The Black Sea Region - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 184

on until the small hours, with
chocolate hazelnut drinks con-
sumed as well as a local delicacy,
a hardish candy made from the
nuts; your children will love it.
The festival is held at various
venues around Ordu, particularly
in the central marketplace area.
The tourist information office in
the heart of Ordu (see p. 180)
will have information on the
programme of events.
September.

time. It has a few good hotels
along its beaches, several restau-
rants catering for children and
the remains of a small Genoese
castle to explore. A statue of
Akçakoca Bey - a Turkish leader
of the 14th century after whom
the town is named - stands in
the heart of the town. Akçakoca
has a harbour area dominated by
a contemporary-styled mosque,
plus inland a little there are lots
of villages to visit.

Victory Cup Horse Races
International Equestrian Tourism
Centre, Daday. b [phone].
Held every year around the end
of August, the Victory Cup
Horse Races are events when the
locals come out to party, watch
the races and admire the horses.
As visitors to Turkey, attending
the races is a good way to mingle
with locals and get a taste of daily
life. The races are held at the
International Equestrian Tourist
Centre in Daday, not far from
Kastamonu, and there is generally
a good choice of stalls and cafes
serving the local equivalent of fast
food, such as kebabs, if you need
a break between races. The
atmosphere is exciting and your
children will enjoy it.
End August.

Amasra

Amasra is a pretty, sleepy harbour-
side town that can trace its history
back many centuries. At one time
it was considered an important
religious town, and later a strategic
trading place. Today, while it
doesn't offer too much in the way
of amenities for visiting families, it
does have a small castle , the
remains of a Roman bridge , the
ruins of two fortresses and some
rock caves to explore, several
mosques , including the Burmalı
Minare Mosque, Yörgüç Pasha
Mosque, Mehmed Pasha Mosque,
Iskele Mosque and the Sultan
Beyazıd Mosque, mausoleums,
and some art galleries (see 'Historic
Buildings & Monuments' p. 189).
Nearby is Safranbolu (see p. 186),
which is well worth visiting so a
trip could combine the two.

Towns & Cities
Akçakoca

Artvin

Located on the coast in the west
of the region, not far from
Kirklareli and surrounded by
hazelnut orchards, Akçakoca is a
pleasant place to spend some

Artvin is an attractive town that
has been created over time on ter-
races overlooking the Çoruh
River valley and its bridge. It has 184