The beautiful Amasya

Nestled 340 kilometers east of Ankara on the road to Samsun lies Amasya, a small city that remains surprisingly unknown, even to the Turks!

Amasya, hiding below the Harşena hills split by the Yeşilirmak River. View taken from Kizlar Sarayi Cafe.

Amasya is a small gem,a true hidden treasure, and perhaps its obscurity is a good thing in some sense. In fact, it’s one of the prettiest city I’ve ever seen in Turkey! Getting to Amasya is easy, with many bus companies offering rides from Aşti in Ankara. Depending on the bus company you choose, a one-way ticket costs around 50 TL (2018,1 USD = 5 TL). During my visit, I opted for the Miss Amasya bus, which was incredibly comfortable and nice. Another great option is Metro. The bus journey from Aşti takes around six hours, and typically includes a rest stop of about 30 minutes in Sungurlu before arriving at Amasya Otogar, which is a bit outside the city center. But don’t worry, most bus companies provide free service to take their customers to the heart of the city.

Nestled between the Harşena hills and the Yeşilirmak River, Amasya is a stunning destination to visit. On the west bank of the river, you’ll find an array of well-preserved historical Ottoman-style houses that have been repurposed into hotels, restaurants, and cafes. I had the pleasure of visiting one of the cafes and found it to be quite good. However, it’s worth noting that the prices tend to be a bit higher than what you’ll find on the east bank of the river. Nonetheless, the charming atmosphere and picturesque views make it well worth the visit. Ottoman style houses on the west bank of river; background is the Kralkaya tombs

On the west bank, there’s another must-see site: the Kralkaya tombs. With over two thousand years of history, this tomb was built during the Pontic Empire’s reign over the Black Sea region of Turkey. Interestingly, people also worshipped the tomb after the King passed away. What makes this tomb even more fascinating is that it’s built on the back of a steep hill, which makes it challenging to access and work on. But don’t let that deter you, as the Kralkaya tombs are a true marvel of ancient architecture and history. the Kralkaya tombs

The east bank of the river, boasts a beautiful road lined with plane and maple trees for traffic, with a separate pedestrian path that runs alongside the river - a rare find in the country. Along this road, visitors can enjoy a variety of cafes and restaurants. One such place is the Keyif restaurant, located under a massive plane tree, where they serve the best pide in town. The beautiful East Bank of the Yeşilirmak River.

Despite its small size, Amasya has a surprising number of museums, and one of the most interesting is the Amasya Museum. Here, visitors can view historical artifacts from the surrounding area and Turkey. One item that stands out is a mummy that is almost 700 years old! This is intriguing because mummification is not typically associated with Muslim traditions, which the Turks had adopted over four hundred years prior. It begs the question of who did the mummification and why, making it a must-see attraction for anyone interested in the history of the region. Cumudar, the governor of Amasya at that time, believed to be drowned to death by Mongols in 1297. The horror expression on his face is still there, even after 700 years!

There is one place that I wished visited in Amasya, the Lover’s Museum, or Ferhat ile Şirin Aşıklar Müzesi. The museum is associated with a fairytale. As a Happy Ending: the night scenery of Amasya is stunning as well.