Sinop Fortress Prison
Encyclopedia
Sinop Fortress Prison, was a state prison
situated in the inside of the Sinop Fortress in Sinop, Turkey
. As one of the oldest prisons of Turkey, it was established in 1887 within the inner fortress of the centuries-old fortification located on the northwestern part of Cape Sinop. The prison was closed down in 1997 and the inmates were transferred to a modern prison newly built in Sinop.
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Located direct at the coast of Black Sea
on the northwest part of Cape Sinop, the Sinop Fortress was constructed initially in the 7th century BC when the city was re-founded as a Greek colony from the city of Miletus
. It was extended and repaired several times in its history by Persians, Kingdom of Pontus
, Roman
s and Byzantine
s. The fortress took its main form during the reign of Pontus King
Mithradates Eupator in 72 BC.
Following the capture of the city on October 3, 1214, Izz ad-Din Kaykaus II
, sultan of Seljuk Turks of Rûm
divided the fortress in two parts by erecting a wall in north-south direction. The inner fortress of today was formed by adding another wall in the west-east direction. Since then, the inner fortress was used also as shipyard
and dungeon
. The oldest document that shows the fortress was used as dungeon dates back to 1568.
The walls of the fortress are 18 m high and 3 m wide. There are eleven watchtower
s of 22 m height, five of them added during the construction of the inner fortress.
prison building with 28 halls on two floors was erected in 1887 in the inside of the southern inner fortress. For use by the prisoners, a Turkish bath with a single dome was built also next to the prison building. İn 1939, an extension building with 9 halls on two floors, architectural conform with the main building, was added for use as juvenile
prison. The inner fortress holding the prison facilities covers an area of 10,247 m2.
The prison was considered as a high-security penitentiary with no escape possibility due to its position within a fortress. The top of the walls of the inner fortress served to the patrolling prison guard as walkway. The living conditions at the prison, where it was difficult even to light a match, were very harsh due to the moisture caused by the location of the prison very close to the sea.
In the beginning of the 20th century, a rehabilitation
program was setup for the prisoners. The inmates were given the opportunity to learn and practize handicraft
such as woodworking
and jewelry that enabled them to potter and to earn money from the items they produced and sold.
The prison was abandoned on December 6, 1997 after the inmates were transferred to a newly built prison in Sinop.
, Kerim Korcan and Zeyyat Selimoğlu are some of them to name.
Sabahattin Ali's poem Aldırma Gönül, written 1933 in the prison and featuring the prison life, was composed in 1977 by Kerem Güney, which became nowadays very popular song by Edip Akbayram.
The Turkish movie Pardon (Excuse Me!) (2004), and the TV mini series Firar (Prison Break) (1993) and Köpek (The Dog) (2005) were shot in the historical prison.
Parmaklıklar Ardında (Behind Bars) (2007), adopted from the German RTL Television
series Hinter Gittern - Der Frauenknast (1997-2007) and aired by the channel atv
, is another Turkish TV mini series. The location in the series is the Sinop Fortress Prison. The generic music of the film is Aldırma Gönül sung by Kibariye.
It is planned to convert the facilities in the inner fortress into a cultural complex with a maritime
and a justice museum.
s, who were charged for political reasons.
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
situated in the inside of the Sinop Fortress in Sinop, Turkey
Sinop, Turkey
Sinop is a city with a population of 36,734 on İnce Burun , by its Cape Sinop which is situated on the most northern edge of the Turkish side of Black Sea coast, in the ancient region of Paphlagonia, in modern-day northern Turkey, historically known as Sinope...
. As one of the oldest prisons of Turkey, it was established in 1887 within the inner fortress of the centuries-old fortification located on the northwestern part of Cape Sinop. The prison was closed down in 1997 and the inmates were transferred to a modern prison newly built in Sinop.
Sinop Fortress
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
on the northwest part of Cape Sinop, the Sinop Fortress was constructed initially in the 7th century BC when the city was re-founded as a Greek colony from the city of Miletus
Miletus
Miletus was an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia , near the mouth of the Maeander River in ancient Caria...
. It was extended and repaired several times in its history by Persians, Kingdom of Pontus
Kingdom of Pontus
The Kingdom of Pontus or Pontic Empire was a state of Persian origin on the southern coast of the Black Sea. It was founded by Mithridates I in 291 BC and lasted until its conquest by the Roman Republic in 63 BC...
, Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
s and Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
s. The fortress took its main form during the reign of Pontus King
Kingdom of Pontus
The Kingdom of Pontus or Pontic Empire was a state of Persian origin on the southern coast of the Black Sea. It was founded by Mithridates I in 291 BC and lasted until its conquest by the Roman Republic in 63 BC...
Mithradates Eupator in 72 BC.
Following the capture of the city on October 3, 1214, Izz ad-Din Kaykaus II
Kaykaus II
Kaykaus II or Kayka'us II was the eldest of three sons of Kaykhusraw II. He was a youth at the time of his father’s death in 1246 and could do little to prevent the Mongol subjugation of Anatolia. For most of his tenure as the Seljuq Sultan of Rûm, he shared the throne with one or both of his...
, sultan of Seljuk Turks of Rûm
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
divided the fortress in two parts by erecting a wall in north-south direction. The inner fortress of today was formed by adding another wall in the west-east direction. Since then, the inner fortress was used also as shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
and dungeon
Dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
. The oldest document that shows the fortress was used as dungeon dates back to 1568.
The walls of the fortress are 18 m high and 3 m wide. There are eleven watchtower
Watchtower
A watchtower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military, and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to provide a high, safe place from which a sentinel or guard may...
s of 22 m height, five of them added during the construction of the inner fortress.
