Chalcolithic Age (Copper Age)5,000 BCE - 3,000 BCE
Bronze Age3,000 BCE - 1,200 BCE
Iron Age1,200 BCE - ...
Periods Based on Written Records1,900 BCE - ...
Origin of the Name Samsun
According to a Jewish legend, it originates from the legendary hero Samson. Another Jewish legend suggests it comes from Sam, the son of Prophet Noah. However, these claims are incorrect as they are not based on written evidence. Jewish people never historically reached the Black Sea coast.
Another claim proposes that it derives from the word "sansuncu" in Kamus-i Türki. "Sansun" means war dog, and "sansuncu" refers to a dog trainer. This thesis is also incorrect. Turks used dogs in warfare around 600 BC, but they had not yet arrived in Anatolia at that time.
According to the historian Strabo (1st century AD), the Hittites named the city "Eneti". In the 6th century BC, Milesian sailors who settled in Samsun named it "Amisos". In later periods, the Romans altered it to "Amisus" while the Genoese transformed it into "Simisso".
The word "Samsun" was first used in the 13th century by the Andalusian Umayyad historian Ibn Said.
Pre-Turkish Period History of Samsun
3000 BC
The Gasgas and Hattians lived in Samsun, occasionally engaging in wars.
1500 BC
The Hittites established dominance in Samsun.
1200 BC
The Phrygians settled in the region.
7TH CENTURY BC
The Cimmerians invaded Samsun. The Cimmerians were an Indo-European group that arrived in Anatolia via the Balkans and advanced as far as the Caucasus. Some historians suggest they were ancestors of the Circassians.
6TH CENTURY BC
Persian invasion of Samsun. The Persians, ancestors of modern Iranians, ruled Anatolia for around 200 years.
333 BC
Macedonian rule in Samsun. After conquering Anatolia, Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, extended his empire's borders all the way to India.
4TH–2ND CENTURIES BC (HELLENISTIC PERIOD)
Pontic-Greek state rule. The state's founder, Mithridates, was of Persian descent, yet he established a kingdom based on Greek culture. Kings following the Mithridatic dynasty were defeated by the Romans in the 1st century AD.
1ST CENTURY AD
Roman rule began in Samsun.
476 AD
Following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, Emperor Leo I declared the Byzantine Empire in Istanbul, bringing Samsun under Byzantine control.
Turkish Period History of Samsun
11TH CENTURY
First half: Byzantine rule in Samsun.
Second half: Settlement of the Danişmend dynasty in Samsun (Danişmend Gazi, 1074).
12TH CENTURY
First half: Continuation of Danişmend rule.
Second half: Seljuks took control of Samsun after battles with the Danişmends (Sultan Kilij Arslan II, 1178).
13TH CENTURY
First half: After the Fourth Crusade, the Byzantine Komnenos dynasty was expelled from Constantinople and established the Empire of Trebizond, later capturing Samsun (1204).
Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev (1237–1246) defeated the Komnenos dynasty in alliance with the Byzantine Laskaris family of Nicaea and restored Samsun to Seljuk territory.
Hülagü Khan's invasion of Anatolia led to Ilkhanid dominance in Samsun (1243).
14TH CENTURY
First half: Rule of the Eretna Beylik, a branch of the Ilkhanids, in Samsun.
Second half: Samsun changed hands from the Eretna Beylik to the Kubadoğulları.
1398: The Kubadoğulları handed over Samsun peacefully to Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I.
15TH CENTURY
1404: Following the Battle of Ankara, Timur plundered all of Anatolia and devastated Samsun.
After Yıldırım Bayezid's defeat at Ankara, his son Süleyman Çelebi briefly declared his rule in Samsun. However, this dominance was short-lived, as control first passed to the Candaroğulları and later to their branch, the İsfendiyarids.
1419: Ottoman Sultan Mehmed I assigned Hamza Bey to capture Samsun. Due to a fire in Gavur Samsun, Hamza Bey took the city without battling the Genoese. Thus, Gavur Samsun came under Turkish control for the first time. After the fire, its name changed to Kara Samsun. Historians debate the cause of the fire, with theories including:
Murad II, then governor of Amasya, set the fire upon visiting Samsun.
The Genoese started the fire to prevent the city from falling into Ottoman hands.
