Amasya was built in a narrow valley hemmed in on both sides by steep mountains. The Yeşilırmak divides the city in two as it passes through: on the northern bank rise the limestone crags of Harşena, while on the southern bank the slopes climb towards Ferhat Dağı, Kırklar Dağı and Lokman Tepesi. For centuries these mountains that enfold the town were the setting of its defence, its water supply and its legends; today they have become the main arena for hiking, paragliding, canyon walks and upland (yayla) tourism. Looking down into the valley from the summits, the bends of the river, the row of Yalıboyu houses and the royal tombs cut into the rock merge into a single view. For anyone who knows the city's history, walking these slopes means walking over a past that reaches from the kings of Pontus to the Ottoman princes.

The geography of the province lays the groundwork for this variety. The average elevation of Amasya province is about 1,150 metres, while the city centre lies at an average of 411.69 metres on the valley floor. This difference is the clearest indication of the province's mountainous character. The highest point is Akdağ Tepesi at 2,061 metres; the lowest is a stretch of 160 metres near Umutlu Köyü in Taşova, where the catchment of the Hasan Uğurlu Dam begins. Most of the ranges run east to west, and the Yeşilırmak and its tributaries cut their way through them. On the heights closest to the city it is possible to climb from 400 to 1,000 metres in a walk of two or three kilometres, which makes Amasya one of the rare provincial capitals from whose centre one can reach the mountains on foot.

The Mountains Around the Valley

Among the heights that surround the Amasya valley, the most frequently mentioned are Kırklar Dağı, Lokman Tepesi, Ferhat Dağı and Yanık Tepe. Each looks down on the city from a different direction, and each has a story of its own. To the north, Harşena Dağı carries the historic core of the city; to the south-west, Ferhat Dağı takes its name from one of Anatolia's best-known love stories. Lokman Tepesi preserves the name of Lokman Hekim, the legendary physician believed to have lost the elixir of immortality in Amasya. The name of Kırklar Dağı is thought to derive from the Kırklar, the "Forty" saints of Anatolian folk belief, though no written evidence for this has been found.

Across the wider surroundings of the valley lie the great mountain masses that shape the province. Akdağ is bounded by the Yeşilırmak to the south and by the Şeyhsuyu and Kocaalan Çayı to the north, and it carries the highest summit in the province. Sakarat Dağı begins at the Ferhatarası Valley and stretches between the Yeşilırmak and the Kelkit Çayı as far as Köse Dağı; its highest point is Cami Tepesi at 1,956 metres. On the Merzifon side Tavşan Dağı rises to 1,901 metres at Yuvalı Tepesi, and on the Gümüşhacıköy side İnegöl Dağı reaches 1,873 metres at İnegöl Tepesi. Karaömer Dağı reaches 1,979 metres and Eğerli Dağı 1,776 metres. To the north, the highest point of the Canik Mountains within the provincial boundaries is Çalıca Tepesi at 1,376 metres. Each of these mountains opens the way to a different outdoor activity, but those nearest the city are where walkers and paragliders alike go first.

Harşena Dağı

Rising directly above the city, Harşena Dağı is the symbol of Amasya. Its height is given as 272 metres in some sources and about 300 metres in others. It takes its name from "Harşena", the name under which the city appears in Hittite sources. The first settlements on its slopes go back to the Early Bronze Age, and it has been suggested that the earliest phase of the fortress on its summit dates to around 3200 BC. After that the region passed under Phrygian, Scythian-Median, Persian, Pontic, Roman, Eastern Roman, Danishmendid, Seljuk, Ilkhanid and Ottoman rule. The Amasya Citadel stands on the summit, while cisterns, a bathhouse, remains of walls and rock tombs large and small are found together on the slopes and at the foot of the mountain.

