Coordinates region	TR
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Timezone	EET
Utc offset	+2
Map caption	Location of Samsun within Turkey.
Timezone dst	EEST
Utc offset dst	+3
Official name	Samsun
P1	Atakum |p2Canik |p3İlkadım |p4Tekkeköy
population total	|population_urban 531,997 |population_as_of 2010 |population_footnotes |population_density_km2 |area_total_km2 |elevation_m |pushpin_map Turkey
Pushpin label position
Pushpin map caption	Location of Samsun

Samsun is a city of about half a million people on the north coast of Turkey. It is the provincial capital of Samsun Province and a major Black Sea port.

Name

The present name of the city may come from its former Greek name of Amisos by a shortening of Eis Amisos (meaning to Amisos) + ounta (Greek suffix for place names) to Sampsunda (Σαμψούντα) and then Samsun ().

The early Greek historian Hecataeus wrote that Amisos was formerly called Enete, the place mentioned in Homer's Iliad.

During the Ottoman Empire the present name was written in

History

Paleolithic artifacts found in the Tekkeköy Caves can be seen in Samsun Archaeology Museum.

The earliest layer excavated of the höyük of Dündartepe revealed a Chalcolithic settlement. Early Bronze Age and Hittite settlements were also found there and at Tekkeköy.

Samsun (then known as Amisos, alternative spelling ''Amisus'') was settled between the years of 760 - 750 BC by people from Miletus, who established a flourishing trade relationship with the ancient peoples of Anatolia. Samsun's ideal combination of fertile ground and shallow waters attracted numerous traders.

In the 3rd century BC, Samsun came under the expanded rule of the Kingdom of Pontus. The Kingdom of Pontus had been part of the empire of Alexander the Great. However, the empire was fractured soon after Alexander's death in the 4th century BC. At its height, the kingdom controlled the north of central Anatolia and mercantile towns on the northern Black Sea shores.

The Romans took over in 47 BC, and were replaced by the Byzantines after the fall of Rome.

In 1200 Samsun was captured by the Seljuks, to be later taken over by the İlhanlılar.

Samsun was incorporated into the network of Genoese trading posts and was taken by the Ottomans in the beginning of the 15th century. Before leaving, the Genoese razed the town.

In the later Ottoman period the land around the town mainly produced tobacco. The town was connected to the railway system in the second half of the 19th century, and tobacco trade boomed.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk established the Turkish liberation movement in Samsun on May 19, 1919, the date which traditionally marks the beginning of the Turkish War of Independence.

The city is both an Eastern Orthodox and a Roman Catholic titular see.

Geography

Samsun is a long city which extends along the coast between two river deltas which jut into the Black Sea. It is located at the end of an ancient route from Cappadocia: the ''Amisos'' of antiquity lay on the headland northwest of the modern city. To Samsun's west, lies the Kızılırmak ("Red River", the ''Halys'' of antiquity), one of the longest rivers in Anatolia and its fertile delta. To the east, lie the Yeşilırmak ("Green River", the ''Iris'' of antiquity) and its delta.

Rivers

The River Mert reaches the sea at the city, Yeşilırmak east of the city and Kızılırmak west of the city.

Climate

Samsun has a typical Black Sea climate with high and evenly distributed rainfall the year round. Summers are warm and humid, and the average maximum temperature is around in August. Winters are cool and damp, and the lowest average minimum temperature is around in January.

Precipitation is heaviest in late autumn and early winter. Snow is quite common between the months of December and March but this usually varies considerably from year to year, and the snowcover and temperatures below the freezing point rarely last more than a few days.

The water temperature, like on the rest of the Black Sea coast of Turkey, fluctuates between 8° and throughout the year.

Sites

Archaeological Sites: 41 Urban Sites: 4 Natural Sites: 7 Historical Sites: 1

Other Sites

Archaeological and Natural Sites: 3 Total: 56 Cultural (at Single Construction Scale) and Natural Heritages: 369 TOTAL: 424

Tumuli, in one of which can be seen a skeleton dated between 300BC and 30BC, are a short walk up the hill from Baruthane tram station. Alternatively they can be reached by car or by teleferique.

