With its Yalıboyu houses lined along both banks of the Yeşilırmak and the rock tombs of the Pontic kings on the hill above, Amasya is one of the most photogenic cities in Türkiye. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus, the 'city of princes' where Ottoman princes were trained, and the city where the first circular of the War of Independence was issued; it is also famous for its misket apples and çörek.
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13 places worth seeing in Amasya, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
The castle stands on the steep Mount Harşena above the Yeşilırmak; it changed hands many times in the Persian, Pontic, Roman and Byzantine periods, and the Seljuks repaired it extensively in 1075. The section known as 'Cilanbolu' contains a passage carved into the rock, and the summit offers a bird's-eye view of the city.
View on mapTraditional Amasya houses lined along the bank of the Yeşilırmak, built in the 19th and 20th centuries using the hımış and bağdadi techniques. These courtyard houses, with separate haremlik and selamlık sections, make up the city's postcard view.
View on mapBuilt in 1865 and restored in 1979, the mansion can be visited as an ethnography museum, furnished with clothing, carpets, kitchen utensils and jewellery that reflect life in 19th-century Amasya.
View on mapMonumental Hellenistic-period tombs carved into the limestone rocks on the southern foot of Mount Harşena. In the Kızlar Sarayı area are the tombs of five Pontic kings, from Mithridates I to Pharnaces I; together with those inside the castle, there are 21 rock tombs in the valley in total. Behind the tombs are passages carved into the rock.
View on mapA worked rock tomb 3.3 km outside the city on the road to the town of Ziyaret; it is 9.8 metres wide and 13 metres high. Its façade was burnished until polished, so it gleams when the sun strikes it, and it takes its name (aynalı, 'mirrored') from this.
View on mapBuilt by Bayezid II in 1486, this is the largest complex in the city, made up of an inverted-T-plan mosque with two domes, a madrasa, an imaret (soup kitchen), a şadırvan (ablution fountain) and a library. With its five-domed portico and two minarets, it stands on the bank of the Yeşilırmak.
View on mapNamed after its twisted minaret and also known as the Grand Mosque and the Court Mosque, the building is attributed to the vizier Ferruh Bey in the reign of Kayhusraw II (1237–1247). It stands out for the Seljuk tomb (kümbet) next to it and for its position behind the Coppersmiths' Bazaar.
View on mapA complex built in 1267 by the governor of Amasya, Seyfeddin Torumtay; it takes its name from the blue-glazed bricks of the tomb's drum. With its iwan-shaped portal, it is among the finest mosques in Anatolia.
View on mapA mosque with a zawiya, built in 1414 by the governor of Amasya, Bayezid Paşa, in the reign of Mehmed I, north-east of Kunç Bridge; it stands out for the marble geometric decoration of its portico.
View on mapAccording to its inscription, the darüşşifa (hospital) was built in 1308 under the Ilkhanid ruler Öljeitü and his wife İlduz Hatun, and is known as the first hospital in Anatolia to treat patients with music. Since 2011 it has been a museum describing the surgical instruments and methods of Sabuncuoğlu Şerefeddin, chief physician in the time of Mehmed the Conqueror.
View on mapEstablished in 1958 as a museum directorate and in its present building since 1980, the museum holds about 24,000 objects belonging to 11 different civilisations. The 14th-century mummies displayed in the Tomb of Mesud I in the garden are among the rarest exhibits in Türkiye.
View on mapThe museum at the entrance to the city tells the Amasya legend in which Ferhat is believed to have pierced the mountains to reach Şirin.
View on mapA natural dammed lake about 25 km from Taşova, formed when a landslide caused by the North Anatolian Fault blocked the valley; with its wooded surroundings it is ideal for picnics and walks.
View on mapAmasya lies in the interior of the Black Sea region, where the Yeşilırmak passes through a narrow valley at the foot of the steep Mount Harşena. The fabric of the city spreads along both sides of this valley: on one side the Yalıboyu houses lined up along the river, and above them the royal tombs carved into the rocks and the castle.
Strabo, the most famous geographer of antiquity, was born in Amasya and refers to the city as Amaseia in his Geographica. The city was one of the capitals of the Kingdom of Pontus; in the Royal Rock Tombs on the southern foot of Mount Harşena are the tombs of five Pontic kings, from Mithridates I to Pharnaces I (160 BC). The Seljuks repaired the castle in 1075 and made the city an important centre again; the Darüşşifa, built under the Ilkhanids in 1308, is known as the first hospital in Anatolia to treat patients with music.
In Ottoman times Amasya was the “city of princes”: many sultans, above all Murad II, Mehmed the Conqueror and Selim I, served as princes here and learned how to govern. The complex that Bayezid II had built in 1486 is the city’s largest Ottoman group of buildings. Sabuncuoğlu Şerefeddin, chief physician in the time of Mehmed the Conqueror, also lived in this city and wrote the first Turkish surgical book, Cerrâhiyyetü’l-Hâniyye, here.
Amasya also has a special place in the founding of the Republic of Türkiye: Mustafa Kemal arrived in the city on 12 June 1919 and, with the Amasya Circular issued on 22 June 1919, effectively began the War of Independence, declaring “The independence of the nation will be saved by the nation’s own resolve and decision.”