Amasya became the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus between the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC and retained that position until the seat of government moved to Sinop in 183 BC. The date is given differently in the sources, as either 301 or 291 BC. With its status as capital, monumental rock tombs began to be carved into the southern foot of Harşena. Strabo, the geographer from Amasya, reports that the five tombs in the section known as Kızlar Sarayı belonged to the kings of Pontus; they are accepted as the tombs of the rulers from the founder Mithridates I Ktistes to Pharnaces I. The tombs range from 8 to 15 metres in height, are surrounded by galleries in an inverted U shape, and three have triangular pediments. The largest is the Great Royal Tomb at the western end: it is 15 metres high, 8 metres wide and 6 metres deep. The tombs at different levels are reached by paths and stairs cut into the rock; an inscription found near one of them has made it possible to date that tomb precisely.

One of the largest rock tombs is known for its wall paintings with Christian iconography dating from the Byzantine period. This tomb, called Aynalı Mağara (the Mirrored Cave), is thought to have been used as a chapel in Byzantine times. The bank where the mountain drops steeply to meet the Yeşilırmak is called Yalıboyu; it is formed by Ottoman houses built in a continuous row on top of the Roman walls, projecting over the river on wooden brackets known as "eliböğründe". The area that runs from the citadel to include the Hellenistic walls, the royal tombs, the cisterns and the Yalıboyu houses was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2015 under the name "Harşena Mountain and the Pontic Royal Rock Tombs".

Harşena is also the city's best-known walking route. The steps climbing from Yalıboyu to the royal tombs, the paths leading on to the citadel and the walls on the summit combine a short but steep climb with a historical excursion. Walking routes that start on Kırklar Dağı on the city's southern side and run as far as Harşena Citadel are also shared among hikers. From the summit the whole valley can be seen, as far as Ferhat Dağı on the opposite slope.

Ferhat Dağı and the Ferhat Water Channel

Ferhat Dağı lies to the south-west of the city and overlooks the stretch called Ferhatarası at the start of the Amasya-Tokat road. The Ferhatarası Valley is one of the valleys along the Yeşilırmak, extending some ten kilometres from Kayabaşı Köyü to Hacılar Meydanı in Amasya. The mountain's name comes from the story of Ferhat and Şirin in the form told in Anatolia and Azerbaijan, which begins in Khorasan and continues in Amasya. In this version Hüsrev appears not as the Shah of Iran but as the son of Hürmüz Şah, ruler of Amasya, and the real hero of the story is Ferhat. To win Şirin, Ferhat is set the condition of boring through a mountain near Amasya and bringing water to the city. When the lie that Şirin has died is brought to him, he hurls his mace into the air and dies beneath it as it falls. Local tradition holds that the two lovers were buried side by side and that every spring a thornbush grows between the two roses that bloom on their graves.

The tangible trace of the legend is the water channel carved into the edge of the bedrock at the Ferhat Arası locality within the Helvacı neighbourhood. The date of its construction is given differently in the sources: the cultural inventory dates it to the 1st century BC, while some publications assign it to the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian (AD 117-138). The starting point of the ancient Amasya waterway is given as the Kırkgöz locality on the Çekerek Çayı, and the total length of the line is said to have reached 25 kilometres. The sections cut into the limestone average 120 centimetres in height and between 87 and 97 centimetres in width. It has been established that the builders worked with a water level and that the gradient was calculated at 7 per thousand; this gradient is accepted as matching the bed gradient of the Çekerek Çayı. Above the channel walls one can see ledges about 20 centimetres wide on which the covering rested, and here and there vaulted sections survive.

In 1997 the Amasya Museum carried out a cleaning and rescue excavation in the Ferhat Arası section of the channel, which is why it is possible to walk inside it today. The course winds along the folds of the mountainside, in places making an almost complete turn on the steep slope; to prevent rubble from falling in, the wall on the mountain side was cut back an extra one and a half to three metres. The channel is recorded as having gone out of use after the 12th century. Unfortunately, part of the line has been interrupted by quarries opened in the area, and most of the tunnel section within the city now lies underground. Near the channel, about three kilometres outside the city, is the Ferhat and Şirin Lovers' Museum. Graves attributed to the two lovers are also found on Ferhat Dağı.