Travel

Highway: the coach station is outside the city centre, but most bus companies provide a free transfer there if you have a ticket.

Coach station Tel: (+90-362) 238 17 06

Railway: Passenger and freight trains run to Sivas via Amasya. The train station is in the city center.

Train station Tel : (+90-362) 233 22 93

Light Rail: Modern trams run between the train station and Ondokuz Mayıs University. Work is in progress extending the line east along the coast and it may reach as far as Samsun-Çarşamba Airport in future.

Air: Samsun-Çarşamba Airport is 23 km east of the city center. It is possible to reach the airport by Havas service buses: they depart from the coach park close to Kultur Sarayi in the city center.

Airport Tel : (+90-362) 844 88 30 - 844 88 24 - 844 88 25

Economy

Samsun has a mixed economy.

There is a light industrial zone between the city and the airport. The main manufactured products are medical devices and products, furniture, tobacco products (although tobacco farming is now limited by the government), chemicals and automobile spare parts.

Road and rail freight connections with central Anatolia can be used to send inland both the agricultural produce of the surrounding well rained upon and fertile land, and also imports from overseas. However a pipeline is used to import natural gas undersea from Russia and distribute it to Ankara.

The port (Tel: (+90) 362 4451605) fronting the city centre handles freight, including RORO ferries to Novorossiysk, whereas fishing boats land their catches in a separate harbour slightly further east. A ship building yard is under construction at the eastern city limit and is expected to start operating in 2011.

Local government, services (such as legal and medical) to the surrounding region, and higher education are also a large part of the city economy.

Education

There are two universities in Samsun: Ondokuz Mayıs University and Canik Success University (scheduled to open in 2012).

Places to see

Kültür Sarayı (Palace of Culture). Concerts and other performances are held at the Kultur Sarayi, which is shaped much like a ski jump.

Archaeological and Atatürk Museum. The archaeological part of the museum displays ancient artifacts found in the Samsun area. The Atatürk section includes photographs of his life and some personal belongings. The museum is open from 8:30 till 12:00 and from 14:00 till 17:00.

The Russian Market (Rus Pazari).

Statue of Atatürk. By Austrian sculptor Heinrich Krippel, from 1928 to 1931. The statue was depicted on the obverse of the Turkish 100,000 lira banknotes of 1991-2001.

Atatürk (Gazi) Museum. It houses Atatürk's bedroom, his study and conference room as well some personal belongings.

Pazar Mosque, Samsun's oldest surviving building, a mosque built by the Ilkhanate Mongols in the 13th century.

Karadağ Geçidi (Karadag Pass) (at an altitude of 940 metres). The landscape, on the way to Amasya.

Sports

The city's football club is Samsunspor, which plays its games at the Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium. Samsunspor was the winner of the last Balkans Cup final, the 1993-1994 season, defeating PAS Giannina of Greece. The first leg took place in Greece, where Samsunspor won 3–0. The second leg took place in Turkey, where Samsunspor sealed the championship with a 2–0 win (5–0 agg.)

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Samsun is twinned with: North Little Rock, Arkansas, United States (2006) İskele, Northern Cyprus (2006) Novorossiysk, Russia (2007) Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (2007) Kalmar, Sweden (2008) Bordeaux, France (2010) Kiel, Germany (2010)

Notable natives

Mustafa Dağıstanlı - two times Olympic gold medalist sports wrestler

Yaşar Doğu - Olympic gold medalist sports wrestler

Orhan Gencebay - musician

Ferhan Şensoy - writer, actor and stage director

Tanju Çolak - soccer player/striker, who was the top scorer in Europe in 1987 and 3rd scorer in 1986

Yıldıray Çınar - musician

Neyzen Tevfik – poet, satirist, and ney player

Ece Erken – TV-hostess and actress

See also

Anatolian Tigers

References

Notes

External links

Samsun Governor's Office

Samsun Metropolitan Municipality

Official Tourist Information

Samsun News (Turkish)

