Cape Jason: The Argonauts’ Headland in Ordu

On this page

1. What is Cape Jason?
2. How do you get to Cape Jason?
3. When is the best time to visit Cape Jason?
4. What is the history of Cape Jason?
5. What is Cape Jason famous for?
6. What can you see at Cape Jason?
7. Common misconceptions about Cape Jason
8. Frequently asked questions about Cape Jason
9. What do the official records say about Cape Jason?

What is Cape Jason?

Cape Jason (Yason Burnu) is a low, green headland reaching into the Black Sea in Perşembe district, west of Ordu. On it stand a small stone church with the ruins of its garden wall and a lighthouse, and along the shore are the remains of walls, an ancient harbour and fish-breeding pools cut into the rock.

The cape takes its name from Jason, leader of the Argonauts. Ancient sources describe a temple of Jason on this shore, where sailors prayed for safe passage along a dangerous coast; later a church took over that role. Today it is one of the most photographed spots on the Ordu coast, especially at sunset.

How do you get to Cape Jason?

The cape is on the coast road west of Ordu, beyond the town of Perşembe, at the village of Çaytepe. By car it is an easy drive along the coastal highway; turn off at the signs for Yason and park near the church. Minibuses between Ordu and Perşembe or Fatsa can drop you on the main road, from where it is a short walk.

Ordu-Giresun Airport is east of Ordu city. Cape Jason combines well with Ünye Castle and the beaches further west on the same day.

Tours in Anatolia

−5% Istambul readers save 5% on every tour below — applied at checkout.

See all tours

Partner listings via GetYourGuide · free cancellation on most

When is the best time to visit Cape Jason?

From late spring to autumn. In summer the sea around the cape is calm and the light is good for photographs in the evening. Winter storms make the headland dramatic but exposed. The site is open ground, so you can visit at any time of day.

What is the history of Cape Jason?

Ancient writers placed a temple of Jason on this shore, one of the landmarks of the Argonaut story along the southern Black Sea. The cape lay on the sea route between the Greek colonies of the coast, and its harbour and fish-breeding pools show that it was a working place as well as a sacred one.

In the Argonautica tradition, Jason’s ship sailed east along this coast towards Colchis, the land of the Golden Fleece at the far end of the Black Sea, and several headlands and islands of the Turkish coast claim a place in the story; Giresun Island, further east, is another. Perşembe, the district town, was formerly known as Vona.

According to the 2002 inventory, the church on the peninsula was the largest place of worship of the town of Yason; it was destroyed by raids and plunder, and the Greek community built a new church on its ruins in 1866. Other sources give 1868 and say it was built by the Greeks and Georgians of the area. The church still stands with the remains of its garden wall, and the whole peninsula is protected as a 2nd-degree natural and archaeological site.

What is Cape Jason famous for?

• The Argonaut legend, and the tradition of a temple of Jason on the shore.
• The church on the tip of the peninsula, beside the lighthouse.
• Sunsets over the sea west of Ordu.

What can you see at Cape Jason?

The church. A small stone church from the 1860s, with the ruins of its garden wall. It is not in use for worship, and the interior is usually viewed from the doorway.

The lighthouse. Next to the church, still marking the cape for shipping.

The ancient harbour and fish pools. Along the shore, look for wall remains, traces of the old harbour and the rectangular fish-breeding pools cut into the coastal rock.

The coast. Paths lead around the headland, with views back along the coast towards Perşembe and Ordu. Swimming off the rocks is possible in calm weather, but there are no facilities on the cape.

Nearby. Perşembe has a small harbour and seafood restaurants; Efirli, 8 km from Ordu, has a sandy beach; and further west lie Fatsa, the Bolaman castle mansion and Ünye.

Common misconceptions about Cape Jason

Is the church on Cape Jason ancient?

What people often assume: Because of the Argonaut name, many visitors take the church to be an ancient or Byzantine temple of Jason.

What the record says: The present church dates from the 1860s, built on the ruins of an earlier church that had replaced the ancient sanctuary; only the harbour, fish pools and wall fragments along the shore are older (source).

Frequently asked questions about Cape Jason

What do the official records say about Cape Jason?

This protected area, within the boundaries of Çaytepe village in Perşembe district, has the form of a small peninsula reaching into the sea. On this peninsula, protected as a 2nd-degree natural and archaeological site, a church still stands together with the remains of its garden wall.

Research has shown that this church, one of the largest places of worship of the town of Yason, was destroyed as a result of raids and plunder, and that a new church was built on its ruins by the Greeks in 1866. In addition, some parts of the wall remains stretching along the seashore, the ancient harbour and the fish-breeding pools have survived to the present day. (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ordu Provincial Tourism Inventory, 2002)

Main photo: Macukali at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.