Tütün İskele

Black Sea Coast


In May 1919, when Turkey was under the essential control of post WWI allied powers, Atatürk was dispatched by steamer to Samsun to quell a minor uprising in the region. Instead, he took charge and parried the rebellion into a full-scale independence movement. The rest is history. The jetty at which he arrived has been rebuilt to feature a miniature steamship and a whole series of waxwork figures watching the frozen-in-time moment of the great man's arrival.

The site is 500m northeast of Cumhuriyet Meydan following Kurtuluş Yolu, here a wide, obvious walkway that leads directly towards the waterfront. If you're excited by the 1919 story you can climb aboard the actual boat, the Bandırma Vapuru, moored 4km southeast in 'National Struggle Park'. Round out the Atatürk experience by dropping into the Gazi Museum where he stayed during one of his later visits to the city.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Black Sea Coast attractions

1. Archaeology & Ethnography Museum

0.19 MILES

At the time of research, Samsun's foremost museum was closed pending long-term reconstruction and extension. Its most striking attraction is a huge Romano…

2. Samsun Panorama

0.2 MILES

The is impressive new centre offers multi-sensory 15 minute 'shows' that run hourly on the hour, painting an emotional more than academic narrative of the…

3. Gazi Museum

0.44 MILES

This turn-of-the-20th-century house is celebrated for hosting Atatürk for a week in the late 1920s. It lovingly preserves the great man's picnic hamper,…

4. Samsun Kent Müsesi

0.45 MILES

In a pair of historical wooden houses, this extensive museum appealingly lays out Samsun's commerce, history and culture with an audio guide and booklet…

5. Bandırma Vapuru

1.98 MILES

The ferry that brought Atatürk to Samsun in 1919 is now moored in 'National Struggle Park', converted into a museum full of waxwork figures.

6. Amisos Tepesi

2.01 MILES

For extensive views down between conifers onto a sweep of coastline, take the five-minute cable-car ride from Batıpark to this hilltop with its twin…

7. Batıpark

2.28 MILES

A popular family strolling spot north of central Samsun, this seaside park is most notable for the cable-car ride to Amisos Tepesi and for the so-called …