A narrow river gorge where royal tombs cut into the cliff look down on Ottoman timber houses: the birthplace of Strabo and the training ground of Ottoman princes.
Last reviewed on 27 September 2026.
Amasya is a small provincial capital in the inland part of the Black Sea region, squeezed into a deep, narrow valley where the Yeşilırmak ("green river") cuts between high rock walls. Its setting is its signature. On the north bank, a row of large tombs of the kings of Pontus is carved into the cliff, and below them a line of restored Ottoman houses leans out over the water. On the south bank lie the town's markets and its Seljuk and Ottoman mosques. It is one of the most picturesque small towns in Turkey, an easy, walkable place with a strong sense of history, and in two or three days it combines well with the Hittite capital of Hattusa to the south-west.
Amasya is not a major stop on the international tourist route. Most of its visitors are Turkish, and its accommodation is mostly small, locally run hotels, many in restored mansions along the river.
Amaseia, as the ancient city was called, was an early capital of the Kingdom of Pontus, the Hellenistic state founded in the 3rd century BC by a dynasty of Persian origin that ruled much of northern Anatolia. The capital later moved to Sinope on the coast, and the kingdom is best remembered for its last great ruler, Mithridates VI, who fought a series of wars against Rome in the 1st century BC before his defeat. After that, Amaseia became part of the Roman Empire.
The geographer Strabo was born here in the 1st century BC into a prominent local family. In his Geography he describes his native city at length, including its setting in the gorge, its fortifications on the summit and the "memorials of the kings" cut into the rock. His description can still be matched against the view today, which is one of the pleasures of a visit. For the broader background, see ancient Anatolia.
The royal tombs are the defining image of Amasya. Several large tomb chambers have been carved deep into the limestone face of Mount Harşena, each set in an arched niche and separated from the rock behind by a passage cut all the way around. They are generally dated to the Hellenistic period, when Amaseia was the royal seat, and are traditionally attributed to the kings of Pontus, though which king was buried in which tomb is not recorded with certainty. Their contents were looted long ago.
A path and staircase lead up from the Hatuniye neighbourhood on the north bank to the main group. The climb is short but steep. At the top, you can walk around the back of some tombs and look out over the whole town. Terraces near the tombs are identified as the site of the royal palace, later known as the Kızlar Sarayı ("Maidens' Palace"). There is a small entrance fee. At night the tombs are lit, and the view across the river from the south bank is the classic image of the city.
The summit of the mountain above the tombs is crowned by Harşena castle, whose walls have been rebuilt many times by Pontic, Roman, Byzantine, Danishmend, Seljuk and Ottoman rulers. What remains is a long line of ramparts and towers along the ridge, with rock-cut tunnels and cisterns. The view down into the gorge is the best in Amasya, particularly towards sunset. A road climbs to the castle from the back of the mountain, so you can go up by taxi and walk down. A cable car has also been built to the heights. Check whether it is running when you arrive.
The houses along the north bank of the river, known locally as the Yalıboyu houses, are timber-framed Ottoman mansions whose upper storeys project over the water on wooden brackets. Many were restored in recent decades, and a number have been converted into small hotels, cafés and restaurants. The riverside promenade in front of them is the social centre of the town in the evenings.
The Hazeranlar Konağı, a restored 19th-century mansion in the same row, is now an ethnographic museum that shows how a well-off Ottoman household was arranged: separate men's and women's quarters, cushioned divans along the walls, and cupboards built into the panelling. It gives useful context for the domestic architecture you see all around. For another, larger town of preserved Ottoman houses, see Safranbolu.
In the Ottoman period Amasya was one of the provincial posts to which sultans sent their sons as governors, so that they could learn statecraft with experienced tutors and officials. Several future sultans served here in their youth. Bayezid II governed Amasya as a prince for many years, and his son Selim I was born here. Later in the 16th century Süleyman the Magnificent's son Şehzade Mustafa was governor here. The city became known in Turkish as a şehzadeler şehri, "city of princes", and a riverside monument with statues of the princes marks this. See the Ottoman Empire and Süleyman the Magnificent.
Amasya also has two moments of wider diplomatic and national importance. In 1555 the Ottomans and the Safavids of Iran signed the Peace of Amasya here, fixing a frontier after decades of war. In June 1919 Mustafa Kemal (Atatürk) issued the Amasya Circular, which declared that the nation's independence was in danger and called for a national congress. It is regarded as one of the founding documents of the War of Independence.
