GIRESUN

also spelled Keresun, city and seaport, northeastern Turkey. It lies along the Black Sea about 110 miles (175 km) west of Trabzon. The older parts of the city lie on a peninsula crowned by a ruined Byzantine fortress, sheltering the small natural harbour. Nearby is Giresun Island, in ancient times called Ares. Giresun was known to the ancient Greeks as Choerades or Pharnacia and to the Romans as Kerasous or Cerasus. The name for the cherry is believed to have been derived from Cerasus (Latin cerasum, French cerise). Cherries have been replaced by hazelnuts as Giresun's chief product. Other exports include walnuts, hides, and timber. An artificial harbour constructed in the early 1960s greatly increased the port's exports. Pop. (1985) 55,887.