Giresun Adası is a small island in the Black Sea approximately 1 nautical mile from the city of Giresun. It is the largest island on the Turkish Black Sea coast. To get to the island, you need to hire a boat and sailor. During my visit to the Kaçkar Mountain, on our return journey, we stopped in Giresun and visited the island.

As we chugged across the sea, we passed many cormorants positioned on a small rocky headland, waiting for the fisherman to come back and an easy dinner. Arriving at the island, there is a concrete jetty where boats can be moored and visitors could use for sunbathing, or diving from into the Black Sea.

The island has a nickname of “Crusoe Island” and it has one inhabitant, (acting as a sort of caretaker I expect), who came to greet us. Walking around the island takes no time at all, but there is plenty to see. On one side there is a derelict wall, which was part of its later history, when the island was used as a monastery. There were other relics dating back to the monastery, old wine barrels, a quaint old bench, and various other signages, in both Turkish and English.

Preserved as a Class II historical and natural site, it is not allowed to be used as a residential area. It has ancient names, Aretias, Areas, Areos Nesos and Puga, but is now known quite simply as “Giresun Adası” (Giresun Island).

The island has as many myths as a small island could; it is believed there was a temple on it, built by the Amazons, the warrior women in ancient times, therefore it was also known as Amazon Adası. There is a large black stone, The Hamza Stone, balancing precariously on three legs, something like a trivet, which is said to hold magical properties. It is said that it will give youthfulness to the old and fertility to the childless. Rituals are said to be carried out to this day.

There is also another mythological tale about Athamus, king of Thessaly in ancient Greece, who, with his wife Nephele, produced two sons. During a famine, the king was advised to kill his sons. His wife Nephele hears of the intentions and hides her sons wrapped in gold fur and sends them to Caucasia. In following years, Hercules arrives at the island to capture the gold fur. But the dragon birds (maybe the Stymphalian Birds?), kicked out of Greece by Hercules, began to fight with the solders. Jason and the Argonauts kill the birds and carry on their voyage to Caucasia in search of the gold fur.

Thankfully there are no dragon birds in residence on the island today, just flocks of seagulls, and hopeful cormorants.

Anyone know of anymore stories or myths?

Sorry, I can't contribute to this thread. It was a delight to read though. Many thanks for this contribution.

Thank you Libralady.
I can't make a contribution either, but it was an interesting post. I may have a story to tell in the future though as only last week I bought Homer's Odyssey. I studied this text at school many moons ago and don't really remember much about it but I bought it for a young student in Istanbul as she cannot afford to pay the prices charged in Turkey for texts in english. I am not so generous as you may think though as I have been scouring charity shops for texts on her list and begging from work colleagues. I may read some of this before I give it to her. Interestingly, she recently emailed me with a question about Robinson Crusoe

Libralady: nice sharing this story with us!

more insights:
http://www.giresun.bel.tr/iframe.php?file=calismalar/aksu_senligi.php


http://www.guleta.com/turkey/black_sea/giresun/index.php

thank you
i do not know either any other stories and myths connected to this island.
It is said that the Hamza stone is a symbol of the phrygian (today's central anotolia) goddess Kybele(Cybele), a theogonic divinity. This cult very probably originates in Pessinunt, where Kybele was worshiped in the shape of a black stone ('Cybele's image was brought out of heaven, into a field called Pessinunt, in Phrygia'), very probable a meteorite, which, in 204 BCE it was taken to Rome, where Cybele became 'Mother' to the Romans. The stone first was kept in the temple of the Victoria (the Aedes Victoriae) until the sanctuary has been built on the Palatine. It's tracks are lost around 3AD.

Nice post Libralady
After years of messing around here, it is nice to see you FINALLY posting something about Turkey

She is really angry........Someone should have taken out my partner to dinner last night...It was the New Year's Eve, for God's sake !

I am too old to reason with Jennifer Lopez any longer..She just would not let me go...

Sorry partner !

She can never be your competitor, not with her modest proportions.


PS: Are you feeling better already ?

That is not why she is silent !

No matter how many essay-long PMs I get from Libra, Azade or anyone else, or how many lectures from Alemeda or Peace Train, I will continue to post crap and argue until I CHOOSE not to

Incidently, none of our Turkish members have ever complained to me about my irreverent posts

I think you didn't get the point canim...

Thank you very much Libralady. it s really wonderful post. I m happy that you know giresun island coz even most of turkish ppl dont know there is an island in black sea. when I told my friends about giresun island they laughed at me before after I sent pictures they believed me.

dont worry about some poor ppl they will do their job as usual. go on.