The largest mosque in the town, built in the 1480s in the name of Bayezid II, set in gardens beside the river with huge old plane trees. Its complex includes a medrese and a soup kitchen.
A hospital built in the early 14th century under the Ilkhanid Mongols. It now houses a museum of the history of medicine, named after the 15th-century surgeon Şerefeddin Sabuncuoğlu of Amasya, whose illustrated surgical manual is famous.
A 13th-century Seljuk-era mosque and college with a carved stone portal. Its name, the "blue medrese", refers to blue tiles that once decorated it.
The Burmalı Minare Mosque, named after its spirally carved minaret, dates from the 13th century. The Amasya Museum, near the Bayezid II Mosque, has a good archaeological collection that includes Hittite and Pontic finds. In its garden stands the Seljuk-period tomb of Sultan Mesud, which holds a set of medieval mummified bodies dating to the Ilkhanid period. They are one of the museum's more unusual sights, and some visitors will prefer to skip them. For the Seljuk background, see the Seljuks.
Just outside the town you can also see the remains of an ancient water channel that local legend associates with Ferhat, the hero of the folk romance Ferhat and Şirin, who was said to have cut through the mountain to bring water for his beloved.
Amasya is famous across Türkiye for its apples. The traditional Amasya apple is small, fragrant and firm, often slightly flushed with red, and it keeps well through the winter. Orchards line the valley, and the harvest in autumn is the best time to try them. The province is also known for a very small, tender okra (bamya), dried in strings and cooked in stews, and for local pastries and çörek. The riverside restaurants serve standard Turkish grills and home-style dishes. See Turkish cuisine.
Amasya is in north-central Türkiye, inland from the Black Sea port of Samsun. Travel options:
The Hittite capital of Hattusa, near the village of Boğazkale in Çorum province, lies south-west of Amasya, roughly two to three hours by road. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the ruins of the Lion Gate, the great temple, and a long stretch of city walls on a hilly site. The nearby rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya has carved reliefs of the Hittite gods. Another Hittite and earlier site, Alacahöyük, is also in the area. The Çorum Museum, in the provincial capital, has important finds from these sites.
| Route | Suggested pace |
|---|---|
| Ankara – Hattusa – Amasya | A day from Ankara to Hattusa, a night in Boğazkale or Çorum, then on to Amasya for two nights. |
| Samsun – Amasya | Fly to Samsun, two nights in Amasya, a long day trip to Hattusa by car, and return via the coast. |
| Black Sea circuit | Amasya as the inland leg of a trip along the coast to Trabzon, or west to Safranbolu. |
Being inland, Amasya has hotter summers and colder winters than the Black Sea coast, and the gorge can trap heat in July and August. Spring, when the orchards blossom, and autumn, the apple harvest, are the best times. Winters can be cold, with occasional snow, but the town is quiet and atmospheric. National holidays and summer weekends bring crowds of domestic visitors, and riverside hotels fill quickly. See the best time to visit.
They are large tomb chambers cut into the cliff of Mount Harşena above the Yeşilırmak river, generally dated to the Hellenistic period and attributed to the kings of Pontus, whose early capital was here. A steep path leads up to them from the north bank, and they are lit at night.
In the Ottoman period, sultans sent their sons to govern Amasya as training for rule. Bayezid II served here as a prince for many years, Selim I was born here, and several other princes governed the province, so the town became known as the city of princes.
Yes. The Greek geographer Strabo was born in Amaseia, as the city was then called, in the 1st century BC. In his Geography he describes the town, its fortress and the royal tombs cut into the rock.
The main options are buses from Samsun, Ankara or Istanbul, flights to Amasya Merzifon Airport or to Samsun, or the slow Samsun–Sivas railway. A car is the easiest way to combine Amasya with Hattusa and the coast.
Yes, but it is a long day. Hattusa, near Boğazkale in Çorum province, is roughly two to three hours from Amasya by road, and the site itself is large and hilly. Many travellers visit it on the way between Ankara and Amasya instead.
Amasya is best known for its Pontic rock tombs, its restored Ottoman houses along the river, its role as a training post for Ottoman princes and its fragrant apples. It is also where Mustafa Kemal issued the Amasya Circular in 1919.