Photo: Ben Bender (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Source 4 places to visit in the Maçka district of Trabzon: Sümela Monastery (Sümela Manastırı), Zigana Pass (Zigana Geçidi) and Mağura Plateau (Mağura Yaylası). Plan your trip to Maçka with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Sümela Monastery, 17 km from the district centre, is one of the most important historic monuments of Anatolia, dating from the Byzantine period. Maçka’s terrain is entirely made up of high mountains: forests cover the land up to 2,000 metres, and above that it is covered by pastures and mountain vegetation.
The famous Zigana Pass lies within Maçka’s borders. Şolma Plateau, one of the highest points in Trabzon province, has been declared a tourism centre. Located 22 km from the district centre, Şolma Plateau is surrounded by pine forests and is worth seeing for its cold spring water, flat grassy meadows and various fragrant flowers.
Maçka has many plateaus of tourist interest, and more than a third of the plateaus in Trabzon province lie within its borders. Kiraz Plateau, Labazen Plateau and Kulindağı Plateau are among them. The Mağura Plateau Festival is celebrated every year on the first Sunday of August. At Lişer Plateau, in Ocaklı-İspela, the Soğuksu Festivals are held every year on 7 July, with people coming from neighbouring plateaus and villages.
Maçka was taken by the Ottomans in 1461. It came under Russian rule in 1916 and regained its independence in 1918.
Maçka was an important stop on the Silk Road from ancient times and served as the southern gateway to Trabzon. Sümela Monastery was built on a rocky outcrop overlooking Altındere Valley, within the borders of Altındere village in Maçka district.
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First built in the 4th century by two monks from Athens, who enlarged an existing cave to make a church. The church was extended in the 6th and 13th centuries. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the monastery continued its activities after the Ottoman period from 1461.
View on mapThe famous Zigana Pass lies within the borders of Maçka and is a well-known geographical landmark.
View on mapA plateau within Maçka's borders, famous for the Mağura Plateau Festival, held every year on the first Sunday of August.
View on mapNational park within the borders of Maçka district.
View on mapWhile you are in Maçka, you can also see the highlights of Trabzon province. These places are in other districts; Maçka is about 29 km from the provincial centre.
Made by stirring cornmeal and Trabzon cheese into melted butter and cooking them together, kuymak is an indispensable flavour of Maçka's plateau breakfasts.
Prepared with collard greens, cornmeal and beans, this soup is one of the most characteristic dishes of Black Sea cuisine. Collard greens paired with cornmeal create the most distinctive flavour of Black Sea cooking.
Hamsiköy's well-known sütlacı (rice pudding).
Maçka, with the Sümela, Vazelon and Kuştul monasteries, is one of the regions where Byzantine-era monastic culture was most intensely experienced. These structures bear important traces of the history of Christianity in Anatolia.
Maçka's economy rests on tourism, agriculture and livestock. Sümela Monastery and Altındere Valley National Park attract hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Hazelnut production and beekeeping are other important sources of income.
Maçka is 29 km from Trabzon city centre and lies on the Trabzon–Erzurum highway. Sümela Monastery is reached by a 17 km road from Maçka. Regular minibus services run from Trabzon.
The highlights of Maçka are 4 places: Sümela Monastery, Zigana Pass, Mağura Plateau and Altındere National Park.
Kuymak (Muhlama), Karalahana Çorbası and Hamsiköy Sütlacı are the standout flavours on Maçka's tables.
Maçka is known for its honey and its monastic culture. The flower honey gathered from the rich flora of Altındere Valley is recognised in the region for its natural, unadulterated character.
Maçka is 29 km from Trabzon city centre and lies on the Trabzon–Erzurum highway. Sümela Monastery is reached by a 17 km road from Maçka. Regular minibus services run from Trabzon.
Suggested visit length: 1–2 days. Best time to visit: summer months (June–September).