Fortress prison
Designed in U-shape, a stonemasonryStonemasonry
The craft of stonemasonry has existed since the dawn of civilization - creating buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone from the earth. These materials have been used to construct many of the long-lasting, ancient monuments, artifacts, cathedrals, and cities in a wide variety of cultures...
prison building with 28 halls on two floors was erected in 1887 in the inside of the southern inner fortress. For use by the prisoners, a Turkish bath with a single dome was built also next to the prison building. İn 1939, an extension building with 9 halls on two floors, architectural conform with the main building, was added for use as juvenile
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
prison. The inner fortress holding the prison facilities covers an area of 10,247 m2.
The prison was considered as a high-security penitentiary with no escape possibility due to its position within a fortress. The top of the walls of the inner fortress served to the patrolling prison guard as walkway. The living conditions at the prison, where it was difficult even to light a match, were very harsh due to the moisture caused by the location of the prison very close to the sea.
In the beginning of the 20th century, a rehabilitation
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
program was setup for the prisoners. The inmates were given the opportunity to learn and practize handicraft
Handicraft
Handicraft, more precisely expressed as artisanic handicraft, sometimes also called artisanry, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made completely by hand or by using only simple tools. It is a traditional main sector of craft. Usually the term is applied to traditional means...
such as woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
and jewelry that enabled them to potter and to earn money from the items they produced and sold.
The prison was abandoned on December 6, 1997 after the inmates were transferred to a newly built prison in Sinop.
In popular culture
The Sinop Fortress Prison was featured in various stories and poems by notable Turkish writers, who served their sentence. Refik Halit Karay, Ahmet Bedevi Kuran, Refii Cevat Ulunay, Sabahattin AliSabahattin Ali
Sabahattin Ali was a Turkish novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist.-Early life:He was born in 1907 in Eğridere township in Gümülcine sanjak , in the Ottoman Empire. He lived in Istanbul, Çanakkale and Edremit before he entered the school of education in Balıkesir...
, Kerim Korcan and Zeyyat Selimoğlu are some of them to name.
Sabahattin Ali's poem Aldırma Gönül, written 1933 in the prison and featuring the prison life, was composed in 1977 by Kerem Güney, which became nowadays very popular song by Edip Akbayram.
The Turkish movie Pardon (Excuse Me!) (2004), and the TV mini series Firar (Prison Break) (1993) and Köpek (The Dog) (2005) were shot in the historical prison.
Parmaklıklar Ardında (Behind Bars) (2007), adopted from the German RTL Television
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
series Hinter Gittern - Der Frauenknast (1997-2007) and aired by the channel atv
ATV Turkey
atv is a nationwide TV channel in Turkey, founded in 1993. atv is one of the most widely watched TV channels in Turkey. atv is an acronym of Actual Television.Since 2007 atv is owned by Çalık Holding.- Shows :News Programming* atv Ana Haber...
, is another Turkish TV mini series. The location in the series is the Sinop Fortress Prison. The generic music of the film is Aldırma Gönül sung by Kibariye.
Tourist attraction
The prison facilities were handed over to the Culture and Tourism Ministry on August 2, 1999. The fortress prison is currently open to the public for sightseeing purposes. Originated from the increasingly presentation of the prison in the recent popular culture, there is a growing interest in visiting the site. The historical penitentiary hosts hundreds of thousands tourists yearly.It is planned to convert the facilities in the inner fortress into a cultural complex with a maritime
Maritime museum
A maritime museum is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water...
and a justice museum.
Notable inmates
The prison hosted also many intellectualIntellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
s, who were charged for political reasons.
- Devlet II Giray, CrimeanCrimean KhanateCrimean Khanate, or Khanate of Crimea , was a state ruled by Crimean Tatars from 1441 to 1783. Its native name was . Its khans were the patrilineal descendants of Toqa Temür, the thirteenth son of Jochi and grandson of Genghis Khan...
KhanKhan (title)Khan is an originally Altaic and subsequently Central Asian title for a sovereign or military ruler, widely used by medieval nomadic Turko-Mongol tribes living to the north of China. 'Khan' is also seen as a title in the Xianbei confederation for their chief between 283 and 289...
(1713) - Refik Halit Karay, journalist and novelist (1913)
- Mustafa SuphiMustafa SuphiMustafa Suphi was a Turkish communist leader .- Early Years :Suphi was educated in Jerusalem, Damascus and Erzurum before attending Galatasaray High School. He studied political science in Paris, where he was also a correspondent of the Turkish newspaper Tanin...
, journalist and communist politician (1913) - Ahmet Bedevi Kuran, politician (1913)
- Refii Cevat Ulunay, journalist (1914)
- Hüseyin Hilmi, socialist politician
- Burhan Felek, journalist
- Osman Cemal Kaygılı, teacher and writer (1913)
- Zekeriya Sertel, journalist (1925-1928)
- Sabahattin AliSabahattin AliSabahattin Ali was a Turkish novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist.-Early life:He was born in 1907 in Eğridere township in Gümülcine sanjak , in the Ottoman Empire. He lived in Istanbul, Çanakkale and Edremit before he entered the school of education in Balıkesir...
, writer, poet and journalist (1932) - Kerim Korcan, novelist
- Osman Deniz, army officer
- Nazım HikmetNazim HikmetNâzım Hikmet Ran , commonly known as Nâzım Hikmet , was a Turkish poet, playwright, novelist and memoirist. He was acclaimed for the "lyrical flow of his statements"...
, poet