The charm of Amasya is immediately evident from photos of riverside Ottoman-era buildings and other historical structures. Even the most seductive of such images, however, cannot prepare visitors for the sheer natural beauty of this Turkish city nestled in the valley of steep, rocky mountains towering above it. 

Home to 100,000 people and nearly equidistant from the Black Sea coast and the central Anatolian heartland, Amasya is currently reaping the twin benefits of its beautiful geographic location and wealth of historical sites. In 2018, the number of tourists visiting the city reached 650,000 and by the end of this year is expected to increase to 800,000. 

Ismet Abay, who runs the Baslangic Tur tourism agency and owns hotels and restaurants in the city, spoke to Al-Monitor about the city's popularity.

“As a tourist agent who has been providing services in Amasya since 1999, I must emphasize that compared to 20 years, ago, significant innovations have been made in the tourism sector,” Abay remarked. “During this process, the city's important historical architectural structures were restored, and museums were opened that present Amasya's cultural value to visitors in the best way possible.”