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 I looked out from Giresun Castle on the peninsula.
Enchanted by the sight of the town in the glowing light of the late afternoon, I scanned
the view in every direction. The castle was filled with people strolling, picnicking,
seated in the tea gardens watching the sea and the town, and children playing. It is
thought that the castle may originally have been built by King Pharnakes I of Pontus in
the 2nd century BC. Although some of its walls are today in ruins, it is still
magnificent. At its highest point is the monumental tomb of Topal Osman, commander of
Atatürk’s first guard regiment.Giresun Island appears tiny from this high vantage
point. Traces can be seen of the ancient walls which once ran in a square around the
island, and of the Monastery of St Phocas, Archbishop of Sinop.
It is held opposite the island at the mouth of the Aksu River where it pours into the Black Sea. Early in the morning local people gather here to perform an ancient ritual which consists of passing an enormous hoop trivet down over each person who then steps out over the rim. This is repeated three times, after which they stand with their backs to the sea and throw seven pairs of stones and one single stone. Finally the participants circle the island in boats (formerly rowing boats but today motor boats). This venerable ritual represents the reawakening of the soil and fertility, driving away evil spirits with the coming of spring, and celebrating the sanctity and perpetuation of the hearth as a symbol of the family.
From spring until the end of August conversation in Giresun centres around the nuts,
which have become so much a part of the local culture that there are riddles, stories and
songs about them. In one local folksong a lover declares, ‘My darling, not even a
hazelnut/Would I eat without you’. Anchovies are no longer found in their former abundance, however, and it is to be hoped that they do not disappear altogether, like Giresun’s enormous horse mackerel. When I saw these fish in an old photograph I refused to believe that they were horse mackerel until convinced by the accounts of some elderly people. These fish, equal in size to bonito, have not been seen for the past thirty years.
The province is also famous for its natural mineral water and spectacular mountainous hinterland, with its many rivers, valleys and high meadows. The mountain pastures of Kulakkaya, Kümbet and Bektaþ now have accommodation for overnight visitors who want to enjoy a peaceful break far from the city in the midst of unspoilt nature.As I wandered through Giresun I recalled an anecdote related by Yusuf Ziya Ortaç. In the 1950s Israel’s Foreign Ministry advisor Ezra Danin was touring Turkey. Late one night in Giresun he was looking out of his window at the full moon reflected on the Black Sea, and it was so beautiful that he telephoned a friend who was serving as ambassador in Ankara. His friend had been asleep and answered the phone in consternation, only to hear Danin say, ‘Do you know why I woke you up? To tell you that I have found the paradise described in the holy scriptures!’ Source: Skylife |
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The
island, anciently known as Aretias, is associated with the legend of the Golden Fleece, in
search of which Heracles and the other Argonauts sailed through the Black Sea. After
numerous adventures they arrived at Aretias, where they thought the Golden Fleece was
concealed. Here dragon-like birds with brazen claws, teeth and wings which had settled on
the island after Heracles had driven them from Lake Stymphales attacked the Argonauts, one
of whom was killed. The Argonauts defeated the birds but failed to find the Golden Fleece.
Fortunately the birds which inhabit the island today are perfectly harmless.Giresun Island
is commemorated every year in May at the Aksu Festival, a tradition thought to date back
three thousand years.
Giresun is a corruption of the ancient name Kerasion or Kerasus,
meaning City of Cherries, from the Greek word for cherry, kerasi. The cherry tree was a
native of Giresun, and from here carried to countries all over the world. In celebration
of the cherry trees origin the Japanese city of Saga declared Giresun to be its twin city.
Exchange visits are frequent, and Giresun participates in Saga’s annual cherry
festival.However, the provincspa main crop today is not cherries but hazelnuts. From the
coast up to a height of 800 m all the hillsides are planted with hazelnut groves producing
the world’s finest quality hazelnuts.
The historic quarter of Giresun, with its old houses clustered
around the castle, was declared a grade one conservation site in 1981. In particular the
area known as Zeytinlik is a picturesque place of stone and timber houses with gardens.
One of the two 18th century churches in the city centre is now a museum, and the other, a
Gothic style Catholic church, houses a childrn’s library. The mosques and public
buildings, mostly dating from the 19th century, include Kale Mosque, Kapu Mosque,
Hacý Mikdat Çekek Mosque, and Government House.The province of Giresun has the second
highest rainfall averages in Turkey, which explains the lush green vegetation which covers
the landscape from the sea shore up to the mountain peaks.