2 Best Sights in The Black Sea Coast and Lake Van, Turkey

Trabzon's best-known Byzantine monument is this well-preserved 13th-century church that was converted into a mosque in Ottoman times. It sits on a bluff overlooking the Black Sea and inside, the highlights include wonderful Byzantine frescoes housed in the west porch: technicolor angels on the ceiling, Christ preaching in the Temple, the Annunciation, and the wedding at Cana—all executed in a style that shows strong Italian influences. Often overlooked is the graffiti of ships, carved into the outside of the apse by sailors for good luck. A shaded tea garden near the entrance is a popular place for breakfast. Some of the Byzantine-era frescoes in the central dome have been covered by white, umbrella-like fixtures because images are forbidden in mosques.

This museum has a lot of pre-classical pottery, as well as the beautiful doors of an Armenian church. Also of note are photographs and finds from the excavations at Ani. Located near the train station on the eastern edge of town, it's a long walk from the center and a little difficult to find—you may want to take a taxi. Easily missed outside is the railway carriage where Ottoman General Kazım Karabekir signed the treaty of Kars with the Soviet Union, settling today's border.