Hostelries

Since Uğurtaşı was located on old and historical roads, there were many inns in and around it.

Menzilhane:

Although the date of its establishment is unknown, the Menzilhane Inn, whose existence we have been aware of since the 1700s, was located on the entrance side of the village from the direction of Gümüşhane, across Manomatlı. This inn was run by the state. Postmen would replace their tired horses with horses that were resting in this inn. When the postman approached the village, he would ring the trumpet in his hand and inform the whole village of his arrival. Hearing this voice, the villagers helped the postman to do his job as soon as possible by keeping the road clear. There were shops such as a blacksmith and a grocery store next to the inn to meet the needs of passers-by. The ruins of small buildings where travelers could stay still remain. There was also a chapel for Christians to worship. Although the inn here was destroyed, the remains of the chapel still exist. We know that the Menzilhane was operated at least until 1915. Kasımoğlu and Postacı (Tahirler) families, who performed postal services (especially between Trabzon and Erzurum) in the first years of the Republic, also performed postal services in the Ottoman period.

Kolat Inns:

Although we do not have any documents, we can assume that the inns in the Kolat region have existed since the Turks came here. This is due to the Ottoman administration. These inns have been run and built by the person who was appointed as the owner of the Timar, without knowing their name(s). In the lands where he was authorized, he ruled for a long time. Although the location of the Tufan (1785-1842) agha's foundation inn, which was operated from the end of the 1700s and the beginning of the 1800s, is not known exactly, it is estimated that it may be in the Kolat Strait. It is written in some Greek sources that this inn has 15 rooms. The epeks (remains of collapsed buildings) found there are proof of this. As previously described, at the beginning of the 1800s, there was also a small castle-like structure surrounded by walls used by the Derbentçis of our village (See Uğurtaşı with Documents). There were armed forces in this castle-like structure. During small excavations on the surface, iron slag and bullets were found, showing that a castle once stood here. I guess that this building and the foundation inn were operated together. The closure of the mines in our region because of economic reasons led to the abolition of Derbentlik in our village, and the castle-like structure lost all of its functions. The inns located here were operated for a certain period of time by the late Cemal Karakullukcu, one of the residents of our village. This was for commercial purposes in the early 1900s. In the present day, there is a building used as a coffee shop-hotel where passengers can stay and take care of their minor needs.

Coffee shop:

The coffeehouse in Kuri, which was operated before the Republic, belonged to Keleşoğlu Mehmet Ağa. During the exchange, Keleşoğlu Mehmet Ağa converted to Russia and emigrated to Russia. Later, Osman Karakullukcu (son of Cemal) ran this coffee house for a while. Their daily conversations took place as they drank their tea and coffee and sat by the water flowing out of it. Today, Hayat Karakullukcu's house is located in the place of this coffee house.

Guesthouse:

Today, on a part of the land of Cahit Karakullukcu's house, his great-grandfather Süleyman Karakullukcu's (son of Hüseyin) guesthouse was located. Although it is known that this guesthouse belongs to Süleyman Karakullukcu, it was probably also used by his fathers and grandfathers.

Mine inns:

Maden inns on the İmera-Trabzon road, on the other hand, preserved their existence from the 1600s, when the mines began to be operated, to the first years of the Republic.

Apart from postmen, these inns and roads were also used by caravans passing through the region, other passengers and soldiers, irregulars (volunteers, civilian soldiers) and even thieves. Since the region consisted of high-altitude settlements, transportation was not possible in the old days, especially in winter. The presence of these inns saved many lives in the spring and autumn months, when transportation was made, albeit forcibly. The inns served as the only place to stay when snow and snowstorms were plentiful.