Beyond its historical and legendary side, Ferhat Dağı is also used as an outdoor area. Like the other hills around the valley, its slopes gain considerable height over a short distance and offer walkers a trail close to the city. When the paragliding sites of the province are listed, Ferhat Dağı is named among them. A walk along the cleared section of the channel combines a close look at ancient water engineering with the mountain air.

Bar Dağı and the Story of an Idiom

Among the mountains surrounding Amasya is Bar Dağı, whose name lives on in an idiom. In Turkish, to say that a matter or a person has an alternative in the face of an unexpected setback, people say "Amasya'nın bardağı, bir olmadı bir daha", literally "Amasya's cup: if not one, then another". The local historian Hüseyin Menç argues that the saying does not in fact refer to a cup but points to Bar Dağı, one of the mountains around the city. In his view the older form of the idiom was "Amasya'nın Bar Dağı, bu olmazsa öbür dağı", "Amasya's Bar Dağı: if not this mountain, then the other". In the story Menç relates, two strangers who arrive in the city towards evening climb up to Kızlar Sarayı and, while gazing over the town, hear the sound of the saz and laughter from a vineyard house on the opposite slope. When curiosity takes them there, they are not even allowed near the garden; one of them angrily suggests watching from the mountain opposite, saying "If not this mountain, then the other".

According to Menç, the name Bar Dağı was used for the mountain rising directly opposite the Royal Rock Tombs, on the road that climbs above the Çakallar locality towards Vermiş Köyü. There is also a document showing that the name was known until fairly recently: Burhan Oğuz, who did his military service at Saraydüzü in Amasya in 1949, included on page 203 of his memoir "Yaşadıklarım, Dinlediklerim" a panoramic photograph he took from the summit of Bar Dağı. This explanation of the idiom's origin rests on a folk tale and cannot be regarded as firmly established. Bar Dağı is named together with Ferhat Dağı among the province's paragliding sites. The exact height of the mountain and the precise location of the launch site, however, are not given in the sources consulted.

Kırklar Dağı, Lokman Tepesi and Yanık Tepe

With its wooded slopes, Kırklar Dağı is one of the most walked mountains in the valley. At its foot, within the boundaries of Yuvacık, lies the Amasya City Forest, about five kilometres from the city centre, which is used as a free site suitable for tent and caravan camping. It is known that the site has no facilities at all, not even toilets, and that it fills with picnickers at weekends. Routes starting from Kırklar Dağı pass through the forest and connect with the city and Harşena Citadel. The stretch between the villages of Vermiş and Yuvacık and the Amasya Citadel stands out in studies of the province's flora for its endemic species rate of 11 per cent.

Lokman Tepesi takes its name from Lokman Hekim, who holds a legendary place in Anatolia's healing tradition. According to the tradition told in Amasya, Lokman Hekim lost the elixir of immortality in this city; in promoting the city, this story is presented as part of a healing tradition alongside the Darüşşifa hospital and Sabuncuoğlu Şerefeddin. The hill is counted among the areas suitable for hiking as one of the four heights that enclose the Amasya valley and gain marked height over a short distance. The same name appears in the region's geological past: Akdağ and the Lokman hills are said to have risen like islands as the sea withdrew at the end of the Eocene.

Yanık Tepe is one of the most notable spots in the valley for both walking and flying. In the review prepared by Kılıç and colleagues on Amasya's ecotourism potential, the Yanık Tepe route is listed together with Akdağ and Borabay Gölü among the trails suitable for hiking. According to the same study, Yanık Tepe is suited to what paragliders call "soaring", flights that use the air rising along a slope, and it has a two-kilometre soaring band. Because of the irregular air currents in the valley and the lack of a suitable landing area, however, the site is described as suitable only for flights by advanced pilots.

