Why is the Black Sea called so?

In ancient times, colours were assigned to the cardinal directions – with black referring to the north. The Black Sea is an inland sea bound by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. It was also called “inhospitable” (dark area, black) before Greek colonization, because it was difficult to navigate, and because its shores were inhabited by savage tribes. The waters of the Black Sea appear darker than the Mediterranean because of its hydrogen sulphide layer that begins about 200 metres below the surface and supports a unique microbial population which produces black sediments.