Ancient Trebizond, Trabzon has an astonishing history. Always a melting pot for traders and travellers, it was the capital of its own empire from the 13th century until the Ottomans came knocking after taking care of Byzantium. Many of its monasteries continued to flourish under Turkish rule. The messy end of the Ottoman Empire came with a brief but violent period of Russian occupation. Today, Trabzon is a busy bustling city with plenty of charm hidden just below the surface.
