Aybastı Perşembe Plateau & Argın

Priority Stop Popularity 80/100 Visit ~3 saat Best Season Late spring to early autumn (June-September); the greenest period runs from late spring until the first snow. Category Nature / Plateau

Nature Photography

Perşembe Plateau, 17 kilometres from the Aybastı district of Ordu and sitting at roughly 1,360-1,500 metres, is one of the most celebrated highlands of the Eastern Black Sea.

Nature & Scenery

What makes it unique is the lazily winding, meandering streams that snake across its broad meadows; together with a small lake, these natural meanders turn the plateau into an eco-tourism showpiece.

History & Cultural Significance

Written sources show the area has been settled since the Turks first arrived in Anatolia, and the 17th-century traveller Evliya Çelebi mentions both the plateau and its centuries-old Perşembe Fair in his Seyahatname. That fair, running since 1106, and its oil-wrestling matches dating to 1108, are considered even older than Kırkpınar; in 2023 the tournament became one of the seven founding legs of Turkey's new Oil Wrestling League, and close to a thousand wrestlers still take the field each year. Declared a Tourism Centre by cabinet decree in 1991, the plateau blends this historic weight with raw natural beauty. It offers hiking trails, free tent-camping grounds, a mosque, guesthouses, hotels, restaurants and cafes, appealing to day-trippers and multi-night visitors alike.

Visiting, Access & Tips

Agencies favour this stop because a single site combines meander-landscape photography, living highland culture, and nearby alternatives. The average visit lasts about three hours with walking and photo breaks, expanding to a full day during the festival. On guided Black Sea plateau tours, Perşembe usually forms a half-day module out of Aybastı, paired with the still-undiscovered Argın Plateau (3 km from Akkuş) and Çişeli Waterfall. The best photo spots are the ridge line with panoramic views of the winding streams, Çişeli Waterfall, and the meadow edges. Access is by private car or, in summer, village minibuses from Aybastı centre; there is no direct intercity bus, so tours run shuttle vehicles from Ordu city centre. There is a car park on the plateau and the paved road lets tour coaches reach it through the season, though wheelchair access is limited by the natural footpaths and sloping meadow ground. The ideal window runs from late spring until the first snow; peak season is the last week of July, when the fair takes place. The recommended route follows the Ordu-Aybastı-Perşembe axis and takes in Argın and Çişeli Waterfall.

Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons — click a photo for author and licence.

Visit & Logistics

Getting thereAbout 110 km / 2-2.5 hours from Ordu city centre. 17 km from Aybastı centre. Reached by private car or, in summer, by village minibuses from Aybastı; there is no direct intercity bus, so tours are organised with shuttle vehicles from Ordu centre.
ParkingA car park is available on the plateau; capacity can fill during the festival, so early arrival is advised.
Coach accessThe paved road allows tour coaches to reach the plateau throughout the season; winter and snow conditions can restrict access.
AccessibilityLimited. While the car park and facility area are accessible by vehicle, the natural footpaths, sloping meadow ground and meander banks are not suited to wheelchairs.
Photo spotsThe ridge line with panoramic views of the meandering streams, Çişeli Waterfall, the broad meadow edges and the area around the small lake. During the festival, the oil-wrestling ground and the horse-race area offer lively photo scenes.
Suggested routeA half-day plateau module on the Ordu-Aybastı-Perşembe Plateau axis, combined with Argın Plateau and Çişeli Waterfall.

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