Sinop is a city on the isthmus ofİnce Burun (İnceburun, Cape Ince) and on theBoztepe Peninsula, near Cape Sinope (Sinop Burnu, Boztepe Cape, Boztepe Burnu) which is situated on the northernmost edge of the Turkish side of theBlack Sea coast, in the ancient region ofPaphlagonia, in modern-day northernTurkey. It is the seat ofSinop Province andSinop District.[2] Its population is 57,404 (2022).[1]
Over a period of approximately 2,500 years, Sinope has at various times been settled byColchians and then theGreeks (in the late 7th, late 5th, and 4th–3rd centuries BC) and byTurkic people beginning in the 13th century. In the 19th and 20th centuries it was also settled by themuhacir who immigrated from theBalkans andCaucasus.[3]
The Greek colony of Sinope (Greek:Σινώπη,romanized: Sinṓpē) was founded byIonians from the city ofMiletus.[4] Sinope issued its own coinage, founded colonies, and gave its name to a red earth pigment calledsinopia, which was mined inCappadocia for use throughout the ancient world.[5] Some scholars have dated the earliestGreek colonization of Sinope to the 7th c. BC, while others have proposed an earlier date in the 8th c. While literary evidence exists supporting earlier settlement, archaeological evidence has been found of Greek settlement around theBlack Sea region beginning in the late 7th century.[6][7]
Sinope was strategically located among the trade routes that were developing on the southern Coast of the Black Sea, but remained relatively isolated from other inland communities until the 4th century BC.[3][8] There is literary evidence of early links betweenColchis and Sinope in mythological tradition.Strabo's writings link the legendary founder of Sinope,Autolycus, withJason and theArgonauts.Polybius described Sinope as being "on the way toPhasis".[9] The PersianAchaemenid Empire's northward expansion in the 4th century disrupted Sinope's control over its eastern colonies, includingTrapezus (present day Trabzon). ThesatrapDatames briefly occupied the city around 375 BC.[10][11] There is archaeological evidence of increased economic activity between the port city of Sinope and the surrounding inland areas during between 4th and 1st c. BC. Sinope appears to have maintained its independence from the dominion ofAlexander the Great, and with the help ofRhodes turned back an assault led byMithridates II of Pontus in 220 BC. Sinope eventually fell toPharnaces I in 183 BC, after which it became the capital of thePontic Kingdom.[3][11]
Sinope is the birthplace of the famous Greek philosopherDiogenes.
After the division of theRoman Empire in 395, Sinope remained with theEastern Roman Empire. Its history in the early Byzantine period is obscure, except for isolated events: it was used byJustinian II as a base from which to reconnoitreCherson, participated in the rebellion of theArmeniac Theme in 793, was the site ofTheophobos' proclamation as emperor by hisKhurramite troops in 838, and suffered its only attack by the Arabs in 858.[12]
After 1265, Sinop became home to two successive independentemirates following the fall of the Seljuks: thePervâne and theJandarids. During his march onTrebizond, theOttoman SultanMehmet II overawed Ismail, the emir of Sinop, and forced him to surrender the city without a fight. Mehmet took possession in late June 1461, exiling Ismail to Philippopolis (modernPlovdiv) in northern Thrace.[15]
Ibn Battuta visited the city and stayed for about forty days. He noted it was "a superb city which combines fortification with beautification."[16]
In 1614, Sinop was targeted byCossack raiders and extensively looted and burned in an event which shocked Ottoman contemporaries.[17]
In November 1853, at the start of theCrimean War, in theBattle of Sinop, theRussians, under the command of AdmiralNakhimov, destroyed an Ottoman frigate squadron in Sinop, leading Britain and France to declare war on Russia.
As of 1920, Sinop was described as populated mainly byGreeks with an approximate population of 8,000. It was also considered the "safest" port "betweenBosphorus andBatum", at the time. During this period, the port was exportingwheat,tobacco, seeds, timber and hides. They imported produce, coal and hardware.[18] The Greek inhabitants left in 1923 after thePopulation Exchange between Greece and Turkey, with many settling inNea Sinopi.
Sinop hosted aUS military base and radar that was important for intelligence during theCold War era.[19] The US base was closed in 1992.
Greek coins featuring an eagle holding a dolphin or marine animal in its talons have been found in Sinope,Istria andOlbia. Located in present-day Turkey, Romania and Ukraine respectively, all three were colonies of Miletus. The coins circulated between c. 450 and 325 BC.[20] Coins of the "Sinope type" continued to be issued by Persians under Achaemenid rule in the 4th century BC. At least two Persian issuers of such coins have been studied in some detail: thesatrapDatames inCappadocia andAriarathes.[21]
Sinop is located on apromontory at thenarrowest point of the Black Sea. It has two harbors and is located along the southern shore of the Black Sea, near the shortest crossing to theCrimea. The nearby mountainous terrain is green and noted for itstimber.[3][11]
Sinop has warm summers with an average daytime high of 26 °C (79 °F), and temperatures rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F). The winters are cool and wet, the average for February is just below 7 °C (45 °F). Snowfall is occasional December to March, sometimes lasting a week or two.
