Things to Do in İlkadım: 11 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in İlkadım

• 5 Historic
• 2 Ancient City
• 1 Museum
• 2 Attraction
• 1 Cultural

🏛️ Historic Sites 5

1 🏛️ Historic

Bandırma Vapuru Museum

An exact replica of the Bandırma steamship, on which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk landed in Samsun on 19 May 1919, set up as a museum. It displays documents and photographs from the War of Independence.

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i Photo: Cobija (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

2 🏛️ Historic

Samsun Arkeoloji ve Ethnography Museum

A museum displaying the Amisos Treasure, known for its gold jewellery and coins from the Hellenistic period. It holds the cultural heritage of the region from prehistory to the Ottoman period.

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3 🏛️ Historic

Amisos Hill

The hill on which the ancient city of Amisos was founded. Rock tombs and mosaics uncovered by archaeological excavations make it an important historic site. There are views of Samsun city from the hilltop.

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4 🏛️ Historic

Kurtuluş Yolu (Kurtuluş İskelesi)

The pier and road where Atatürk landed in Samsun on 19 May 1919.

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5 🏛️ Historic

Onur Anıtı (Atatürk Heykeli)

A bronze statue of Atatürk, considered the symbol of Samsun.

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While you are in İlkadım, you can also see the highlights of Samsun province. These places are in other districts.

• Kızılırmak Delta — One of the largest deltas in Türkiye at 56,000 hectares, within the boundaries of Ondokuzmayıs, Bafra and Alaçam; 22,000 hectares were declared a Ramsar site in 1998.
• Şahinkaya Canyon — In Vezirköprü, a canyon about 1,500 metres long and 324 metres high that forms the deepest point of the Altınkaya Dam; it was made a nature park in 2015.
• Ladik Lake — East of the centre of the Ladik district, a lake of 870 hectares known for its floating islets; with fish such as pike and carp, it hosts angling tourism.
• Monument of Honour — A bronze monument in Atatürk Park, commissioned from the Austrian sculptor Heinrich Krippel in memory of Atatürk's landing at Samsun; it was officially opened on 15 January 1932.
• Gazi Museum — A two-storey building, built in 1902 as a hotel, the Mantika Palas, where Atatürk stayed in Samsun on 19 May 1919; it was opened as a museum in 1940.
• Havza Hot Springs — Known since antiquity, the hot springs that Strabo mentions as the Phazemonitis hot waters are in the Havza district.

Practical Information for Visiting İlkadım

Suggested time

2-3 days

Best time to visit

May to October

Places to visit

11 places

• 🫓

  Samsun Pidesi

  Known as kapalı pide (closed pide), Samsun pide is famous for its thin dough and generous fillings. Minced meat, cheese and egg varieties are baked in a stone oven.

• 🥧

  Bafra Nokulu

  Nokul, made from walnut and butter dough, is Samsun's traditional sweet pastry.

• 🥯

  Samsun Simidi

  Samsun simidi differs from the Istanbul simit in its thin, crispy texture. It is known for its molasses dough and generous sesame coating.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of İlkadım

• 🏛️

  Spirit of 19 May

  Samsun is the starting point of the Turkish War of Independence. Atatürk's landing in Samsun on 19 May 1919 is celebrated every year with large ceremonies and forms the basis of the city's identity.

• 🏺

  Ancient Amisos Heritage

  İlkadım was built on top of the ancient city of Amisos. Founded in the 6th century BC, the city was an important port town during the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods.

Local Products

• Samsun Tobacco — Samsun is known for its world-famous oriental tobacco variety. Samsun tobacco is valued in international markets for its aroma and quality.
• Samsun Simidi — Known for its thin and crispy texture, Samsun simidi is one of the city's signature delicacies.

Economy

İlkadım is the trade and service centre of Samsun. Retail trade, finance, education and healthcare are the main economic activities. Ondokuz Mayıs University contributes to the district's economy.

How to Get to İlkadım

İlkadım is the central district of Samsun. Samsun-Çarşamba Airport is 20 km away. The intercity bus terminal and the railway station are within the district boundaries. A tram line passes through the district.

Get directions on Google Maps Getting to Samsun

İlkadım: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in İlkadım Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Samsun The province's 10 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Samsun

• Alaçam 4 places Alaçam Beach, Alaçam Forests and Historic Alaçam Bazaar
• Asarcık 1 place Asarcık Forests and Plateaus
• Atakum 4 places Atakum Beach, Ondokuz Mayıs University Campus and Batı Park
• Ayvacık 6 places Suat Uğurlu Barajı Lake, Hasan Uğurlu Barajı Lake and Ayvacık Plateaus
• Bafra 7 places İkiztepe Mound, Kızılırmak Deltası Kuş Cenneti and Bafra Tütün Museum
• Canik 7 places Canik Coast, Canik Belediyesi Yaşam Parkı and Canik Başpınar Nature Park
• Çarşamba 3 places Çarşamba Ovası, Çarşamba Coast and Göğceli Mosque
• Havza 9 places Havza Hot Springs, Atatürk House and Museum and Havza Castle
• Kavak 7 places Yörgüç Paşa Mosque, Kavak Castle and Kavak Forests
• Ladik 5 places Lake Ladik, Akdağ Ski Centre and Ladik Castle
• Ondokuzmayıs 4 places Ondokuzmayıs Coast, Kızılırmak Deltası (Ondokuzmayıs Bölümü) and Engiz Castle
• Salıpazarı 6 places Değirmen, Yeşil Mosque and Karaman Mosque
• Tekkeköy 3 places Tekkeköy Mağaraları, Tekkeköy Waterfall and Tekkeköy Castle
• Terme 6 places Miliç Pine Grove, Historic Pazar Mosque and Simenlik Lake (Simenit Lake)
• Vezirköprü 4 places Oymaağaç Höyüğü (Nerik), Şahinkaya Canyon and Arastalı Bedesten
• Yakakent 4 places Yakakent Beach, Yakakent Forests and Yakakent Fishing Harbour