MA in Black Sea Cultural Studies. International Hellenic University-School of Humanities

Current port arrivals and departures

Amisos coins (search by state: Amisus)

Category:Populated places established in the 7th century BC Category:Populated places in Samsun Province Category:Ancient Greek sites in Turkey Category:Black Sea Category:Black Sea port cities and towns in Turkey Category:Buildings and structures illustrated on Turkish banknotes

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Selda Bağcan (pronounced ) is a Turkish singer and guitarist. She was born in 1948. The Turkish military rulers persecuted her in the 1980s due to her political songs.

Notes

Further reading

(Biography)

External links

Selda Bağcan – official website

Selda Bağcan discography at Discogs

Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Turkish female singers

de:Selda Bağcan pt:Selda Bağcan tr:Selda Bağcan

name	Theofanis GekasΘεοφάνης Γκέκας
fullname	Theofanis Gekas
birth date	May 23, 1980
birth place	Larissa, Greece
height
currentclub	Eintracht Frankfurt
clubnumber	9
position	Striker
youthyears1	1997–1998
youthclubs1	Toxotis
youthyears2	1998
youthclubs2	Larissa
years1	1998–2001 | clubs1 Larissa | caps1 61 | goals1 16
years2	2001–2005 | clubs2 Kallithea | caps2 100 | goals2 44
years3	2005–2007 | clubs3 Panathinaikos | caps3 41 | goals3 23
years4	2006–2007 | clubs4 → VfL Bochum (loan) | caps4 32 | goals4 20
years5	2007–2010 | clubs5 Bayer Leverkusen | caps5 50 | goals5 13
years6	2009 | clubs6 → Portsmouth (loan) | caps6 1 | goals6 0
years7	2010 | clubs7 → Hertha BSC (loan) | caps7 17 | goals7 6
years8	2010– | clubs8 Eintracht Frankfurt | caps8 39 | goals8 17
nationalyears1	2005–2010
nationalteam1	Greece
nationalcaps1	52 | nationalgoals1 20
pcupdate	22 August 2011
ntupdate	14 September 2010 }}

Theofanis Gekas () (born 23 May 1980) is a Greek football striker who currently plays for the German club Eintracht Frankfurt. He has been the top goalscorer of the Greek League and the Bundesliga in previous seasons. He was the top goalscorer of the Europe section of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification for scoring ten goals in Greece's successful qualifying campaign.

Club career

Greece

Gekas started his professional career at his local club AEL 1964 (then of the Greek Second Division). In the summer of 2001 after three years at AEL 1964 he moved to Kallithea FC. In his first season Kallithea was promoted to the Greek first division. Gekas had scored 30 goals in 87 second division matches.

Panathinaikos

Gekas continued to score goals, generating more interest in him from top Greek clubs. After scoring 32 goals in 73 matches Gekas moved to Panathinaikos during the 2005 winter break. At his new club Gekas kept up the scoring and became top goal scorer of the Greek league in 2005 (17 goals). He shot into the national squad, where he made his debut in the 2–0 World Cup qualifying victory against Albania in March 2005, despite never having represented the Greek national side at junior level. In the Confederations Cup 2005 Gekas was part of the team of the European champion. In the 2004–05 season he also became the Greek Superleague Top Goalscorer.

With Panathinaikos, Gekas scored 23 goals in 41 appearances. In the season 2005–06, Gekas made his debut in the UEFA Champions League and came second in the Greek top goalscorers list.

Germany

VfL Bochum

The 2. Fußball-Bundesliga club VfL Bochum already showed interest in Gekas in the spring of 2006, but Panathinaikos wanted €1.5 million for its forward, which was too much money for the German club.

