Pontus, Historical region in northeastern Turkey.
Pontus refers to a strip of land in northeastern Turkey that runs along the Black Sea coast between Sinop and Trabzon. Steep mountains drop directly to the sea here, while narrow valleys provide access to a forested hinterland.
Greek traders founded ports along the coast from the 8th century BC onward, which later merged into an independent kingdom. Roman troops ended this independence in the 1st century BC and incorporated the area into their empire.
The original Greek name referred to the open sea that shapes the coast, while later settlers extended the name to cover the entire hinterland. Today villages and towns along the coast still carry traces of the Greek language in their names.
The region spans several modern provinces, with Trabzon marking the eastern section and Sinop forming the western edge. Travelers here find narrow coastal roads that wind through dense forests and over steep passes.
Ancient Greek legends placed the home of the Golden Fleece on this coast, drawing travelers for centuries. The region's dense hazelnut forests today supply the majority of the world's harvest of this nut.
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