Sinop | Sinopale

SİNOP,

TÜRKİYE'S NORTHERNMOST CREATIVE CITY

Sinop is a mid-sized, peninsula-shaped city located at the northernmost tip of Türkiye. It borders the provinces of Kastamonu, Samsun, and Çorum. Within the TR82 region, it is grouped together with the provinces of Kastamonu and Çankırı. Covering approximately 0.8% of Türkiye's total surface area, the province has a surface area of 5,791 km². Its elevation above sea level is 50 m, and its coastline is 175 km long. The climate is predominantly that of the Black Sea region. According to TÜİK's 2023 address-based population registration system data, the total population is 229,716.

The region has a university, a municipal conservatory, a fine arts high school, a science and art center, a public education center and evening art school, as well as an actively used public library. It is also home to Dr. Rıza Nur Provincial Public Library, Türkiye's first children's library.

The majority of the working population is employed in the service and industrial sectors. The remainder of economic activity consists of tourism, agriculture, and animal husbandry. Forms of tourism practiced in the region include yacht and cruise tourism, coastal tourism, historical heritage tourism, ecotourism, sports tourism (particularly paragliding), and nature and highland (yayla) tourism. In agriculture, wheat, corn, barley, vetch, and rice hold significant importance (1). Chestnuts and kiwis are among the most important fruits, and olive and olive oil production is becoming increasingly widespread.

The region is also home to fishing, small and large livestock farming, and beekeeping. While there are no large industrial facilities, production takes place across various branches, including food, textiles, and plastic and rubber goods manufacturing. In the ceramics/earthenware industry, brick and tile production hold an important place. The region contains one of the Black Sea's most important aquaculture production centers, and thanks to its rich forest resources, forestry has also developed — many villages have cooperatives related to forestry and forest products.

Sinop is rich in natural beauty. Among its notable sites are Akliman, with its 9-kilometer beach; Hamsilos Bay, a first-degree Natural Protected Area where sea and forest meet; Akgöl and İnaltı Cave in the district of Ayancık; and the Erfelek Waterfalls, made up of 28 waterfalls of varying sizes in the district of Erfelek. There are also areas available for camping in nature.

REFERENCES

KUZKA (2013). "Sinop İlçeleri" [Sinop Districts]. TR82 Level 2 Region (Kastamonu-Çankırı-Sinop) District Strategies. Salamat Basım Yayın. Ankara. p. 81.

"HISTORY"

Sinop has been home to humankind since antiquity. Excavations have uncovered stone tool remains dating back to the Upper Paleolithic Age (30,000–10,000 BCE). While settlement is estimated to have begun in the Chalcolithic Age (5,500–3200 BCE), it appears that human presence became dense mainly during the Bronze Age (3200–1200 BCE). Sinop has a natural harbor known as one of the most important ports of the Black Sea. As a stopping point for maritime trade, it has been an important commercial city throughout history. This quality made it an attractive city, and it hosted many civilizations throughout history — among them the Achaeans, Kaskians, Hittites, Phrygians, Cimmerians, Milesians, Lydians, Pontics, Persians, Romans, Seljuks, the Candaroğlu (Isfendiyarid) dynasty, and the Ottomans.

The city is believed to have been founded with the arrival of the Achaeans (2200–2000 BCE). Although the city's name at that time is unknown, it is believed that the name "Sinop" derives from Sinope, the daughter of a river god and a water nymph with whom Zeus fell in love. Coins minted for the city in the 400s BCE depict this goddess on one side (1). Excavations carried out over time have yielded important findings about Sinop's history, and excavation work continues in different parts of the city.

Diogenes (c. 400s–323 BCE), the founder of Cynic philosophy, is said to have been born in Sinop, which is why he is also known as "Diogenes of Sinope." He is said to have been exiled from Sinop to Athens on charges of counterfeiting currency. Although he spent only his early years here, his philosophy holds an important place in Sinop's cultural heritage. In 2006, a statue was erected at the entrance to the city depicting Diogenes atop a barrel, holding a lantern, with his dog beside him (2).

During the Ottoman period, Sinop continued to be an important port and shipbuilding center. Evliya Çelebi, who visited the city in the mid-17th century, wrote in his famous Seyahatname (Book of Travels) that the people of Sinop were merchants, carpenters, and sailors (3). Atatürk stopped at the port of Sinop on May 18, 1919, on his way to Samsun to launch the National Struggle. Upon learning that the land route to Samsun was not suitable, he gave the necessary orders and continued by sea. Following the alphabet reform after the declaration of the Republic, Atatürk gave his first lesson in the new alphabet in Sinop on September 15, 1928. The building where the lesson was given is now used as a teachers' house (öğretmenevi).

