Trabzon, a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast, Russia and the Caucasus to the northeast. During the Ottoman period, Trabzon, because of the importance of its port, became a focal trading point to Iran, India and the Caucasus.