Turkey - Part 3 Sinop
Sinop – Part 3
Sinop is one of the most beautiful natural harbors on the southern coast of the Black Sea in northern Turkey. It lies on an isthmus linking the Boztepe Peninsula to the mainland and is shut off from the Anatolian Plateau to the south by high, forest-clad mountains. Because it has the only safe natural roadstead on the north coast of Asia Minor, Sinop was in antiquity the foremost port on the coast, with its land approaches barred by a huge citadel (now in ruins) and its sea side defended by a strong wall. Its decline was associated with its lack of easy access to the interior and its rivalry with Inebolu on the west and with Samsun on the east; the latter has emerged as the largest Turkish port on the Black Sea. The hinterland around Sinop is drained by the Gök River and is mountainous and partly forested. Agriculture employs most of the labor force. Corn (maize), flax, and tobacco are grown in the valleys and on the fertile coastal strip.
There are many legends about the foundation of the city but the most dependable is that the Miletion colonists founded it in the 7th century BC and the city is the birthplace of the cynic philosopher Diogenes. According to another legend the province is said to have received its name from the Amazon Queen "Sinova". The town's citadel dates from that early age and the foundations of the Temple of Serapis is to be found on the grounds of the Archaeological Museum where some beautiful golden icons are displayed. The 13th century Alaeddin Mosque, the Alaiye Medresse, and the Balatlar Church are of interest in the city.
Traditional nautical wood carvings, good crystal and the original cotton clothes of the city are praiseworthy and unique, so you will want to have examples of these artifacts. The seaside hotels and small holiday villages will make you stay longer and you will have the opportunity to sit in a fish restaurant by the harbor and watch the perfect combination of green and light blue while sipping your wine and tasting some traditional Turkish food. – from the Turkey Traveler webpage
The bus ride from Safranbolu to Sinop was well worth the 4:30am departure time. The bus traveled through rural farm land, up and down over frosty hills and snowy mountains, and through small towns just waking up to another chilly day. A nice feature of taking buses around Turkey is the service. There is a young bus steward dressed smartly in a dress shirt and pants, tie, and a sweater. He passes out water and lemon cologne for the hands in addition to hot tea or coffee. On this ride and decided to start the tea/coffee service as the bus trudged up the mountain along the many switch backs.
Originally I decided to stay three nights in Sinop but the pouring rain on the second day made me think again. It poured in sheets for hours, I felt like I was back in Maine. The first afternoon there was under sunny skies. I walked along the marina among the many fishing boats. There pier was busy with men fishing and from there I had nice views of the distant mountains I crossed earlier that day. From the pier I walked for several hours passing by a variety of sites: a nice city park, dilapidated buildings, internet cafes, fish markets, mosques, heavily guarded buildings maybe some where buildings, abandoned tourist information booths, fruit stalls, cafes on the marina, and many saloons for men to sit, drink tea, and play backgammon. I had my early dinner at a typical restaurant where food is already prepared and all I have to do is point at what I want. I opted to start with lentil soup followed by rice and a white bean stew. Meals are always served with baskets of fresh bread. I never had a bad meal in one of these places.
The next day after the rain let up I walked on the other side of the peninsula to see what was over there. From there I had very good views of the citadel ruins and the Black Sea. After my long walk I headed to a restaurant by the marina that was packed the night before. It was crowded again and I took that as a good sign. I should mention it was the three day Eid holiday and I think it was day 2 so lots of families get together and eat out. Since I was in a fishing village I decided to try the fish. The fish were on the small side with bones. Too much work for me to enjoy a meal. I will stick to fish steaks like salmon or tuna or I’ll have pastries instead – they don’t have bones.
I went back to rest in the hotel and to check out the 300 channels on the TV. I found three channels in English after much searching. One was the God channel, another the Greater China channel and the last one the BBC repeating kid shows over and over. The afternoon was cold, gray and damp. For tea time I found another restaurant on the marina with huge windows facing the marina. I brought my Arabic lessons there to study over cups of tea. They were cooking food for the evening meal and the food did look good so I thought I would come back for soup and stew. I did and had a pleasant meal with no bones and talked with one of the workers. No matter where I am in Turkey, I find the people to be friendly and curious.
The next morning I was taking the 7am bus to Amasya, a very pleasant town with mountains looming over head. Stay tuned for part 4, the last installment.
