Sinop has been on my 'must-see' list for several years. Although Sinop does not rank among the top 10 of Turkey's tourist attractions, the town is interesting for many other things:
1. It was the birthplace of the Greek philosopher Diogenes the Dog, a.k.a. Diogenes the Cynic, who preached a very unpretentious, natural form of philosophy.
2. In Greek mythology, Sinop was supposedly the place to which the beautiful daughter of King Asopus, Sinope, was abducted by Zeus. To demonstrate his love, Zeus promised Sinope he would grant whatever wish her heart desires, and the intelligent Sinope told Zeus she would like to have eternal virginity. Outwitted by Sinope, Zeus let her live in peace for the rest of her life on a promontory on the Black Sea. The city of Sinop is believed to have been named after this intelligent lady who had successfully eluded Zeus' advance.
3. On a more modern and less mythical note, Sinop is the place where, in 1853, the Russian Fleet launched a surprise attack on the Ottoman Navy in the harbour of Sinop, thereby leading to the outbreak of the Crimean War, a landmark event that would have far-reaching consequences on the political developments in both Turkey and Europe.
4, The infamous Sinop Closed Prison is a kind of alternative cultural attraction for those who are interested in the political and social history of modern Turkey. In recent years, this former high-security prison intended for the most notorious criminals and high-profile political prisoners has appeared in numerous Turkish films and TV series, which contributed to a steadily rising popularity of Sinop as a tourist destination among Turkish visitors.
The history of Sinop is a long one. It was already used by the Hittites as a port in the Bronze Age, before settler-colonists from the city of Mileto (Miletus, Milet in Turkish), a city state located on Turkey's Aegean coast near Didima, re-founded the abandoned port city in 7th century B.C. Sinop enjoyed great prosperity as an export harbour of goods brought in via the caravans from the Upper Euphrates valley. In 4th century B.C., the city came under Persian rule. Almost two centuries later, the political ownership of the city changed hand once more, when Sinop was conquered in 183 B.C. by the Pontic Greeks and became the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus.
The Romans arrived in 70 B.C. and a Roman colony was established in Sinop. Following the demise of the Roman Empire, Sinop became part of the Eastern Roman Empire (otherwise known as the Byzantine Empire) until the sacking of Constantinople in 1204 by the Fourth Crusade. In 1214 Sinop was ruled by the Seljuk Turks before the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1458.
One would certainly expect that a city with so much history and such distinguished cultural pedigree would have left behind lots of grand monuments and ancient relics to be admired. In contrary, modern day Sinop is a somewhat bland place for those who are looking for endless archaeological digs and impressive medieval palaces around each and every corner. For all its illuminous milleniums of history, however, very little remain, and present-day Sinop is a comparatively modern city, even by non-Turkish standards.
Although I was slightly disappointed by all that lack of old stones and relics, the initial disappointment soon evaporated and gave way to a very authentic, heartfelt feeling of congeniality. If not outright pretty, Sinop is a pleasant city with a relaxed attitude and a very natural sort of charm. It is not a place where tourists would flock to in bus loads, but I can very well imagine myself spending several afternoon in a row just sitting at one of the seaside tea gardens lining the harbour and enjoy the views of the Black Sea right in front of my eyes.
In some ways, Sinop reminds me of another port city, Trieste in Italy. Both cities share the same air of understated elegance, have that spirited character, and a slightly drabby townscape coupled with a very distinctive and lively flaire. In Sinop, what attracts me is not the abundance of tourist sights or well-preserved Byzantine ruins, but the fact that this city is very comfortable with itself, and it is not pretentious at all.
Sinop has a busy fishing harbour lined with small fishing boats and trawlers. Being the northernmost point of Turkey, Sinop is an important fishery centre and home to one of Turkey's biggest centre of research on the technological aspects of fisheries.
Just like in Trieste, there is a long pier right next to the harbour of Sinop that extends far into the sea. In the evenings, locals would flock to the pier with their fishing poles (fishing in public waters seems to be a national passion of Turks throughout the country), while youngsters hang out in pairs or groups and watch the sun goes down over the Black Sea horizon as the sky was coloured a beautiful shade of pinkish-violet.
Copyrights@2010. All Rights Reserved. All text and photos by YC Cheng.
