The Land Of Amazons

TERME

     Terme is 58 km far from Samsun. The Brook Terme, which rises from Karaorman, flows into the Black Sea by dividing the district into two parts in the middle.
     It is 22 km far from Carsamba District while 32 km far from Unye District, which are the closest settlement areas. It is surrounded by the Black Sea in the North, Unye and Ikizce in the East, Akkus in the South and Salipazari and Carsamba in the West.
     The Lake Akgol and the Lake Simenit, which are linked through natural channels, take place in a territory that is between the Black Sea and Terme District and close to sea.
Water of lakes is salty and hence cannot be used for irrigation. Fishes are caught in these lakes and it is an observation place because it is a place of accommodation for birds.
Terme's ID Card
Total population                        : 77.178
Surface area                             : 678 km2

Several civilizations fought for Terme.
Hittites and Phrygians dominated this territory respectively. Then, Kymmers who had broken into Anatolia blew down Phrygians. Amazons, the Kymmer community of women, came to Terme and lodged there.
The name of the mountains being close to the Brook Terme (Thermedon) is accepted as "Amazonius Mous (Amazon Mountains)" in some maps and encyclopedias. Also Ancient Greeks who lived as a colonisers on the Black Sea shores stated that there had been a community of women only in Termedon.
Terme came under the domination of the East Rome; in other words, the Byzantine State of the Roman Empire in 395 following the domination of Meds, Persians, and Romans. The whole Black Sea including Terme was dominated by Anatolian Seljuks in the period between 1219 and 1236.
Mr. Eretna who was assigned as the governor of that region, founded his state in his name in the territory covering Amasya, Samsun, Tokat, Sivas, and Kayseri. When Yildirim Beyazit captured Amasya and the Black Sea region, Sons of Taceddin and Canik Messieurs recognised the Ottoman governance.
After that time, Terme District was governed under the control of Canik Lieutenant Governorship until Republic period.

Legendary Heroines of Terme: Amazons
It is written in ancient sources that the fighting heroines of Anatolian mythology lived in Themiskryia, on the shore of Thermedon (The Brook Terme) in BC 1200s.
Amazons shot arrows and rode horses. It is said that they cut their right breasts so as to draw the bow well and hence was named 'Amazon", which means "Breastless". Other than arrow, they used spears, double-sided hatchets, half shields, and helmets as well.
The word Amazon means "Moon Women in Armenian and a similar word means "Slayer" whereas it means "Breastless" in Greek.
Amazons adored Goddess Cybele. Their lifestyle is extraordinary compared with our day. They exploited males as workers ana servants; killed captives after having sex with them; killed male infants; raised female infants with care and trained them as strong  fighters.
They lived as a buffer state between Hittites and nations on Greek islands. However, they were demolished by a great attack as a result of merging of three big kingdoms.
Herodotus Strabon and Halicarnassus Fisher, two authors of ancient period, mentioned about Amazons in their tales.
Herodotus called as the father of history tells wars of Amazons with Greeks and Scythians when talking about Amazons. Amazons blows Scythians out. Scythians are shocked and besides, note that their enemies are women once they see corpses on battle field.
Greek Strabon emphasized identity and origin of the community when talking about Amazons and told that the names of the ancient cities Ephesus, Smyrna, Kyme, and Myrna were given by Amazons.
Halicarnassus Fisher tells that many cities in Aegean Region were ruled by Amazons: An Amazon queen whose name is Mirin captured 'Serne', a city on North Aegean shores; sabred all men in that city; and holds women and children as slaves. The queen founds the City Mirin, bearing her name, for them and also founds Kyme, Priene, and Pitane, and on Lesbos Island, the City Mytiline. One day, a storm breaks out on the way to island. Mother Goddess Cybele protects fleet and takes it to Semadirek Island. Queen Mirin establishes a temple on the island where nobody had lived before in order to express her respect and gratitude towards Cybele".