An American radar base was established in Sinop in the 1950s. Life alongside the Americans left social and cultural traces — for example, home-based guesthouse lodging (pansiyonculuk) began in the city during this period and gradually became widespread. Cultural interaction took place between Turks and Americans who came together in both working life and daily life. This interaction is one of the reasons Sinop has a social and communal structure distinct from surrounding provinces. The relatively more developed state of sailing in the region compared to neighboring provinces has also been attributed to the NATO base community. It has been noted that boat-derived sailboats, rarely seen elsewhere in Türkiye, were built here, and that one of the products Sinop exported to the United States was a boat (4). The radar base was closed in 1992.

The shipyard section of Sinop Castle began to be used as a prison in 1887. Due to the city's geographic location and the fact that the prison consisted of a castle surrounded by high walls, escape from it was considered impossible, earning it the nickname "the Alcatraz of Anatolia." With the Second Constitutional Era, political prisoners also began to be held there, and Sinop gained a new title: "the City of Exile." Many well-known figures from politics and literature were imprisoned here and wrote works during their imprisonment (5).

Prisoners were transferred to a newly built prison in 1997. The Historic Prison was handed over to the Turkish Ministry of Culture in 1999 and opened to visitors as a museum in 2000. Films and TV series later shot here further increased the prison's popularity, making it one of the main attractions for tourists visiting Sinop. Some of the films and series shot here include: Pardon, Firar, Köpek, and Parmaklıklar Ardında (5).

In 2010, the Balatlar Building Complex Archaeological Excavation began in Sinop's city center. This excavation, which has uncovered a significant building complex used during the Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman periods, is being carried out in collaboration with the Sinop Municipality, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (6). Excavations at this site, where thousands of years of history lie buried, continue to yield new findings that advance knowledge in archaeology, ethnography, culture, and many other fields.

REFERENCES

T.C. Sinop Governorship website, Accessed: 22.09.2020.
Yardımcı, A. B. (2018). "Sinoplu Filozof Diogenes (Diyojen) ve Etik Anlayışı" [The Sinop-Born Philosopher Diogenes and His Understanding of Ethics]. Sosyal Bilimciler Gözüyle Sinop. Berikan Yayınevi. Ankara. pp. 385–397.
Kuzka Report, URL: https://www.kuzka.gov.tr/Icerik/Dosya/www.kuzka.gov.tr_18_XN5K77RN_02-sinop.pdf, Accessed: 24.09.2020.
Poyrazoğlu, T. (Ed.) (2011). "Geleceği Biriktirmek: Kentsel Kalkınmada Sanat ve Kültür" [Accumulating the Future: Art and Culture in Urban Development]. Vagabond. Istanbul. p. 58.
Yılmaz, C. (2009). Tarihi Sinop Kalesi Cezaevi [The Historic Sinop Castle Prison]. Doğu Coğrafya Dergisi. 14(22). pp. 1–15. URL: http://dergipark.gov.tr/download/article-file/26910, Accessed: 24.09.2020.
Aksel Enşici, B. (Ed.). (2016). Sinopale Forum: Kentsel Kalkınmada Kültür ve Yaratıcılık [Sinopale Forum: Culture and Creativity in Urban Development]. URL: https://docplayer.biz.tr/19010232-Sinopale-forum-kentsel-kalkinmada-kultur-ve-yaraticilik-rapor.html. Accessed: 26.12.2019.

"CULTURE-ART"

According to TÜİK's 2023 data, Sinop has 4 museums, holding a total of 11,162 artifacts. Of these museums, 3 are affiliated with the Ministry and 1 is private. Museum activity in the region began quite early. It started in 1921 with the collection of historical artifacts at the Mekteb-i İdadi (secondary school), and continued in 1932 when the artifacts were moved to the Pervane Medrese. The artifacts began to be exhibited in 1970 at the Archaeology Museum, which is still in service today. The Ethnography Museum opened in 2002. Sinop Historic Prison lost its function as a prison in 1999 and opened to visitors as a museum in 2000 (1). In addition, within the Pervane Medrese there is the Regional Handicrafts Center, which functions as a "living ethnographic museum" where handicrafts unique to Sinop are exhibited and sold. In 2024, Türkiye's first Linen Museum opened to visitors following the restoration of a historic mansion. Alongside museum activities carried out by the state, many artifacts acquired through inheritance, diving, or excavation and subsequently registered by private individuals are also displayed for exhibition in various venues.

