From Bayburt to Trabzon: The Route of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror’s Trabzon Campaign

Abstract

The Ottoman conquest of Trabzon was considered a strategic step towards political unity in Anatolia. However, there is not enough information about this conquest in contemporary sources. In particular, there are serious uncertainties about the route between Yassıçimen and Trabzon. In this study, six historical routes to Trabzon via Bayburt were identified and each of these routes was analyzed in detail. Among these routes, especially the Galyan Road seems to be the strongest candidate for Fatih’s conquest route. The Galyan Road draws attention as a route that starts from Bayburt and extends to Trabzon, where the Turkmen population is dense and does not passthrough Greek settlements. This study explains the reasons for the preference of the Galyan Road and the historical importance of this route.

Written sources and surveys provide strong evidence that Fatih preferred this route during the conquest. In particular, contemporary witnesses such as Tursun Bey and Konstantin Mihailoviç provide detailed accounts of the difficulties and geographical obstacles encountered during the campaign. These accounts coincide with the passages and historical locations along the Galyan Way. Moreover, the archaeological remains along the route indicate that this road was actively used throughout history.

In conclusion, this study emphasizes that the Galyan Road is the strongest candidate as the route taken by Mehmed the Conqueror during his conquest of Trabzon. We believe that this paper makes important contributions to the Ottoman conquest strategies, the identification of Anatolian historical routes, and the strategic use of these routes.