Amazon Legends

In addition to being said to be a Kymmerian female group, the clan of female warriors called Amazons is said to be a Scythian female group. According to Armenian author Minas Bijiskyan who is from Trabzon, "Terme was a popular place and its prince was a hero whose name is Solimos. His name is written on one side of his coins and Termesseun on another side. Although we couldn't see any outstanding thing here, it was a very popular place due to Amazon women. Their capital city was situated by the side of The Brook called "Thermedon" at that time and bore the name Temiskor. The Brook was also named Amazon. Amazons were brave, combatant women and according to what ancient historians said, they dominated Black Sea shore down to Fars (Poti) by founding an independent state near Terme. They have Scythian origin and stemmed from two sons of king who were exiled to Terme and whose names are Igin and Skolopit, and reproduced in time. However, neighbouring nations made most of them slaves at the end of a great war because they were not peaceful. Remaining men handed over the state to women and they went to war against enemies. Women felt humiliated in this situation and started to İnsult, and got out of control gradually. They had two queens, one of whom was ruling the army whereas another was ruling the government. Their last queens were Antiop and Oridie.
Rumour has it that Amazons got married to foreign men; if they had male children, they killed them; if they had female children, they cut and sear their female children's right breast so that they could use bow well. So these women were called "Amazon", which means "having single breast". (Mezos meant breast and Amazos meant breastless.)
Ahmet Hikmet Daglioglu says in an article of him that Amazons must be Hittites. Greeks coming to Black Sea shores for trading purpose supposed that Hittites were a community of women only once they saw them beardless and moustacheless. They took information to their homelands, disseminated it and transferred this charming information with exaggerations afterwards.
Amazons and Terme in Herodotus
As also stated by Herodotus, Scythians called Amazons "Oiorpata". This word meant "male killer" in Greek.
Herodotus tells that Greeks took along with them Amazons whom they captured alive after Thermedon War and went to sea on three ships.
Greek shipmen used to go for searching sheep with gold fleece or gold fleece in the east. They saw Kizilirmak (Red River) Delta and Yesilirmak Delta (Green River). Shore was straight, foggy, and wetland. People on the shore were armed and ready to combat. They thought that they had been women since all is beardless and moustacheless. They considered that place as their capital city because they saw them in group in the vicinity of the Brook Thermedon. They couldn't venture to combat agains; them and searched for gold fleece by proceeding toward the east. When Greeks returned to their homelands after they could not find sheep with gold fleece, they mentioned an Amazon state which consists of women and whose capital city is in the vicinity of Terme in order to astonish everybody. World of dreams about growth, customs, and bodies of that community was enlarged.
M. Isa Karaca expresses in an article of him that some young shipmen passed by the Black Sea under the command of a hero whose name is Yeson and set off in order to find gold fur hidden in a cave and experienced various adventures. (B.C. 7-8. centuries).
The fact behind this "gold fur" issue is: Athamos, king of Boiotia, and Cloud-Goddess Nephele had two children: Helle and Phrixos. However, Athamus separated from Nephele afterwards and when got married to Ino, daughter of Kadmos; stepmother did not want children. Alleging the famine, she pressurised her husband to victimise Phrixos. Cloud-Goddess Nephele, mother of the children, made them ride on a ram with gold fur and smuggled them to Kolkhis country of Black Sea (the region between the Eastern Black Sea and Caucasia).
Here the story of gold fur in Greek mythology is. Greek shipmen moving from this point cruised along the Marmara and Black Sea shores under the command of Hercules who is a mythology hero. Hercules wanted to go to Amazonia and get queen Hippolite's holy gold belt. According to epics, in fact, this gold belt was owned by Ares, God of War, and used by the Queen.
When Greeks arrived Amazonia and moored in Terme (Temiskyra), Amazons used to live as three crowded clans. Other two clans were ruled by Queen Oreityia and Queen Antiope.
Amazons welcomed their Greek guests well. Hercules wan­ted gold belt from Queen Hippolite and stated that he would give priceless gifts against it. Queen said that she needed to think about that.
Later, Goddess Hera, who was angry at Amazons since they neglected their feminity, donned the guise of an Amazon and noised about that the Queen would be abducted by a Greek. Amazons who believed this assaulted to Greeks. Greeks went to sea on their ships. İn this fight, men under Hercules' command abducted Melanippe, sister of the Queen. The Queen accepted giving the gold belt to Hercules in return for release of her sister.
Greeks leaving Terme came to Arestias Island in the vicinity of Giresun. They encountered with third Amazon clan leaded by Queen Antiope there and went to sea by taking Amazons whom they captured in fight on their ships.
İn Herodotus, it is said that Greeks went to sea together with Amazons whom they captivated, after winning The War Therme. These Amazons killed men by beating them off-shore and seized ships. However, since they did not know how to manage ships, they let themselves go to wind and waves. Thus, they arrived Palus-Maiotis (Sea of Azov). They started to overrun Scythian country by captured feeding horses on shores.
Scythians were shocked when they saw them. They neither knew their language nor were familiar with their modes of dressing. They supposed that they had been young, strong men. When they saw their dead people in combats, they realized that they were females and decided not to fight with them. They decided that young ones among them would settle near Amazons and meet and contact them. Scythians wanted to have baby from these women. Also young men adapted themselves to the same lifestyle and started to hunt and plunder.
Finally, Scythian young men became friendly with Amazons and started to live together by combining their camps. When they got on well with each other, young men offered them as their wives to live together with original Scythians. Amazon women replied: "We cannot live together with your women, our customs are different. We shoot arrows, throw spears, ride on horses; but, do not know housework. Your women do not do anything we say, they do feminine works, lock themselves and sit in their cars and neither go for hunting nor somewhere else. So, we cannot get on well with them. But if you want to have us as your wives and behave us well, go and find your fathers and fetch your shares, let's live here in line with our own rules."
Young men did so. However, they settled in a country in the east, which is three days far away on foot, after fording Tanais (the River Don on present day) River all together once they refrained from remaining in that country that Amazon women plundered and damaged.
Information about Therme in Herodotus history is mentioned in Amazons' section. The Brook Therme is mentioned with the name "Thermedon". It was also called Temiskyra. Besides, it is understood that these artwork is present in Greece and there is a Thermedon River in Boiotia. Today's Salonika Bay and Salonika city are meant by Therma.
Big festivals organised on the Brook Therme were among important Amazonian customs as well. The Lenaca Festival (fighting women) celebrated in January was used to be organised as an expression of gratitude towards Moon Goddess Semele. The Festival was started with coming to people's aid. Amazon women throws nine maidens, who killed the first man, into the Brook Therme and then, run to save their lives with wooden boats or throwing lassos at them on shores, and played various games on water. They gave male infants to their neighbours at the end of the festival.
Herodotus transferred one more customs that must correspond to later times: According to Herodotus, people living on the shores of the Brook Thermedon (Terme) and Parthenios (Bartin Watercourse) used to be circumcised.
Consequently, Amazons lived as a legendary clan in ancient eras and then were a course of inspiration for authors and craftsmen. Legends were transferred by being exaggerated day by day. Imaginary scenes were portrayed from their lives and sculptures and decorations were made. The most well-known picture showing Amazon wars is wall pictures drawn and painted by Mikon in 5th century in Athens. Amazon legends are also evaluated as an exaggerated example for matriarchal family type of ancient eras sociologically. Famous sociologist C.C. Zimmerman called Amazons, whom were subject to legends and regarding physical presence of whom, no document is present, "Herodotus' superstitions"
After discovery of America, Amazon legends jumped to this continent as well, and these women were believed to have lived around the River Amazon, so this river has borne the name Amazon until our day. İn Macchupicchu city up in the River Amazon, graveyards found in 1912 showed a very high female ratio. This has not been clarified yet. However, this situation refreshed rumours stating that a clan of women lived there.

