A sound advice for any traveller: listen to the locals and you will hear the most wonderful tales and be enticed to visit European destinations you might otherwise not even have thought of.

That’s what happened to me and prompted me to embark on a trip to the Black Sea region of Turkey and, more precisely, to the provincial town of Amasya, located approx. 100 km south of the coastal city of Samsun.

Here is the story: a sultan of Amasya had a daughter by the name of Sirin. He loved her very much and decided to have a palace built for her. Only the best for his daughter would do and he engaged the services of Ferhat, the most skilled local carpet weaver to decorate his daughter’s quarters. As you might have guessed, Ferhat and Sirin fell desperately in love and wanted to marry, an idea the sultan did not take kindly to. However, moved by his daughter’s  pleas, he decreed that Ferhat could marry her, if he managed to get the water out of the mountains to flow down to Amasya which, at the time, had little water. Amasya lies nestled between sheer rock cliffs in a dramatic gorge and, as if the task wasn’t difficult enough, the sultan further stipulated that Ferhat could have no help and use nothing else but a hammer and a chisel.

Ferhat climbed up into the mountains and set to work. His beloved Sirin came every day to watch his progress from below and so did the inhabitants of Amasya, cheering him on. It took Ferhat 10 years of arduous labour to break into the water reservoir contained in the mountain and finally, the water gushed out down into the valley. Ferhat, who stood in triumph, bringing his hammer down for the last time, didn’t jump out of the flood’s way fast enough and was thrown down into the valley and drowned. Sirin, who witnesses the accident, was so grief-striken that she killed herself with a bejewelled dagger she always carried in her belt. As if this story isn’t dramatic enough, there is more: the sultan, in remorse, allowed both to be buried side by side and when he himself died, ordered to be buried between them. Legend has it, that every two years or so, a rose grows out of each grave, but from the sultan’s sarcophagus a thorn rises, separating the lovers even long after their death.

A bronze sculpture commemorating the moving story of Ferhat and Sirin stands on the promenade along the Yesil river which divides Amasya and its water is responsible for this place having become one of the most fertile valleys  of the region. Amasya apples are famous all over Turkey, small and sweet.

Next to the statue of Ferhat and Sirin are the bronze heads of several of the most important, historical sultans of Amasya and on the opposite shore you can admire the typical wooden houses, glued onto the mountain side, many of which have been converted into boutique hotels and restaurants. The most stunning view however are the tombs of the Kings of Pontus and the massive castle which rises  up in seven levels to the top of the mountain 700m above sea level. All are illuminated at night.

There is much more to do and see in Amasya and my planned stay of one day extended to three.

How to get there

You can of course reach Amasya by car from the motorway to Ankara and Trabzon. I used an overland coach which is very comfortable and cheap. Or you can fly into Samsun and take a bus to Amasya. Several companies service the town and there are about 10 buses daily.