2. In Greek mythology, Sinop was supposedly the place to which the beautiful daughter of King Asopus, Sinope, was abducted by Zeus. To demonstrate his love, Zeus promised Sinope he would grant whatever wish her heart desires, and the intelligent Sinope told Zeus she would like to have eternal virginity. Outwitted by Sinope, Zeus let her live in peace for the rest of her life on a promontory on the Black Sea. The city of Sinop is believed to have been named after this intelligent lady who had successfully eluded Zeus' advance.
3. On a more modern and less mythical note, Sinop is the place where, in 1853, the Russian Fleet launched a surprise attack on the Ottoman Navy in the harbour of Sinop, thereby leading to the outbreak of the Crimean War, a landmark event that would have far-reaching consequences on the political developments in both Turkey and Europe.
4, The infamous Sinop Closed Prison is a kind of alternative cultural attraction for those who are interested in the political and social history of modern Turkey. In recent years, this former high-security prison intended for the most notorious criminals and high-profile political prisoners has appeared in numerous Turkish films and TV series, which contributed to a steadily rising popularity of Sinop as a tourist destination among Turkish visitors.
The history of Sinop is a long one. It was already used by the Hittites as a port in the Bronze Age, before settler-colonists from the city of Mileto (Miletus, Milet in Turkish), a city state located on Turkey's Aegean coast near Didima, re-founded the abandoned port city in 7th century B.C. Sinop enjoyed great prosperity as an export harbour of goods brought in via the caravans from the Upper Euphrates valley. In 4th century B.C., the city came under Persian rule. Almost two centuries later, the political ownership of the city changed hand once more, when Sinop was conquered in 183 B.C. by the Pontic Greeks and became the capital of the Kingdom of Pontus.
The Romans arrived in 70 B.C. and a Roman colony was established in Sinop. Following the demise of the Roman Empire, Sinop became part of the Eastern Roman Empire (otherwise known as the Byzantine Empire) until the sacking of Constantinople in 1204 by the Fourth Crusade. In 1214 Sinop was ruled by the Seljuk Turks before the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1458.
One would certainly expect that a city with so much history and such distinguished cultural pedigree would have left behind lots of grand monuments and ancient relics to be admired. In contrary, modern day Sinop is a somewhat bland place for those who are looking for endless archaeological digs and impressive medieval palaces around each and every corner. For all its illuminous milleniums of history, however, very little remain, and present-day Sinop is a comparatively modern city, even by non-Turkish standards.
Although I was slightly disappointed by all that lack of old stones and relics, the initial disappointment soon evaporated and gave way to a very authentic, heartfelt feeling of congeniality. If not outright pretty, Sinop is a pleasant city with a relaxed attitude and a very natural sort of charm. It is not a place where tourists would flock to in bus loads, but I can very well imagine myself spending several afternoon in a row just sitting at one of the seaside tea gardens lining the harbour and enjoy the views of the Black Sea right in front of my eyes.
In some ways, Sinop reminds me of another port city, Trieste in Italy. Both cities share the same air of understated elegance, have that spirited character, and a slightly drabby townscape coupled with a very distinctive and lively flaire. In Sinop, what attracts me is not the abundance of tourist sights or well-preserved Byzantine ruins, but the fact that this city is very comfortable with itself, and it is not pretentious at all.
Sinop has a busy fishing harbour lined with small fishing boats and trawlers. Being the northernmost point of Turkey, Sinop is an important fishery centre and home to one of Turkey's biggest centre of research on the technological aspects of fisheries.
Just like in Trieste, there is a long pier right next to the harbour of Sinop that extends far into the sea. In the evenings, locals would flock to the pier with their fishing poles (fishing in public waters seems to be a national passion of Turks throughout the country), while youngsters hang out in pairs or groups and watch the sun goes down over the Black Sea horizon as the sky was coloured a beautiful shade of pinkish-violet.
Copyrights@2010. All Rights Reserved. All text and photos by YC Cheng.
Very Good apreciation of Sinop.
ReplyDeleteThough I never been there, I could feel the mood.
Massuia (from Brazil).
Thank you!! Sinop is indeed a very unique place, it is really worth a visit if one has the chance.
ReplyDelete