Paragliding

The paraglider is the lightest of all light aircraft. Because the wing can be packed small enough to fit in a rucksack, it can be launched even from hills without roads, it needs no special runway, and natural lift allows pilots to stay airborne for hours. The sport was born in the early 1980s from the experiments of climbers who took off by running down steep slopes in the French and Swiss Alps, and the first world championship was held in 1989 in Kössen, Austria. In Turkey the Turkish Hang Gliding and Paragliding Federation was established for the sport. According to the federation, the number of pilots regularly active in the country is around one thousand, and there are some forty university clubs providing training. When the country's flying sites are listed, Amasya is mentioned alongside centres such as Ölüdeniz, Bursa, Kaş, Denizli and Erzincan.

The sites used for paragliding in the province are listed differently in the sources. One group of sources names Bar Dağı, Ferhat Dağı and Taşan Dağı as the main flying sites. The ecotourism review, by contrast, describes three separate sites in detail. At Koçal Tepe near Saygılı village in Suluova, the launch is at 616 metres and the landing at 450 metres; descending on a gentle slope with the plain opening out in front of it, and easy to reach, this hill is considered very suitable for beginners. At Çakır Tepesi in the town of Doğantepe, close to the city, the launch is at 1,100 metres and the landing at 600 metres, and it is possible to fly in three different directions from the hill. The third is Yanık Tepe, described as suitable for advanced pilots. In addition, Tavşan Dağı in Merzifon is mentioned as a site favoured by professional paragliders.

The appeal of flying in Amasya lies in the view from the air itself. Pilots who take off from these summits see from above the bends of the Yeşilırmak through the valley, the crags of Harşena, the Yalıboyu houses and the orchards around them. The narrow, deep form of the valley also makes the wind irregular, which is why only experienced pilots are advised to fly from the sites close to the city centre. Educational institutions have also played a part in spreading the sport in the province. The aviation club of Merzifon Vocational School has organised seminars on beginner paragliding training with instructors from the Turkish Aeronautical Association (THK), helping to steer students towards the sport. Merzifon's long aviation history forms a background that nourishes this interest in the district.

Akdağ and the Uplands

Akdağ is the highest mountain in the province, and most of the forests of the central district spread across its slopes. On its high plateaus, at the Akdağ yaylas, which lie at an average height of 1,850 metres, upland festivals are held every year. In ecotourism studies Akdağ is shown among the areas suitable for hiking, jeep safaris, mountain biking and nature photography. Because snow does not lie long on the ground, Akdağ is not considered suitable for winter sports. By contrast, it has been suggested that the radar site on Tavşan Dağı in Merzifon could be developed as a winter sports area. The Akdağ Yaylası is also among the places in the province where camping is possible.

Amasya's uplands lie in the transition zone between the Black Sea and Central Anatolian climates and are therefore varied in plant species. The Boğalı yaylas on Sakarat Dağı average 1,850 metres, the Sarıçiçek yaylas east of Karaömer Dağı 1,650 metres, the İnegöl yaylas on İnegöl Dağı 1,600 metres, the plateaus of Tavşan Dağı 1,500 metres, the Kabaoğuz yaylas west of Tavşan Dağı and the Çatalçam yaylas on Eğerli Dağı 1,400 metres, and the Destek yaylas in the Canik Mountains about 1,200 metres. A festival is held at Kabaoğuz once a year. The green plateaus of Tavşan Dağı are among the places where townspeople go for picnics and walks, and because they are easy to reach they are considered suitable for camping and caravan tourism. The Boğalı and Ziyaret yaylas are also counted among the areas in the province best suited to outdoor sports.