Amasya has a climate in transition between the Black Sea and Central Anatolia; the Yeşilırmak valley gives the city a relatively mild climate. Averages for 1961–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.1 °C | −0.7 °C | 50 mm | 12 |
| February | 9.9 °C | 0.4 °C | 37 mm | 11 |
| March | 14.7 °C | 3.1 °C | 49 mm | 13 |
| April | 20.5 °C | 7.3 °C | 54 mm | 13 |
| May | 25.1 °C | 11.1 °C | 55 mm | 13 |
| June | 28.8 °C | 14.6 °C | 40 mm | 9 |
| July | 31.2 °C | 16.8 °C | 17 mm | 3 |
| August | 31.6 °C | 16.8 °C | 10 mm | 3 |
| September | 28.0 °C | 13.1 °C | 20 mm | 5 |
| October | 22.0 °C | 8.7 °C | 35 mm | 8 |
| November | 14.7 °C | 4.0 °C | 43 mm | 9 |
| December | 9.0 °C | 1.4 °C | 54 mm | 13 |
The loveliest periods are April–June and September–October. In spring the valley turns green; autumn is the harvest season for misket apples. In July and August the average high is around 31 °C, but inside the valley it can at times be much hotter (record: 45 °C).
By air: Amasya Merzifon Airport, open to domestic flights, is in the district of Merzifon and about 42 km from Amasya city centre.
By train: Amasya Station, opened in 1927 and renovated in 2020, is on the Samsun–Kalın railway; the Samsun–Amasya, Amasya–Havza and Samsun–Sivas regional trains call at the city. Coming from Samsun by train is a pleasant way to follow the Yeşilırmak valley.
By road: Amasya lies on the Samsun–Ankara and Samsun–Sivas–Tokat roads, on the route that links the Black Sea to Central Anatolia.
Day 1 – Both banks of the Yeşilırmak: In the morning climb to the Royal Rock Tombs (reached by a stepped path) and enjoy the panorama of the city. Walk past the Yalıboyu houses to Hazeranlar Mansion. In the afternoon visit the Bayezid II Complex, Burmalı Minare Mosque, Gökmedrese Mosque and the Sabuncuoğlu Museum of the History of Medicine and Surgery in the Darüşşifa. In the evening watch the illuminated rock tombs and houses from the opposite bank of the river.
Day 2 – The castle and the museum: In the morning climb to Amasya Castle on Mount Harşena; the passage carved into the rock and the bird’s-eye view of the city are here. Then visit the Amasya Archaeology and Mummy Museum, with its 14th-century mummies; the Ferhat and Şirin Minstrels Museum at the entrance to the city and the Aynalı Cave, 3.3 km outside the city, can also be added to the route.
Day 3 – Nature: Walk and picnic at Lake Boraboy (Borabay), about 25 km from Taşova.
Amasya cuisine is rich in dishes that received geographical indications one after another in 2021–2022: Amasya çöreği and burmalı Amasya çöreği (twisted Amasya çörek), baklalı dolma (broad-bean stuffed vegetables), etli çiçek bamyası (okra with meat), toyga çorbası (yoghurt and wheat soup), patlıcan pehli (aubergine dish), Amasya yağlısı (layered pastry) and Amasya keşkeği (Amasya keşkek) are among the registered dishes. The city’s symbol is the Amasya misket elması (Amasya misket apple), registered with a protected designation of origin in 2019: thin-skinned, firm and long-lasting, this apple is red on one side and yellow-green on the other, and shows a star shape inside when cut in half.
Amasya province has 7 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
A traditional çörek that received a geographical indication on 24 August 2021; its twisted (burmalı) variety was registered separately in 2022.
A meat dish made with small, fresh çiçek okra; it received a geographical indication on 22 November 2021.
A stuffed dish specific to Amasya, registered on 17 August 2021.
A traditional soup made with yoghurt and wheat, registered on 1 December 2021.
An aubergine dish that received a geographical indication on 5 April 2022.
Keşkek (wheat and meat porridge), registered on 28 July 2022.
The Royal Rock Tombs, Amasya Castle, the Yalıboyu Houses, Hazeranlar Mansion, the Bayezid II Complex, Burmalı Minare Mosque, Gökmedrese Mosque, the Darüşşifa (Museum of the History of Medicine), the Archaeology and Mummy Museum and Lake Boraboy are the main stops.
The tombs on Mount Harşena were made for the kings of the Kingdom of Pontus; they include the tombs of five kings, from Mithridates I to Pharnaces I. There are 21 rock tombs in the valley in total.
Amasya Merzifon Airport is about 42 km from the city centre.
In Ottoman times many princes, above all Murad II, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror and Sultan Selim I, served as governors in Amasya and learned how to rule.
It is famous for its misket apples, çörek, okra and keşkek, as well as the Pontic royal rock tombs and the Yalıboyu houses.
The Amasya Circular was issued on 22 June 1919; Mustafa Kemal arrived in the city on 12 June 1919.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 7 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.