Mehmet Tuncay Akyüz
İlkadım, Samsun, Türkiye
Mehmet Tuncay Akyüz
Cultural Heritage Researcher & Independent Route Author
Born and raised in the Black Sea region of Türkiye, Mehmet Tuncay Akyüz spent his formative years wandering the coastal highlands and dense forests of the Pontic Mountains — landscapes that instilled in him a lifelong reverence for his country's extraordinary geographical diversity.
Over four decades of personal trekking, he has traced ancient caravan roads across Anatolia, descended into the volcanic valleys of Cappadocia, and documented overlooked village trails from the Aegean coast to the far eastern plateaus of Doğubeyazıt. His routes are never theoretical — each path has been walked, verified, and revisited in every season.
Academically, Mehmet holds a background in cultural heritage studies, with a focus on how historical trade routes shaped the social fabric of Anatolian communities. This scholarship informs every guide he writes: history, landscape, and lived experience woven into a single narrative.
In 2019, frustrated by the dominance of commercial travel platforms that reduce Turkey to a handful of tourist hotspots, he founded this resource as a fully non-commercial public service — a place where serious travellers can access honest, deeply researched route guides, free from sponsorship or affiliate incentives.
The Research Process
No route is published on instinct. Each guide passes through four deliberate stages of research — designed to ensure every detail is honest, grounded, and genuinely useful to the person who walks it.
Personal Field Walks
Every route begins with my own two feet on the ground. I walk each path myself — sometimes over several days — in different seasons to understand the terrain, the light, the fatigue, and the quiet moments that no map can capture. Nothing is published without having been personally experienced.
This means arriving before dawn at a trailhead in Cappadocia, navigating unmarked shepherd paths in the Taurus foothills, or tracing the remains of a Byzantine road through maquis scrubland on the Aegean coast. Every step is noted.
Interviews with Local Guides & Villagers
Local knowledge is irreplaceable. I sit with shepherds, village elders, retired forest rangers, and informal guides who have walked these lands for decades. Their memories, warnings, and stories become part of every route description.
A grandmother in a Black Sea village once corrected my understanding of an entire ridge trail. A beekeeping family near Ayder revealed seasonal path closures no official source had noted. This human layer is the soul of every guide I write.
Historical & Geographical Research
Each route is placed in context. I research the geological history of the landscape, the civilisations that once moved through it, the trade routes and pilgrimage roads it echoes. Ottoman archives, Byzantine chronicles, and academic geographical surveys all inform the written guide.
Understanding that a path once connected two medieval caravanserais changes how you walk it. I cross-reference topographic maps with historical sources, then verify on foot — correcting outdated records where necessary.
Written Documentation & Photography
Only after completing the previous three stages do I sit down to write. The final guide is drafted in plain, precise language — no marketing tone, no exaggeration. Distances and elevations are verified. Hazards are stated clearly. Photographs are taken for documentation, not aesthetics.
Every image in a guide was taken on the route itself, in real conditions. If a path is exposed and windy, the photograph shows that. Honest documentation is the only standard I hold myself to.
A route guide is a promise. It promises that someone walked ahead of you, paid attention, and told the truth about what they found.
— MEHMET TUNCAY AKYÜZThis guide accepts no advertising, sells no services, and charges no fees — every word is freely shared to encourage responsible, informed travel across Turkey.
No Advertising
There are no sponsored placements, banner ads, affiliate links, or paid recommendations anywhere on this site.
No Services Sold
No tours, no bookings, no merchandise. This is purely an editorial project — research, writing, and sharing.
Always Free
All routes, photography, and travel notes are published openly — no paywalls, no subscriptions, no fees of any kind.
This commitment was made at the very beginning and will not change. If you have questions about the editorial approach, wish to suggest a route, or simply want to say hello, write directly:
[email protected]MEHMET TUNCAY AKYÜZ is an independent, reader-supported editorial project with no commercial affiliations.
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