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Documented sources trace its history back to 350 B.C. and Turks are known to have been there since 200 B.C. The first peoples to dominate over this area in Roman times were the Scythians, the Miletians, the Persians and the Cappadocians. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Byzantines came to power and later the period of the Kingdom of Pontus had been lived in this area, but this area then became are of the states of set Seljuk Empire and Mogols.

Thus Turkish rule was established in Giresun and the surrounding area. and the predominance of Turks increased. The Çepni branch of the Oguz Turks began to settle in and around Giresun at this time.

After the collapse of the Seljuk empire the period of Seljuk Beys began in Anatolia. At this time the number of Genoese settlers increased side by side with those of Turkish origin.

In 1397, Emir Suleyman Bey the leader of the Çepni Turcoman tribe gained control over Giresun and the surrounding area. Later Giresun came into the hands of the ruler of Sivas, Kadi Burhannedin, who remained in power until 1461 when it was conquered by Tamburlaine.

Finally, with the conquest of Trabzon by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, it passed into the hands of the Ottomans. During the period of Ottoman rule, Giresun and its environs lay open to plunder and pillage by the Celali and Kazak tribe.
In the Tanzimat (Reform) era (1847), Giresun became a sub-province of Trabzon but later was attached to the province of Ordu. Administratively, Giresun, which lies within the triangle of Trabzon, Ordu and Sebinkarahisar, was variously under one or other of these places, until 1923 when it became a province in its own right. consisting of 3 sub-districts, 140 villages and 14 hamlets.

Before the First World war, as well as Turks the population of Giresun consisted of Pontic Greeks and Armenians. However with the onset of hostilities, they gradually began to leave the area. During the war, the Russians tried to take over Giresun but the National Turkish militia under the leadership of Topal Osman Agha repulsed them in the region of Harsit.

The people of Giresun sent two regiments of local militia to fight on all fronts during the War of Independence which was carried on under the leadership of M. Kemal Atatürk. Through the great efforts of Topal Osman Agha the area was preserved from danger and he was also influential in obtaining a speedy victory

Today the province of Giresun consists of 15 sub-provinces, 17 townships and 535 villages. From the point of view of climate and vegetation, the northern and southern parts of the province are somewhat dissimilar. The mountains here run parallel to the sea.

As the climate is cool and rainy, Giresun is green during all four seasons of the year. 34% of the Giresun province is covered bye forests ; the rest consists of 25% agricultural land (mainly hazel- nut groves), 18% of meadows and

The southern area is mainly covered with steppe-type vegetation. Giresun is of considerable interest to tourists both from a historical and wild-life point of view; its virgin forests, mountain plateaux and flowing streams are great attractions. The mountain plateaux are particularly rich in sources of mineral and fresh water and the mineral waters of Çaldag, Inisdibi and Tamdere are famous.