The fire occurred without deliberate cause.
Hamza Bey fought İsfendiyarid ruler Hızır Bey over Muslim Samsun and emerged victorious, bringing all of Samsun under Ottoman rule.
1419–1918 Period
Samsun remained within the Ottoman Empire, first as a sanjak (provincial division) under Amasya and later under the Trabzon province.
1918: Greek insurgents seeking to establish a Pontic-Greek state revolted, but armed forces formed within Samsun suppressed the uprising.
1919: On May 19, General Inspector of the Third Army Mustafa Kemal Pasha arrived in Samsun with 18 companions. Originally sent by Ottoman Sultan Vahdettin and the occupation forces in Istanbul to quell Turkish resistance in Samsun, he instead initiated the Turkish War of Independence from Samsun.
Cultural Centers
Atatürk Cultural Center
Atatürk Boulevard
Canik Cultural Center
Gazi Osmanpaşa Akıncık Street No: 80
Yıldıray Çınar Cultural Center
İlkadım Fevzi Çakmak Neighborhood
Atakum Municipality Art Center
Atakum Mimar Sinan Neighborhood
S.B.B. Art Center
Atakum Mimar Sinan Neighborhood, Adnan Menderes Boulevard
Samsun Public Education Center
Atakum Mimar Sinan Neighborhood
Sports Halls
Samsun Yaşar Doğu Indoor Sports Hall
Samsunspor Sports Hall
İlkadım Sporland Dream
Canik Mustafa Dağıstanlı Sports Hall
Atakum Sporland
Atakum Salman Sports Hall
Atakum Indoor Sports Hall
Canik Hasan Doğan Sports Hall
Tekkeköy Yaşar Doğu Sports Hall
İlkadım Kadıköy Sports Hall
Daily Newspapers
Arena
Haber Ekspres
Karadeniz Postası
Denge
Halk
Kızılırmak
Ekip
Hareket
Takip
Haber
Karadeniz Bakış
Local Television Channels
Haberaks (AKS)
Kanal-S
Klas-TV
Alfa TV
Bafra TV
Amateur Sports Clubs
Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Sports Club
Samsun Yolspor
Hacınabi Sports Club
Atakent Sports Club
Samsun Telekom Sports Club
Zeytinlikspor
Tekkeköyspor
Tekkeköy Municipality Sports Club
Ladikspor
Termespor
19 Mayıs Municipality Sports Club
Vezirköprü Municipality Sports Club
Dikbıyık Sports Club
Distance of Samsun to Other Provinces
Amasya 131 km.
Ordu 152 km.
Sinop 165 km.
Giresun 196 km.
Tokat 231 km.
Trabzon 333 km.
Rize 408 km.
Ankara 419 km.
Erzincan 445 km.
Erzurum 560 km.
İstanbul 737 km.
İzmir 998 km.
Distance of Samsun to Its Districts
Tekkeköy 15 km.
19 Mayıs 34 km.
Çarşamba 39 km.
Asarcık 42 km.
Kavak 46 km.
Bafra 52 km.
Salıpazarı 58 km.
Terme 59 km.
Ayvacık 64 km.
Lâdik 76 km.
Alaçam 78 km.
Havza 81 km.
Yakakent 90 km.
Vezirköprü 110 km.
Traditional Dishes of Samsun
a) Local Vegetable Names
Kaldırayak otu
Wild herb
Sirken
Medicinal plant
Baldırcan
Eggplant
Pancar
Collard greens
Gaziyek
Wild herb known as "Kazayağı" (Goosefoot)
Kinzi
Herb similar to parsley
Kırçal
Wild herb with edible leaves
Baldıran
Wild herb with edible stems
Nünük
Vegetable similar to spinach
b) Dishes
Tirit: A dish made by placing bulgur or rice cooked with goose meat into a thin pastry.
Keşkek: Boiled wheat and meat pounded with wooden mallets to create a thick dish.
Çakallı Menemen: A traditional dish from Çakallı, prepared by cooking tomatoes, cheese, and eggs with pepper sauce in butter.
Büryan: A stew-style meat dish similar to a pot kebab.
Bazlama: A type of bread cooked on a griddle.
Cızlama: A thin pastry cooked on a griddle.
Karmaç: Cornbread mashed with hot butter using a spoon.
