This book, written by an American woman involved with Turkey for the past 50 years, constitutes an honest and affectionate portrait of the town in which she has chosen to settle: Tokat in the southern Black Sea Region.The chapters bring to life the long history and distinctive culture this little-known place off the beaten track of the Turkish travel experience. It is not a travel guide, but rather an in-depth portrait of a city; a historical biography of a place interspersed with personal anecdotes about making a home and being welcomed into a community. Branning paints portraits of the city's fascinating characters, from sultans to shopkeepers and dervishes to villains. Although filled with history, Tokat Ancient, Tokat Green isn't just a history lesson or an ethnographical document: it is an invitation to savor the local cuisine, and lose yourself in the city's distinctive historical and cultural identity. Along the way you will discover the grandeur of its castle, visit historic hans, baths, mosques and houses, learn about local customs and curiosities, and stroll through its neighborhoods filled with buildings of almost a thousand years of history. Whether you are an adventurer, planning your next trip or an armchair traveler, Tokat awaits your discovery.