Trabzon – Minna Henriksson

Located on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey, Trabzon is one of the oldest trade and port cities in Anatolia. Due to its strategically-important location on the historic Silk Road, and as a gateway to the Black Sea region from Anatolia, Trabzon has been inhabited by many civilizations throughout history, each of which have left their own cultural heritage behind, including many well-known folk stories and songs.

The modern city of Trabzon is the largest port on the Black Sea coast, and is at the beginning of the Caucasia–Iran transit route. The city of Trabzon has been designed to offer the greatest possible versatility as a trans-shipment centre, and has an important role in the recently-developed trade relations with the Middle East and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Trabzon has seen an influx of traders from CIS countries, especially neighbouring Georgia, turning the city, which now boasts a population of almost 1 million, into a cosmopolitan metropolis. Trabzon has been nominated as the 2011 European Youth Capital, which is organised by the European Youth Forum every year.