Trebizond and Beyond

Published in 1969, this books tells of a voyage in a motor yacht along the Black Sea coast of Turkey from Istanbul as far as permitted towards the Soviet coast (now Georgia). The author, a Brit, and his crew of two from Austria, along with another British cameraman stopped at most of the towns along the way, including Trabzon, formerly known as Trebizond, which gives the book its title.

Upon reaching as far east as possible, they leave the yacht and strike inland by car, visiting a number of inland towns, the largest of which is Kars. They also took a train to the Soviet border near Gyumri (now Armenia). Returning to the yacht, they turn west and return by the same route to Istanbul (stopping in some of the same towns, and some new ones).

This middle section of the book describes the complex history of the Kurds, and then the Armenians, and explains a visit to the archaeological site of Ani - the city of 1001 churches.

As well as describing travel by yacht, and details around the port conditions, customs and immigration procedures, there is a good mix of history and culture. Cultural issues such as religion, visibility of women (or lack thereof), prostitution, corruption and tourism are all touched on.

It is a fairly readable book, a little dry perhaps and not particularly pacy or engaging, but a good snapshot of Turkey as it was in the late 1960s.

Three stars.