Sinop province, which is mainly located in the Western Black Sea region with a small portion in the Central Black Sea region, was founded on a peninsula extending into the sea. The natural flora of the province is rich, due to regular and abundant rainfall and moderate climate, which has resulted in the abundance of forest products in the province. The deepest forests in Turkey are in Çangal Mountains. Sinop is also one of the most beautiful holiday spots on the Black Sea with its natural coves sheltered from the winds. The Hamsaroz and Akliman coves compare to those in the Southern Aegean. The city, which is named after the Amazon Queen Sinope, was founded by colonists migrating from Miletus. The famous philosopher Diogenes, who was known for his expression, “don’t cast a shadow on my sunlight, I don’t want any other favors”, lived in Sinop in the 4^th century B.C.

A typical Safranbolu house - KARABÜK

The Central Black Sea Region. Kastamonu is a town that resembles an open-air museum for its historical houses exhibit the best examples of old Turkish architecture. The economy of the town is based on agriculture. The town is like a paradise on earth with its 135 km. long coastline, forests, oxygen rich plateaus, and its curative thermal and mountain springss. The most prominent of the historical and artistic sites of the  city  are  the  characteristic  Paphlagonia
 

A traditional Ayancık house – SİNOP

stone tombs  which  are presumed to date back to the 7^th century B.C., the Kastamonu Citadel constructed by the Byzantines on a rocky hill in the 12^th century, the Kastamonu Museum which has a historical building, the İbni Neccar Mosque dating back to the Çandaroğulları era, and the bronze statue of Atatürk which symbolizes one of Atatürk’s reforms on Cumhuriyet Avenue. The depth of the Ilgara Cave near Pınarbaşı is 250 m. and its length is 58 m. The stalagmites and stalactites in the cave are the result of one million years of accumulation.

Turkish house with a unique style of architecture – AMASYA

The Coal Region of Turkey. In Zonguldak, the coal center of Turkey, economic life is based on mining and industry. The environs of Zonguldak, which is also a port, are full of scenic wonders. Devrek, to the southeast of the city, is known for its beautifully ornamented walking canes. Ereğli, to the north of Zonguldak, is an industrial port. Ereğli, hosting the gigantic Iron and Steel Plants, is famous for its strawberries. The Cehennemağzı Cave, where according to mythology Heracles captures Cerberus, the triple-headed dog, is located to the east of Ereğli.

Bartın, located to the east of Zonguldak, is a Western Black Sea town known for its old wooden houses and scenic wonders. A Strawberry Festival is held every year in the town which is also famous for its strawberries. The industrial city of Karabük and the town of Safranbolu, which is like an open-air museum with its historical houses, are located to the south of the city. Safranbolu, named after the saffron plants which are grown in the environs, is a town which has managed to keep alive many original examples of old Turkish architecture.

Abant – BOLU

The Western Black Sea Region. Bolu is a lovely western Black Sea town, possessing high mountains, dense forests, blue lakes and abundant streams. The marshes, the expansive pastures and dense forests of the province have ensured development in agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. The surroundings of Bolu are also rich in flora. More than one half of the 7,000 plant species existing in Turkey grow here.

Abant Lake, which is 32 km. to the southwest of Bolu, has an elevation of 1,325 m. above sea level. Abant, a tourist center in itself, attracts thousands of people in the summer due to the lake’s clean water and the fragrance of the pine forests. In the winter, it becomes an ideal ski center. The Kartalkaya Ski Center, which was opened in the winter of 1978, enlivened Bolu. Karacasu Thermal Springs, to the south of the city, are famous for their therapeutic waters and have been in use since the Ottoman period. Mudurnu and Göynük, located to the southwest of Bolu are among the important centers in Turkish cultural history. The Akşemsettin Tomb, which is one of the most beautiful works of art of the Ottoman period, is located in  Göynük.  Mengen county of Bolu province is famous for its cuisine and its famous chefs. There is a school of culinary arts here and a Culinary Arts Festival is organized every year.

The Black Sea Region The Black Sea region which covers approximately 18% of Turkey, with a surface area of 141,000 km², is named after the adjacent sea like the Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean Regions. The region extends from the border of Georgia in the east, to the eastern edge of the Adapazarı Plain in the west. The population of the region is 8,439,213 according to the 2000 census. 4,137,166 people live in cities and 4,301,747 people in villages. It is the only one of the seven regions in which the population of the villages exceeds that of the cities. With a population growth rate of 3.65‰, it has the lowest rate among all regions.

The main industrial sites in the Black Sea region are the ironsteel facilities at Karabük and Ereğli, the Çatalağzı Thermal Power Plant, the coal regions in the environs of Zonguldak, the Murgul copper production facility and the factories for the production of sugar, paper, sulfuric acid, vegetable oil, tea, hazelnut shelling and hazelnut products, fish flour and cigarettes which are located in various parts of the region.

The Turkish Geography Congress, which had convened in Ankara in 1941, divided the region into three parts: East Black Sea, Central Black Sea and West Black Sea regions.
 

Amasra – BARTIN

Tokat province, located to the east of Amasya, preserves the natural beauty of the  Black  Sea  region  and  is  rich  in

Sumela Monastery - TRABZON

historical and cultural assets. Copperwork, block-printed scarves, leatherwork and weaving are highly developed in the city. The block-printed scarves are particularly famous. Tokat has fertile lands and well irrigated plains. There are many fruit orchards and vineyards in the environs.

Many scientists, poets, calligraphers and statesmen were educated in Tokat during the 15^th and 16^th centuries and this is the reason why Tokat was called “the Home of Scientists, the Cradle of the Virtuous and the Place of Congregation of Poets”. Tokat, where Turkish culture and art are strikingly evident in the streets, is a province abounding with Turkish architectural structures of unique beauty.