This richness of the uplands is under threat. It is reported that in recent years the yaylas have been degraded by excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers, overgrazing and the clearing of land for fields, and that in the upper reaches the bedrock has been laid bare. In the forests along the edges of the uplands young trees are failing to replace the old ones, and the tree line is gradually moving downhill. For this reason upland walks and camping should take account of the carrying capacity of the area. The Boğalı forests and the Ballıca, Tekke and Kumluca valleys, with their mild climate recalling the Black Sea, good-quality hornbeam forests and abundant wild hazel, cornelian cherry and walnut, are described as suitable for both hiking and adventure activities.

Canyons

Two canyons complement Amasya's mountain walks: Derinöz in Suluova and Kız Kayası in Merzifon. Derinöz Canyon lies at the foot of Akdağ and is about four kilometres long. In places it narrows to a width of one metre, and its walls reach 45 to 50 metres in height. Depending on the season and rainfall, for much of the canyon one has to wade through the water and pass beneath small waterfalls. For this reason Derinöz, together with the Boğalı forests, is listed among the places in the province likely to attract adventure enthusiasts. On the same stream stands the Derinöz Dam, completed in 2003, which is also suitable for angling.

Kız Kayası Canyon lies between the villages of Çaybaşı and Balgöze in Merzifon, some 18 kilometres from the district centre, and is about three kilometres long. The rock that gives the canyon its name is a huge mass rising in the middle of the valley at the entrance. It has been suggested that the area was settled between 2000 and 1500 BC and that it was home at one time to the Scythians and later to the Amazons, but there is no detailed information on this. A temple is thought to have stood at the entrance to the canyon; to its south are rock tombs presumed to date from the Scythian period. At the exit one sees a cut-stone bridge from the Roman or Eastern Roman period, two old stone mills and lime kilns. Hikes can be made starting from Çaybaşı and ending in the canyon; since there are no facilities around the canyon, walkers need to bring what they need with them.

Borabay Gölü and Forest Walks

Borabay (Boraboy) Gölü, the only natural lake in the province, is in the district of Taşova, and its surroundings were declared a tourism centre in 1992. The lake is a landslide-dammed lake formed when masses that broke away from the slopes blocked the valley. The landslide was prepared by water seeping deep along the weak zones created by the North Anatolian Fault, which runs through the area, facilitating mass movement over tuffs and agglomerates. The dimensions and elevation of the lake are given differently in the sources: some describe it as about 900 metres long, 300 metres wide and 25 metres deep, while others give a length of 750 metres, a width of 200 metres and a depth of 11 metres. Different figures, such as 1,000, 1,050 and 1,500 metres, are also given for its elevation. The surroundings of the lake were declared a first-degree natural protected area on 13 July 1993.

The lake extends east to west; on its northern slopes are coniferous forests, mostly Scots pine, and on its southern slopes broadleaf forests dominated by hornbeam and beech. In the area, which is ringed by beech, Scots pine, cedar and chestnut, there are bungalow-style cabins, a cafeteria, camping and picnic areas and nature trails. The first simple facilities were built in the 1970s, and in 2017 the area was visited by seventy thousand people. Because of its wooded character and favourable terrain, the lake's surroundings are also considered well suited to orienteering, which relies on navigation by map and compass. For people from the lower areas oppressed by the summer heat, the cool woodland remains one of Amasya's most important recreation and nature tourism areas.

Vegetation, Birdwatching and Photography

Because Amasya's mountains stand on a threshold where Black Sea and Central Anatolian vegetation meet, a hike here also becomes a botanical excursion. The transitional climate means that the province hosts plants of both climate types and is rich in endemic species. More than a third of the province's area is forested, and the forests are concentrated particularly on the north-facing slopes of the mountains in the north. The dominant species are oak, Scots pine, black pine and beech; small numbers of Turkish red pine appear in the lower areas around 400 metres. Trees such as wild pear and plum and shrubs such as creeping juniper are also found, with willows along the streams and steppe in the lower reaches.