It has typical black sea climate and its vegetation cover is forest.
Typical Black Sea climate, which is rainy in all seasons, rules in Terme. Summers are a bit cool and winters are mild. Since it receives much rain, its nature is very beautiful. However, forests have started to be turned into agricultural areas as a result of rapid population growth over the last 30 years. In this rapid change, only poplar trees and nut gardens are still resisting. Poplar wood grove behind the lake is one of the best poplar wood groves in the world. Forests nave been replaced by nut gardens on rough land in the South.



Milic Pine Grove
We recommend you to go to Milic Pine Grove if you want to have a swim and have a picnic in the shade by being freshened up by a breeze blowing from the sea.
Milic Pine Grove, a natural beach where deep blue sea and pines meet, extending from Yali Quarter of Terme to Akcay hosts weekend vacationers coming from Terme and surrounding districts in summers.

Pine Grove Campground
A pretty large campground surrounded by beach in front and pine grove behind and arranged for mobile homes. Also children have been considered — there are swings and slides at intervals on the beach. it is preferred by those who want to have a swim for one day
The Lakes Akgol, Simenit, and Silindir
The Lakes Akgol, Simenit, and Silindir, which were declared by the Directorate of National Parks as "Wildlife Protection Areas' and are linked to each other through natural channels, are situated between the Black Sea and Terme. The lakes not being very deep is an important shelter for hundreds of bird species.
District Centre

It is immediately understood from 4-5-storey buildings that we enter into the district centre. There are shops and markets on ground floors of buildings. There is a clock tower in the district square opening to 5 road junctions at the end of the road.
Municipal building takes place in a square as in everywhere. Main road is taken after bypassing the Brook Terme and continued on it in order to go to the Amazon Statue and picnic sites. We confront 'deep spot' forests from place to place. When turning left from the nameplate "Evci Beldesi'ne hos geldiniz / Welcome to the Town Evci", you will confront the Amazon Statue.