Hamur Dolması: A dish made by stuffing dough into grape leaves.
Lepsi: Boiled chicken served with a walnut sauce.
Malakto: A bean dish flavored with kinzi (similar to parsley), walnuts, and pepper sauce.
Şipsi: Boiled chicken served with a thick cornmeal porridge.
Dutmaca Soup: A soup prepared by adding sliced dough pieces and okra.
Borani: A dish of boiled vegetables mixed with garlic yogurt.
Hazelnut Leaf Dolma: A stuffed hazelnut leaf dish made with cracked wheat filling.
Kömeç: A dish made by boiling and then sautéing mallow leaves.
Potato Muhlama: Mashed boiled potatoes mixed with eggs.
Çullama: A vegetable dish cooked with eggs.
Rice Fritters: A dish made by frying boiled rice with eggs.
Halüz: A Circassian dish ("Haluj"), consisting of thin dough stuffed with minced meat, cheese, or potatoes and cooked on a griddle or pan.
Kaypancak: Thin sliced dough pieces are boiled in water, then mixed with fried tomato paste, sautéed minced meat, and garlic yogurt before being cooked again.
Kuymak: A dish prepared by mixing cornmeal with string cheese and cooking it in butter or cream.
Pıtıl: A fermented dough is stretched by hand, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with roasted poppy seeds, and then folded at four corners before being fried in a pan.
Çılbır: Prepared by frying onions, minced meat, sour plum, and dill in oil, then mixing with beaten eggs and crumbled cornbread.
Zeti: A sauce made by pounding walnuts, spices, and seasonings in a mortar and then mixing with water, stale bread, and boiled chicken meat.
Katık Böreği: A pastry made with crushed corn and dill.
Herse: A Circassian dish made with shredded chicken.
Tutmaz Aşı: A cut-noodle soup made with dried dough pieces.
c) Desserts
Kocakarı Gerdanı: A rolled walnut-filled pastry dessert.
Kıvratma (Çarşamba): A dessert made by placing finely ground hazelnuts inside thick dough sheets.
Palüze: A pudding made from milk, starch, sugar, and butter.
Nokul (Bafra): A pastry dessert prepared with dough layers filled with crushed walnuts.
Künefe: A dessert made with shredded pastry and unsalted cheese.
Tilimat: A dessert made by mixing cornmeal with molasses and cooking it with cream.
Famous People Raised in Samsun
a) Musicians
Orhan Gencebay
Turkish Classical Music artist, composer
Orhan Hakalmaz
Turkish Classical Music, bağlama player
Yıldırım Bekçi
Turkish Classical Music artist
İsmet Nedim
Composer, musician
Ali Erköse
Turkish Classical Music artist, composer
Sebahattin Dülger (Aşık Erdemli)
Folk poet
Kemali Bülbül
Folk poet
Barbaros Erköse
Turkish Classical Music artist
Nezahat Bayram
Turkish Classical Music artist
Serap Kuzey
Turkish Classical Music artist
Şahin Gültekin
Turkish Classical Music artist
Yıldıray Çınar
Turkish Classical Music artist
b) Other famous people
Avni Dilligil
Actor
Orçun Sonat
Theater actor
Nebahat Çehre
Actress
Ferhan Şensoy
Theater actor and writer
Hikmet Sami Türk
Politician, former Minister of Justice
Murat Karayalçın
Politician (S.D.P.)
Neyzen Tevfik
Ney player, satirical poet
Tanju Çolak
Footballer, top scorer
Vahi Öz
Actor
Orhan Aldıkaçtı
Jurist, architect of the 1982 constitution
Şener Akyol
Jurist, co-author of the 1982 constitution alongside O. Aldıkaçtı
Ali Fuat Başgil
Law professor, writer
Kenan Bulutoğlu
Professor, politician
Bedrettin Cömert
Writer
Mustafa Dağıstanlı
Champion wrestler
Yaşar Doğu
Champion wrestler
Bedri Koraman
Cartoonist
Vedat Türkali
Writer
Levent Kırca
Actor, politician (left-wing)
Ferdi Karanur
Actor
Faculty of Education
In 1961, it was established as the "Girls' Teacher School" and "Institute of Education" on Saadet Street with 141 students. The Institute of Education had a two-year study period. In 1966, when education institutes extended their programs to three years, Samsun Education Institute was relocated to Atakum. In 1978, the study period was increased to four years, thus classifying it as a higher education school. In 1982, it was incorporated into O.M.Ü. as a faculty. In 2001, when the Faculty of Education moved to the Kurupelit Campus, only the higher education school remained in Atakum. In later years, the name of the Faculty of Education in Atakum was changed to "Fine Arts Campus".
