Trabzon / Gümüşhane · Turkey
Zigana Pass
D885Maçka to Gümüşhane
The ancient Silk Road crossing of the Pontic Mountains, the D885 winds from Trabzon’s forested foothills to the 2,032 m Zigana Pass.
The D885 connects Trabzon on the Black Sea coast to the Anatolian interior via the Zigana Pass at 2,032 m, tracing one of the oldest trans-Pontic routes in the world. From Maçka it climbs steeply through dense mixed forest before emerging onto alpine meadows. Snow covers the upper road for around five months; a 2023 tunnel now handles commercial traffic, keeping the historic road quiet.
Scenery
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Zigana Pass on the map48.3 mi · point to point
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Character
Corners
busiest around mile 30Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%357.8 – 2,459.9 mPoints of interest3 stops
- Parmaklık TepesiViewpoint45 mi in
- Maçka Bayrak TepesiLandmark0.2 mi in
- Krom churchLandmark27 mi in
Hazards
- Snow closure roughly five months a year
- Blizzard and avalanche risk in shoulder seasons
- Rockfall on upper sections
- Sudden mist near the pass
Is Zigana Pass open? Typical season and live summit weather ›
Sources
“Si Zigana Ke Zison — Try to survive in Zigana — was used by trading Greeks to describe the difficulty of navigating this mountainous region.”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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Nearby roads
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