Pazar Mosque

The year of construction of Pazar Mosque, which was built with Ottoman architectural style, is 1840s. There is an epigraph in the South part of the tomb next to this single-storey, wooden mosque. The minaret of the mosque fell down in 1939 and rebuilt in 1961.
Asagi Sogutlu Mosque
It has a proportional minaret; however, villagers constructed a twofold-long second minaret next to the building be-cause they were dissatisfied with the first one. we talked to the imam of the mosque. He said that the new minaret has better qualities. You are waited by a great surprise in the back garden of this mosque; a single-storey, old, wooden mosque with extremely aesthetical lines. This building is preserved very consciously. Every part thereof is untouched. An annual maintenance is performed with wood preservative in order to hinder deterioration. All wood carvings and sidings are original and were made in the 19th century.
Sogutlu Villages
Settlement areas on two sides of highway are named Asagi Sogutlu Village ana Yukari Sogutlu Village. When taking the way to Asagi Sogutlu Village on the way to Ayvacik by land, there are municipal building, a coffee house, and a few shops on the very right. When you proceed through gardens surrounded with fences, you will reach Asagi Sogutlu Mosque.
Yukari Sogutlu Mosque
Yukari Sogutlu Mosque is known as Karacali Mosque as well. it was built with masonry technique of single-storey wooden building and ascends on a platform of thick logs. There are narthex on the North side and porticos in the east and west. Decorations in the mosque are rough, simple carved geometrical decorations from part to part. These decorations were painted with ochre.    Some decorations were hand-carved. The year 1700, which is the oldest one among the years carved on the walls of the mosque, is accepted as the  year of construction.
Cuneyd-i Bagdadi Tomb

There are two different opinions regarding the person who was buried in the Cuneyd-i Bagdadi Tomb in Dibekli Village. Whereas some locals believe that the tomb is the eternal resting place of Cuneyd-i Bagdadi who lived in Baghdat, some believes that Mr. Cuneyt, one of the commanders of Kubatogullari, was buried. The tomb is packed with both visitors and those who come to have a picnic at weekends.










Terme Rice
The Black Sea Region is ranked #2 following the Marmara Region in paddies and shelled rice production. The plants unshelling rice want unshelling efficiency and clean crop whereas farmers growing shelled rice want high yield. On the other hand, consumers want mouth-pleasing, clean, and unmixed rice. Factors affecting quality of rice are selection of rice type, field preparation, sowing-time, sowing-frequency, fertilization method, dose, use and time of pesticides, water interception, harvest time, drying and storage methods and terms of harvested crop, and use of suitable methods and Technologies at unshelling and marketing stages. in addition to them, climate conditions in maturation period, particularly temperature changes during kernelling have an important impact on rice quality, particularly on unbroken rice efficiency. Shelled rice import in Turkey is on the increase. in the recent years, our import has exceeded domestic production. Yield and quality should be increased in order to increase competitive power of shelled rice that is an important plant in Turkey and the Black Sea against imported rice.
Growth conditions

 Humid, vegetal soil that exists where winters are mild is good for it. it requires 1000-2000 m3 precipitation per year.
Growth areas in Turkey
Nut that is commercially precious is monoculture type in Samsun, Ordu, Giresun, and Terme District of Samsun in Turkey. 80% of produced nuts is supplied from the Black Sea Region. İt is grown in the Marmara Region other than the Black Sea Region. Turkey is ranked #1 in nut production in the world. Turkey meets 62-65% of nut production in the world.




Benefits of  nut                                                            
It is a very good energy source — gives power and energy for body, eliminates physical and mental fatigue, lowers cholesterol level,  helps adjusting  cardiac rhythm,  and is very useful for heart and vein health. Eating nut every day is very effective to reduce heart attack risk. it is good for anaemia and supports body and bone development. Also, nut is very good for pregnant for both themselves and their babies to be born. it increases sexual potency and is good for varicose veins, common cold, and lung diseases.   Moreover, it is known to be capable of  prettifying the skin. Its most important quality is that it is very good for anaemia.

Terme Cuisine
The most popular food is 'Keskek' (a dish or mutton or chicken and coursely ground meat) in Terme as in all parts of Samsun. Home-made desserts are extremely delicious. Frequently-cooked meals are Tirit (boiled minced meat sauce poured on diced stale bread), corn kernels soup, Lepsi, pilaf with anchovies, etc. in addition, you should not leave there without tasting Terme Pitta Bread.
How to Bake Terme Pitta Bread
it is made from watery batter by being kneaded. Terme Pitta Bread baked on fire of oak wood is soft and has rich, abundant ingredients unlike other pitta breads baked in Turkey.