Hotels. Pens. Marengo (Pl. b; B, 1), on the E. hill, with fine views, well spoken of; Hôt. Suisse (Pl. a; B, 1), on the Hurriyet Meïdan; pens. in both 6–10 fr.
Austrian Post Office (Pl. B, 1), near the Hurriyet Meïdan.—Steamboat Agents, at the harbour.—Banks. Banque Ottomane (p. [539]); Banque d’Athènes.
Consulates. British (Pl. 15; B, 2): consul, H. Z. Longworth.—United States (Pl. 16; B, 2): consul, M. A. Jewett; vice-consul, I. Montesanto.
Trebizond, the Turkish Tirabson or Tarábosan, the seat of the governor-general of the viláyet of the same name and of a Greek and an Armenian archbishop, is, next to Samsun, the most important seaport on the N. coast of Asia Minor. It contains 35,000 inhab., including Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Persians, and Lazis, who speak a dialect resembling the languages of the S. Caucasus. Trapezūs, founded by Milesians from Sinope (7th cent. B.C.?), was named after the ‘table’-shaped (‘trápeza’) castle-hill (p. [573]). Next to the mother-city it was the most important Greek colony in what afterwards became the kingdom of Pontus (p. [575]), and was the seat of a governor in the Byzantine period. After the conquest of Constantinople by the Crusaders (p. [542]) it became the capital of the small Greek empire of the Comneni, the last of whom, David Comnenus, was overthrown by Mohammed II. (p. [542]) in 1461.
Trebizond is picturesquely situated on three low ridges at the N. base of Boz Tepeh (800 ft.), an outlier of the mountains extending thence to the S. to the Kolat Dagh (p. [571]). The small harbour facilitates trade with the towns of the hinterland (e. g. Gümüshkhaneh), but it is only partly protected against sea-winds by the pier at Kalmek Point and a new breakwater at the headland of Eleusa. Notwithstanding the competition of Batum and the Trans-Caucasian railway Trebizond still carries on a considerable camel-caravan traffic with the Armenian highlands (Erzerum) and N. Persia (Tabriz).
The trade and industry of Trebizond are concentrated in the new town on the East Hill, above the harbour. Beyond Kalmek Point, on which are a battery, a lighthouse, and the Güzel Seraï (Pl. B, C, 1; now artillery-barracks), lies the Greek quarter, which encloses the Frank quarter, the seat of the European wholesale merchants. On a small promontory projecting from the N. shore rises the Greek Cathedral (Pl. 6; B, 1).
A little to the N. of the Hurriyet Meïdan, with its pleasure-grounds (Pl. 12; B, 1), runs one of the main streets leading to the W. to the Bazaars (Pl. A, B, 1), or market quarter, which presents a lively scene, especially in the early morning. The most interesting stalls are those of the coppersmiths and of the native goldsmiths, whose works in gold and silver filigree are sold by weight.
Key to Numbers. Cemeteries (all C, 2): 1. Armenian-Catholic; 2. Greek; 3. Latin (see p. [475]); 4. Protestant.—Mosques and Churches: 5. Aï Yaneh, B 1; 6. Greek Cathedral, B 1; 7. Great Mosque, A, B 1; 8. Kathunieh Mosque, A 1; 9. Orta Hissar Jamissi, A 1; 10. St. Basilius, B 1.—11. Yeni Juma Jamissi (St. Eugenius), A 2; 12. Grounds in the Hurriyet Meïdan, B 1.—13. Seraï, A 1.—14. Zendan Kapusí, A 1.—15. British Consulate, B 2.—16. United States Consulate, B 2.
Near the Aï Yaneh Church (Pl. 5; B, 1), to the S. of the Bazaars, we leave behind us the Usun Sokak and pass over a Viaduct (fine view) leading to the old Castle Hill, rising between the two ravines of the Kuzgun Deresí and the Iskeleboz Deresí. This is now occupied by the Turkish town proper and contains the ruins of the Byzantine Town Walls.