But in the summer of 2006 Panathinaikos signed Greek top scorer Dimitris Salpigidis from PAOK FC Thessaloniki - one of the reasons was that Gekas did not want to sign a long-term contract. As part of the deal Gekas should have been transferred to PAOK, but Gekas refused to be transferred to the club. Panathinakos's owner Giannis Vardinogiannis felt personally insulted and loaned Gekas to newly-promoted VfL Bochum for only €300,000. VfL Bochum had the right to buy Gekas for €700,000 at the end of the season if they remained in the First Division.

During the 2006–07 season VfL Bochum was again fighting against relegation, but within a short period Gekas became one of the stars of the team and very popular among the fans. They called him the "Greek god" and his goals were celebrated with Sirtakis. Coach Marcel Koller accurately described him in November 2006 as their "life insurance", as Bochum not only avoided relegation, but also secured their place in the Bundesliga quite a few matchdays before the last, mainly due to Gekas' goals. He went on to finish the season as top scorer in the Bundesliga, with a final tally of 20 goals.

Bayer Leverkusen

At the end of April 2007 VfL Bochum intimated that Gekas would play for Bayer 04 Leverkusen starting in the following season. The transfer fee was not immediately certain because the two clubs chose a quite bizarre construction: Bayer 04 Leverkusen would pay €700,000 at the end of the season to Panathinaikos, and if Bochum were to be relegated, they would get €1.5 million from Leverkusen, but if they were to remain in the Bundesliga First Division they would get €4 million. Gekas' future salary at Bayer Leverkusen is estimated to be €2 million a year, four times what he earned at VfL Bochum.

Gekas' first game for Bayer Leverkusen was a friendly which Bayer won 15-1; Gekas scored seven of those 15. However despite a promising start and being the top scorer for Bayer Leverkusen in the 2007-08 season, Gekas has been consistently dropped by coach Michael Skibbe making mostly sub appearances. Following an injury to teammate Dmitri Bulykin, Gekas was place back into the starting 11 and made quite the come back; scoring three goals in three games including two winners against SV Hamburg which earned Leverkusen a quarter-final spot in the UEFA Cup in March 2008.

England

Loan to Portsmouth

On 2 February 2009 he signed for Portsmouth on loan for the remainder of the 2008–09 season. Gekas was brought in by manager Tony Adams with a view to a permanent deal however, very soon after his move Adams was sacked and replaced by caretaker Paul Hart. Gekas was not given any games and went on to criticise Hart and stated his desire to leave the club, with Zenit St. Petersburg reportedly interested. On 11 April 2009, he finally made a substitute appearance for one minute when he came on for Jermaine Pennant.

His loan period was terminated by Portsmouth on 21 May 2009 two weeks earlier than initially expected as he apparently refused to play against Sunderland. He then returned to Bayer Leverkusen.

Back in Germany

Bayer Leverkusen return

In the summer 2009, Gekas came back to Bayer Leverkusen and became the top scorer in the European section of the qualification for 2010 World Cup. Competing with Stefan Kießling, Eren Derdiyok and Patrick Helmes for a place in Bayer's starting formation, Gekas failed to establish himself because he was not played and left the club after half a year.

Loan to Hertha

On 17 December 2009, Bayer Leverkusen signed a half-year loan deal with Hertha BSC.

Gekas already found the net in his first official game for Hertha, when he scored in Hertha's 0–3 away win against Hannover 96 on 16 January 2009. Despite a promising start, Hertha continued to struggle at the bottom of the Bundesliga table. His most notable performance came on 21 March 2010, when he scored a hat-trick in the 1–5 away victory over German champions VfL Wolfsburg. Hertha eventually failed to avoid relegation, with Gekas' short spell at the club coming to an end. He ended up scoring six goals in 17 appearances for the club.

Eintracht Frankfurt

On 19 May 2010, it was confirmed that Gekas signed a two-year contract with the German club Eintracht Frankfurt. Gekas scored 16 goals in 34 appearances but this did not prevent Eintracht from being relegated to the German second division.