The Faculty of Education, operating in both campuses, consists of 10 departments and 27 academic disciplines. Each department has its own specialized branches. For example, the elementary education department includes five academic disciplines.
19 Mayıs University
HISTORY
In 1973, it was established as part of Hacettepe University in the building of the Psychiatry and Neurology Hospital. In its first year, it had only 50 students. Later, faculties of science and agriculture were founded. In 1975, the institution was officially named "19 Mayıs University". However, the Kurupelit Campus had not yet been opened. In 1982, when the Faculty of Medicine separated from Hacettepe University, it moved to the Atakum Campus. The transfer to Kurupelit Campus was completed in 1986.
UNIVERSITY UNITS
Starting with just 50 students in 1973, the university's student population reached 52,300 in 2015. Currently, it has 2,263 academic staff members and 4,040 employees. 19 Mayıs University houses 16 faculties, 5 institutes, 12 vocational schools, and 17 research & application centers. Additionally, the university includes a conservatory and an observatory.
FACULTIES
Ali Fuat Başgil Faculty of Law
Faculty of Dentistry
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Science and Literature
Faculty of Fine Arts
Faculty of Aviation and Space Sciences
Faculty of Economic and Commercial Sciences
Faculty of Theology
Faculty of Communication
Faculty of Architecture
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Tourism
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Yaşar Doğu Faculty of Sports Sciences
Faculty of Agriculture
INSTITUTES
Institute of Educational Sciences
Institute of Science
Institute of Health Sciences
Institute of Social Sciences
Institute of Fine Arts
Vocational Schools
Justice Vocational School
Alaçam Vocational School
Bafra Vocational School
Çarşamba Commodity Exchange Vocational School
Havza Vocational School
Kavak Vocational School
Health Services Vocational School
Samsun Vocational School
Terme Vocational School
Vezirköprü Vocational School
Yeşilyurt Iron & Steel Vocational School
19 Mayıs Civil Aviation Vocational School
CONSERVATORY
Samsun State Conservatory
Observatory
19 Mayıs University Observatory
Research and Application Centers
Atatürk Principles and History of Reforms Research and Applications
Computer Research and Application Center
Biotechnology R.A.C.
Environmental Issues R.A.C.
Ecosystems R.A.C.
Informatics Department
Hazelnut and Other Hard-Shelled Fruits R.A.C.
Women's Issues Research Center
Ornithology Research Center
Common Courses Department
Health R.A.C.
Strategic Research Center
Continuous Research Center
Turkish Patent Institute Unit
Distance Education R.A.C.
Foreign Language Education R.A.C.
Education for Mentally Disabled Children R.A.C.
Samsun - Canik Başarı Foundation University
Established in 2012 at Gürgenyatak Campus, located within the central district of Canik.
University Faculties
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Science and Literature
Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences
Faculty of Architecture and Engineering
Departments Under the Rectorate
Department of Atatürk's Principles and History of Reforms
Department of Turkish Language
Department of Informatics
School of Foreign Languages
Research and Application Centers
Continuing Education Research and Application Center
Alliance of Civilizations Research and Application Center
Honey Research and Application Center
Children's Literature Research and Application Center
Samsun Metropolitan Private Schools List
Private Artı Bilgi Anatolian High School
İst. Mah. 56 lar Sk. No: 59
Private Feza Berk Social Sciences High School
Kışla Mah. Gebi Cad. No: 296
Private Feza Berk Anatolian High School
Kışla Mah. Gebi Cad. No: 299
Private Şahinoğlu College
Kale Mahallesi İnce Sokak No: 13
Özel Duruşehir Akşam Lisesi
Private Duruşehir Evening High School
Private Samsun Evening High School
Derecik Mah. Atatürk Bl. No: 33
Private Feza Berk Science High School
Kışla Mah. Gebi Cad. No: 296
Private Atakum Gökkuşağım Special Education School