HISTORY

Kavak as a settlement has a long past.

Excavations made in 1942 at Kaledoruğu mound yielded objects date to 3500 to 2000 BC. Relics from early hellenistic, roman, byzantine, selchuk and ottoman periods show that the settlement was uninterrupted here, with the earliest known inhabitants were the gaskhas, a semi-nomadic and belligerent tribe that had accepted the hittite sovereignty.

Hittites were followed by phrygians, miletans, pontians, romans, selchuks and ottomans.

The subprefecture status was acquired in 1934.

GEOGRAPHY

Kavak is bordered by Samsun, Bafra, Asarcık, Ladik and Havza clockwise from the north. It has an altitude of 600 metres. The highest rise in the region is the Hacılar mountain from which springs the Murat river.

CLIMATE

The rather high altitude creates a transition zone from marine to continental climate where summers are tepid and winters are cold. Northern winds prevail in winter and south-eastern ones are frequent during summer in Kavak where most of the annual rain falls in spring months.

SOCIO -ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

Kavak's agriculture is mainly based on agriculture and animal raising. The main products are wheat, maize, barley, sugar beets, tobacco and potatoes while the forest villages make a living out of forest products.

Poultry is raised at 180 facilities producing 5.000.000 chicks, 75.000 tonnes carcass meat and 20.000 tonnes of feed. Köy -Tur, the leading chicken producer of the country, is quite active in Kavak region.

TRANSPORTATION

Kavak is a subprefecture on Samsun -Ankara interstate highway at a distance of 51 kilometres to Samsun. Access is easy from Samsun to Kavak.

SIGHTSEEING

The Kaledoruğu mound was found to be a settlement during the bronze age and used as a garrison by hittites to protect the road from Amasya to Samsun. Early hellenistic, roman, byzantine, selchuk and ottoman remnants were also discovered here.

There are several other mounds which are yet to be fully excavated. Mosques, shrines, bridges and other relics are worth seeing.

In august every year, there are the traditional Yaşar Doğu wrestling events.

OVERNIGHTING AND MEALS

There are hotels at Kavak town and many facilities along the interstate highway from Samsun to Ankara via Kavak have outstanding meal and reposing opportunities. Goose stew is the favourite meal of the region. It is taken together with the parched wheat pilaff with pittas made with goose meat.