Climate data for Sinop, Turkey (1991–2020, extremes 1936–2025)
As of 1920, Sinop was producing embroideredcotton cloth. They also were known forboatbuilding. The boats produced in Sinop were described by a British observer as being of "primitive design but sound workmanship."[24]
Pasha Bastion (Turkish:Paşa Tabyası) is a half-moon coastalbastion, a semi-circular fortification, situated southeast of Sinop Peninsula. It was constructed to protect the city against attacks coming from the Black Sea during the Russo-Turkish War,Crimean War (1853–1856). It features anartillery battery of eleven cannons, an arsenal and basement. Today, it is used as a place for refreshments premise.[28]
Historic Water Tunnel (Turkish:Tarihi Su Kanalı) is an ancient underground water supply channel situated at Sülüklü Göl (literally: Lake ofLeeches. Dug in rock, it is about 230 m (750 ft) long and has a clearance of 1.50 m (4.9 ft). There exists a 20–30 m (66–98 ft) high cylindrical ventilation shaft of 1.50 m (4.9 ft) diameter.[28]
Balatlar Church (Turkish:Balatlar Kilisesi) is a ruined church from theByzantine Empire period. It is partly preserved as only the chapel vault is in undamaged condition while other parts of the church have no roof any more.Fresco paintings on the chapel's ceiling and on thenave walls are still intact.[28]
Pervane Medrese is a formerIslamic religious school, which was closed down after the proclamation of theRepublic. The 13th-century building was used as a depot for archaeological artifacts and ethnographic items from 1932 on, and served as a museum between 1941 and 1970. It hosts souvenir shops today.[30]
Sinop Fortress (Turkish:Sinop Kalesi) is a fortification surrounding the peninsula and the isthmus of Sinop. It was built initially by migrants fromMiletus in the 8th century BC. The fortress underwent reparation and expansion to its current extent during the reign of KingMithridates IV of Pontus in the 2nd century BC after its destruction by theCimmerians in the 7th century BC. Some parts of the fortress, especially the north walls, are ruined.[31]
Sinop Fortress Prison (Turkish:Sinop Tarihi Cezaevi) is a defunct state prison situated inside the Sinop Fortress. Served between 1887 and 1997, the prison rose to fame when it featured in many literature works of notable authors, who were inmates of the prison for political reasons. It became also a shooting set for many movies and television series. It is a prison museum today.[32]
Sinop Archaeological Museum (Turkish:Sinop Arkeoloji Müzesi) is a 1941-established archaeological museum exhibiting artifacts dating back toEarly Bronze Age and from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods as well.[33]
Sinop Ethnographic Museum (Turkish:Sinop Etnografya Müzesi) is a museum ofethnographic exhibits belonging to the cultural history of the region. It is situated in a large 18th-century mansion.[34]
^abcdDoonan, Owen P. (2004). "Colonizing the Lands of Sinop".Sinop Landscapes: Exploring Connection in a Black Sea Hinterland. University of Pennsylvania Press, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. pp. 69–92.ISBN9781931707657.JSTORj.ctt3fj358.11.
^SeeStrabo XII.iii.1 1;Diodorus Siculus,Historical Library 14.31.2;Pseudo-Scymnus 995-96;Eusebius,Chronographia 631/30 BCE;See also Doonan,Sinop Landscapes p. 71 for details of archaeological research
^Tezgör, Dominique Kassab (6 October 2011).Sinope, The Results of Fifteen Years of Research. Proceedings of the International Symposium, 7-9 May 2009: Sinope, Un état de la question après quinze ans de travaux. Actes du Symposium International, 7-9 May 2009. BRILL.ISBN978-90-04-22388-2.
^A. KAKHIDZE; I. IASHVILI; M. VICKERS (2001). "Silver Coins of Black Sea Coastal Cities from the Fifth Century BC Necropolis at Pichvnari".The Numismatic Chronicle.16:282–287.JSTOR42668025.
^abcBroughton, Thomas Robert Shannon; Mitchell, Stephen (2005)."Sinope".The Oxford Classical Dictionary. Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-860641-3. Retrieved15 May 2018.
^Vryonis, Speros (1971). The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor and the Process of Islamisation from the Eleventh through the Fifteenth Century. Berkeley: California University Press. p. 161
^J.G.F. HIND (2007). "City Heads/Personifications and Omens from Zeus (the Coins of Sinope, Istria and Olbia in the V-IV Centuries BC)".The Numismatic Chronicle.16:9–22.JSTOR42666926.
John Garstang,The Hittite Empire, Being a Survey of the History, Geography and Monuments of Hittite Asia Minor and Syria (London: Constable and Company Ltd, 1929).
