walk along the river in the evening you will see the old houses reflected in the water. The tombs being illuminated by floodlight. Go over one of the footbridges to the old town side and strolls through the narrow streets beneath the citadel. The Amasya Castle is located at the top of the cliffs, although the climb is steep it is worth making and offers views stretching down the valley in both directions. Stay here for a while rather than moving quickly. Amasya is best experienced on a slow pace.

The town has a deep historical background which extends well beyond its tombs. It was in fact the birthplace of the geographer Strabo. Later acted as a place of training for young Ottoman princes, one of them being the future Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled from here before becoming sultan. Both the Sultan Bayezid II Mosque complex and the old Ottoman houses, which have now been turned into small museums, convey a sense of that complex past without requiring you to spend a full day visiting them.

Amasya is not included in the itineraries of most first-time tourists visiting Turkey, which is why it doesn’t have the crowds that you’ll find in Cappadocia or along the coast. It suits well as part of a journey towards the Black Sea or as a point between Ankara and the eastern provinces. Two days are sufficient to see it properly, and by the time you leave you’ll probably be asking yourself why it is not better known outside of Turkey.