A total of 801 species in 367 genera belonging to 79 families have been recorded in the province, 175 of which have been identified as endemic. According to the research of Cansaran and colleagues, the rate of endemic species is 12.30 per cent on Eğerli Dağı, 11.65 per cent on İnegöl Dağı, 10.94 per cent on Tavşan Dağı, 9.23 per cent on Çakır Dağı, 8.1 per cent on Sakarat Dağı and 7 per cent on Akdağ. Among these species are Tulipa sprengeri, known as the Amasya tulip, the nevruz flower Iris histrioides, the emzik otu Wiedemannia orientalis and the ak tiken Lycium anatolicum. The slopes that burst into flower in spring offer the most rewarding season for plant watchers, but it should be borne in mind that the collection of seeds and bulbs threatens some species. For this reason it is recommended that botanical excursions be made with guides who know the plants.

The best-known place for birdwatching is the Yedi Kuğular (Seven Swans) Bird Sanctuary, which covers an area of 800 hectares around the Yedikır Dam in Suluova. Construction of the dam began in 1979 and it entered service in 1986; some sources give 1985 as the year of construction. Lying on a bird migration route, the lake is a habitat for many species in winter, and 34 bird species have been recorded here. The area was declared a first-degree natural protected area on 17 August 1989. The Gökdere, Ballıdere and Kumluca valleys are also considered suitable for birdwatching, being wooded areas far from people with little agricultural spraying. As for photography, Derinöz Canyon, the Yedikır Dam, Borabay Gölü and the hiking trails stand out for nature photography, and settlements such as Yenice, Ballıdere, Tatlıpınar and Sarayözü for documenting village life.

Seasons and Hiking Conditions

Amasya has a transitional climate between the Black Sea and continental climates. Summers are neither as dry as in the continental interior nor as wet as on the Black Sea coast; winters, likewise, are neither as mild as on the coast nor as harsh as in the interior. In the city centre the mean annual temperature is 13.9 degrees Celsius and annual rainfall is below 500 millimetres. Most rain falls in winter and spring, August is the driest month, and the number of rainy days in summer stays between two and seven. The difference between night and day temperatures reaches 14-16 degrees. Although relative humidity of around 55-60 per cent in summer makes the heat easier to bear, climbing from the valley up the slopes at midday can be tiring.

These conditions set the hiking calendar. Spring and autumn are the best seasons for the low hills around the city; in summer it is better to walk early in the morning or in the late afternoon. High uplands such as Akdağ, Boğalı and Tavşan Dağı, on the other hand, come into their own in summer with their cool, green landscapes, and the upland festivals are generally held in this period. In canyons like Derinöz, where the route passes through water, high water levels in spring can make the passage difficult. For paragliding, the wind direction and the pattern of air currents in the valley are decisive. In all these activities, checking the current weather, carrying enough water and not walking alone are the usual precautions.

Chronology

301 BC / 291 BC: Amasya becomes the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus; royal rock tombs begin to be carved into the southern foot of Harşena Dağı.

183 BC: The seat of government of the Kingdom of Pontus moves to Sinop.

1st century BC: Construction period of the Ferhat Water Channel according to the cultural inventory; some publications date the channel to the reign of Hadrian (AD 117-138).

After the 12th century: The period in which the Ferhat Water Channel went out of use.

1949: Burhan Oğuz takes a panoramic photograph of Amasya from the summit of Bar Dağı.

1970s: The first simple facilities are built around Borabay Gölü.

1979: Construction of the Yedikır Dam begins.

1986: The Yedikır Dam enters service.

1989: The Yedi Kuğular Bird Sanctuary is declared a first-degree natural protected area.

1992: Borabay Gölü and its surroundings are declared a tourism centre.

1993: Borabay Gölü is declared a first-degree natural protected area.

1997: The Amasya Museum carries out a cleaning and rescue excavation in the Ferhat Arası section of the Ferhat Water Channel.

2003: The Derinöz Dam is completed.

2015: Harşena Mountain and the Pontic Royal Rock Tombs are added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

2017: Seventy thousand people visit Borabay Gölü.

Bibliography

Academic studies

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Other sources

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