Sinop is one of the most beautiful natural harbors on the southern coast of the Black Sea in northern Turkey. It lies on an isthmus linking the Boztepe Peninsula to the mainland and is shut off from the Anatolian Plateau to the south by high, forest-clad mountains. Because it has the only safe natural roadstead on the north coast of Asia Minor, Sinop was in antiquity the foremost port on the coast, with its land approaches barred by a huge citadel (now in ruins) and its sea side defended by a strong wall. Its decline was associated with its lack of easy access to the interior and its rivalry with Inebolu on the west and with Samsun on the east; the latter has emerged as the largest Turkish port on the Black Sea. The hinterland around Sinop is drained by the Gök River and is mountainous and partly forested. Agriculture employs most of the labor force. Corn (maize), flax, and tobacco are grown in the valleys and on the fertile coastal strip.
There are many legends about the foundation of the city but the most dependable is that the Miletion colonists founded it in the 7th century BC and the city is the birthplace of the cynic philosopher Diogenes. According to another legend the province is said to have received its name from the Amazon Queen "Sinova". The town's citadel dates from that early age and the foundations of the Temple of Serapis is to be found on the grounds of the Archaeological Museum where some beautiful golden icons are displayed. The 13th century Alaeddin Mosque, the Alaiye Medresse, and the Balatlar Church are of interest in the city.
Traditional nautical wood carvings, good crystal and the original cotton clothes of the city are praiseworthy and unique, so you will want to have examples of these artifacts. The seaside hotels and small holiday villages will make you stay longer and you will have the opportunity to sit in a fish restaurant by the harbor and watch the perfect combination of green and light blue while sipping your wine and tasting some traditional Turkish food. – from the Turkey Traveler webpage
The bus ride from Safranbolu to Sinop was well worth the 4:30am departure time. The bus traveled through rural farm land, up and down over frosty hills and snowy mountains, and through small towns just waking up to another chilly day. A nice feature of taking buses around Turkey is the service. There is a young bus steward dressed smartly in a dress shirt and pants, tie, and a sweater. He passes out water and lemon cologne for the hands in addition to hot tea or coffee. On this ride and decided to start the tea/coffee service as the bus trudged up the mountain along the many switch backs.
Originally I decided to stay three nights in Sinop but the pouring rain on the second day made me think again. It poured in sheets for hours, I felt like I was back in Maine. The first afternoon there was under sunny skies. I walked along the marina among the many fishing boats. There pier was busy with men fishing and from there I had nice views of the distant mountains I crossed earlier that day. From the pier I walked for several hours passing by a variety of sites: a nice city park, dilapidated buildings, internet cafes, fish markets, mosques, heavily guarded buildings maybe some where buildings, abandoned tourist information booths, fruit stalls, cafes on the marina, and many saloons for men to sit, drink tea, and play backgammon. I had my early dinner at a typical restaurant where food is already prepared and all I have to do is point at what I want. I opted to start with lentil soup followed by rice and a white bean stew. Meals are always served with baskets of fresh bread. I never had a bad meal in one of these places.
The next day after the rain let up I walked on the other side of the peninsula to see what was over there. From there I had very good views of the citadel ruins and the Black Sea. After my long walk I headed to a restaurant by the marina that was packed the night before. It was crowded again and I took that as a good sign. I should mention it was the three day Eid holiday and I think it was day 2 so lots of families get together and eat out. Since I was in a fishing village I decided to try the fish. The fish were on the small side with bones. Too much work for me to enjoy a meal. I will stick to fish steaks like salmon or tuna or I’ll have pastries instead – they don’t have bones.
I went back to rest in the hotel and to check out the 300 channels on the TV. I found three channels in English after much searching. One was the God channel, another the Greater China channel and the last one the BBC repeating kid shows over and over. The afternoon was cold, gray and damp. For tea time I found another restaurant on the marina with huge windows facing the marina. I brought my Arabic lessons there to study over cups of tea. They were cooking food for the evening meal and the food did look good so I thought I would come back for soup and stew. I did and had a pleasant meal with no bones and talked with one of the workers. No matter where I am in Turkey, I find the people to be friendly and curious.
The next morning I was taking the 7am bus to Amasya, a very pleasant town with mountains looming over head. Stay tuned for part 4, the last installment.
posted by Becky of Arabia at 6:17 PM
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