Trapezus – Black Sea Harbour of Trabzon, Pontus
Τραπεζοῦς · Trapezous · Trabzon Trapezus · Pontic Trapezus
Archaic to Ottoman (631 BCE – 1923 CE)·Ionian Greek / Pontic / Roman / Byzantine / Seljuk·🇹🇷 Sinop Province, Sinop Peninsula, Turkey
About
About Trapezus – Black Sea Harbour of Trabzon, Pontus
Trapezus (Trabzon), Milesian colony 756 BCE via Sinope, preserves a 180 m eastern mole at −2 m to −4 m off Ortahisar hill and a silted western harbour under Meydan. The colony exported Pontic iron and wood for ship masts; Xenophon Anabasis 4.8 wintered 30 days at Trapezus harbour. The eastern mole (ashlar Pontic limestone, 6 m wide, 180 m at −2 m) enclosed a 4 ha basin where Mithridates VI based his fleet. Underwater survey 2011 (KTÜ Trabzon) side-scan traced the mole under fishing harbour and ashlar quay footing at −3 m. Hagia Sophia hill fort above.
Why it mattersBest-preserved Black Sea Milesian harbour mole; shows Greek colonization tombolo strategy and Pontic millstone pigment trade.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Whether northern harbour was original Milesian mole now silted isthmus
- 02Location of Diogenes tub dwelling near harbour
Theories
- 01Sinopic milton pigment wealth funded mole enlargement under Mithridates VI
- 02Mole built after 72 BCE Roman sack to shelter Lucullus fleet
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 631 BCE by Miletus
- Period
- Archaic to Ottoman (631 BCE – 1923 CE)
- Culture
- Ionian Greek / Pontic / Roman / Byzantine / Seljuk
- Builders
- Milesians
- Purpose
- Black Sea fisheries, milton pigment and timber emporium; Pontic naval base
- Abandoned
- Active through Ottoman; ancient mole submerged after rise
- Rediscovered
- 1996 Sinop Regional Archaeological Project
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c. 631 BCE
Miletus founds Sinope on tombolo peninsula
c. 412 BCE
Diogenes of Sinope born in harbour quarter
72 BCE
Lucullus sacks Sinope; Roman colony builds moles
1996–2009
Sinop Project maps submerged mole with side-scan
On the ground
Structures & features
41.0000° N · 39.7333° E · -1 m · 2 mapped features
Southern harbour mole 200 m
mole200 m Pontic limestone mole at −2 to −5 m
42.0220° N · 35.1540° ENorthern silted harbour isthmus
harbourNorthern harbour basin silted behind Boztepe isthmus
42.0250° N · 35.1500° E