International career

Gekas helped his country's team to reach UEFA Euro 2008 and also became the Top scorer 2010 World Cup Qualifiers UEFA section with ten goals, one more than Rooney. At the 2010 World Cup he helped the team to reach the first victory at a World Cup. Gekas is also fifth in the top scorer ranking of the Greek national team. On 9 September 2010, Theofanis Gekas officially announced his decision to retire from the national team of Greece, due to "special circumstances inside the team", as he mentioned. This was the third player retirement after the departure of coach Otto Rehhagel, following Sotiris Kyrgiakos and Ioannis Amanatidis.

International goals

Heraklion, Greece 22 August 2007 13 October 2007 17 November 2007 17 November 2007 17 November 2007 20 August 2008 20 August 2008 6 September 2008 10 September 2008 10 September 2008 19 November 2008 11 February 2009 28 March 2009 9 September 2009 10 October 2009 10 October 2009 10 October 2009 10 October 2009 14 October 2009

Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
1.	2 June 2007	|		2–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying>UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
2.	|	Thessaloniki, Greece		2–3	Loss	Exhibition game>Friendly Match
3.	|	Athens, Greece		3–2	Win	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying>UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
4.	|	Athens, Greece		5–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying>UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
5.	|	Athens, Greece		5–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying>UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
6.	|	Athens, Greece		5–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying>UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier
7.	|	Bratislava, Slovakia		0–2	Win	Exhibition game>Friendly Match
8.	|	Bratislava, Slovakia		0–2	Win	Exhibition game>Friendly Match
9.	|	Luxembourg (city)>Luxembourg, Luxembourg		0–3	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
10.	|	Riga, Latvia		0–2	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
11.	|	Riga, Latvia		0–2	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
12.	|	Piraeus, Greece		1–1	Draw	Exhibition game>Friendly Match
13.	|	Piraeus, Greece		1–1	Draw	Exhibition game>Friendly Match
14.	|	Ramat Gan, Israel		1–1	Draw	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
15.	|	Chişinău, Moldova		1–1	Draw	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
16.	|	Athens, Greece		5–2	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
17.	|	Athens, Greece		5–2	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
18.	|	Athens, Greece		5–2	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
19.	|	Athens, Greece		5–2	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
20.	|	Athens, Greece		2–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)>2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier

Honours

Individual

Greek Superleague Top Goalscorer: 2004-05

Bundesliga Top Goalscorer: 2006–07

Top scorer 2010 World Cup Qualifiers UEFA section

Personal life

Shortly after the 2008 European Championships his wife Vasso gave birth to twins Nikolaos and Mikaela-Lamprini.

References

External links

Article in German sports magazine Kicker

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:People from Larissa Category:Greek footballers Category:Kicker-Torjägerkanone Award winners Category:Association football forwards Category:Greece international footballers Category:2005 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:Superleague Greece players Category:Larissa F.C. players Category:Kallithea F.C. players Category:Panathinaikos footballers Category:Greek expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in Germany Category:Fußball-Bundesliga players Category:VfL Bochum players Category:Greek expatriates in Germany Category:Bayer 04 Leverkusen players Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:Premier League players Category:Portsmouth F.C. players Category:Greek expatriates in England Category:Hertha BSC players Category:Eintracht Frankfurt players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players

ar:ثيوفانيس غيكاس bg:Теофанис Гекас ca:Theofanis Gekas da:Theofanis Gekas de:Theofanis Gekas el:Φάνης Γκέκας es:Theofanis Gekas fr:Theofánis Ghékas hr:Theofanis Gekas it:Theofanis Gekas la:Theophanes Gcecas lv:Teofanis Geks lt:Theofanis Gekas mt:Theofanis Gekas mr:थेओफनीस गेकास mn:Теофанис Гекас nl:Theofanis Gekas ja:テオファニス・ゲカス no:Fanis Gekas nn:Fánis Gékas pl:Theofanis Gekas pt:Theofanis Gekas ru:Гекас, Теофанис fi:Theofanis Nkekas sv:Theofanis Gekas tr:Theofanis Gekas uk:Теофаніс Ґекас