Trabzon Hagia Sophia

Built in the thirteenth century for the rulers of Trebizond, this is a compact cross-plan church in grey stone with a tall drum and a detached bell tower, standing in a garden on a bluff with the Black Sea below. The south porch carries a carved stone frieze of scenes from Genesis, including Adam, Eve and the serpent - sculpture on this scale is rare in Byzantine building and it survives in good condition. Inside, thirteenth-century frescoes remain in the dome, apse and porches, painted with more movement and detail than most churches of the period kept. The building now functions as a mosque, with carpet on the floor and some painted surfaces screened.

The main sights

• The Genesis frieze - carved relief panels along the south porch.
• The dome frescoes - thirteenth-century painting in the drum and apse.
• The bell tower - the detached tower in the garden, with its own paintings.
• The sea terrace - the garden bluff above the Black Sea shore.

When to go

May to September for the drier weather; this coast is genuinely wet and grey for much of the year. Avoid Friday midday and the five daily prayer times, when visiting stops. Mid-morning gives the best light on the porch carving. Half an hour to an hour covers it comfortably.

Things to know

Because the building is in religious use, parts of the fresco scheme are curtained or screened and photography is restricted, so you may see less than the guidebooks show. Shoes off, modest dress and a headscarf for women are required. The setting is suburban now, with a busy road and apartment blocks close by.

Nearby

Trabzon's Ataturk Kosku mansion and the Sumela monastery valley inland.

Key facts