There are 10 libraries in the region. Dr. Rıza Nur opened part of his residence — a first-degree historic monument — as a library in 1924. It officially opened as the provincial public library in 1927 (2). The Dr. Rıza Nur Provincial Public Library is Türkiye's first public library. Founded through civil initiative, this institution also houses Türkiye's first children's library. Book signings and exhibitions are held there, a mobile library vehicle travels to Sinop's villages, and since its opening, one day a week has been reserved specifically for use by women (1).

Sinop Historic Prison lost its function as a prison in 1999 and was transferred to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It opened to visitors as a museum in 2000. Individuals who were once imprisoned here, along with TV series and films shot on location, increased the prison's recognition. Sinopale's use of the Prison as its main venue across four editions of the biennial prompted local and central government to mobilize toward refunctioning it as a center of attraction once again. Through a project prepared with support from the European Union, the Prison was converted into a multi-purpose cultural center. As part of this same project, the Historic Icehouse Building — long left idle and first brought into use as an exhibition space within Sinopale — was also restored and began operating as the "Sabahattin Ali Cultural Center." With this addition, the city gained a second cultural center. Since 2023, the Sinop Theatre Festival has been organized at these venues through an individual initiative. Nationally acclaimed plays and highly esteemed artists have been hosted in Sinop.

The market hall (Hal) building was constructed in 1953 by Muharrem Tansel and donated to the Sinop Municipality to be used "for the benefit of the city." Used as a fruit-and-vegetable market, the building was a gathering place for the public for many years. Over time, however, it lost this function and became somewhat idle. It currently houses shopkeepers such as a greengrocer, a butcher, and a tailor, along with several civil society organizations, a sculptor, and shops used by the municipality. The Municipality sought to demolish this building, which had lost its former popularity, and build a shopping center in its place. In response, Sinopale put itself forward as a claimant for the building. Together with the European Cultural Association, Chameleon Project Management and Design, the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Center for Creative Industries Practice and Research, and the Sokak Bizim Association, and drawing on the outcomes of Accumulating the Future and the Summer Workshop, Sinopale prepared the "HAL, Sinop Meeting Center" project.

This is a project to transform the old market hall building — in line with the goal of culture-based sustainable development — into a center made up of many different units. Sinopale's office was established here both to preserve this space, which holds an important place in the city's culture, and to secure a permanent venue. Since Sinopale 5, this space has been used as the center of the biennial. Through both the biennial and the planned HAL, Sinop Meeting Center project, this space — which holds an important place in the city's culture — has been preserved and given new function.

Knife-making, weaving, tailoring, fishing net-making, ceramics, woodworking, and ship modeling are among the crafts that continue to survive in Sinop. Glass production has held a very important place for the city. The Şişecam factory, opened in 1981, both trained valuable master craftsmen and provided a significant source of employment. However, with the factory's closure in 2005, this craft began to face extinction. Ship modeling and yacht-building also hold an important place for the people of Sinop. Those practicing this craft, once common in many households, have declined over time. In modern times, production takes place in only a few workshops and is sold in shops in the city center. Handmade clothing, jewelry, and accessory items have been sold at the Pervane Medrese since 2002; handmade products, mostly made by housewives, have been sold at the Hanımeli Bazaar since 2011. In addition, stalls are set up in the evenings on the seaward side of Aşıklar Avenue for the sale of specially designed and handmade products made in the city. Beadwork made by inmates is sold both at the Sinop Historic Prison and in the streets of the city.

There are 30 associations active in the fields of culture, art, and tourism across Sinop as a whole, 17 of which are based in the city center. According to the classification of the General Directorate of Relations with Civil Society, of these 30 associations, 23 work in preserving communal culture, 13 in art, 11 in tourism, 8 in the protection of historical artifacts, 6 in folklore, and 5 in language and literature (3).

REFERENCES

Kırcan, C. (2016). "Küçük ve Orta Ölçekli Kentlerde Kültür Odaklı Yerel Kalkınma: Sinop Örneği" [Culture-Focused Local Development in Small and Medium-Sized Cities: The Case of Sinop]. Istanbul.
Firidin Özgür, E., Görgün, T. M., and Ünsal, F. (Eds.). (2017). Bir Kenti Anlamak: Sinop Yaz Atölyesi [Understanding a City: The Sinop Summer Workshop]. Boğaziçi University Press. Istanbul. p. 163.
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior, General Directorate of Relations with Civil Society website. Accessed: 22.09.2020.