10-10 Sinop, Turkey

What a glorious day!  Rain, wind, and cooler temperatures were forecast for today, but it turned out to be one of the nicest days we’ve had so far.  It was sunny and mild.

This city gets its name from the the Greek  Sinope who was the daughter of a river goddess. Zeus fell in love with her and promised he would grant all her wishes. She wished to remain a virgin, so Zeus kept his word and left her untouched.  She then came to the place of present Sinop.

From the ship, we could see the old walls and tower that surrounded the city.  Later in the day, we climbed the tower and had a great view of the city and Black Sea.

There were only two excursions offered today.  We did the “Treasures of Sinop” tour.  Our first stop was an added bonus and unscheduled on our tour.  But the tour guide said everyone who went here loved it and so she wanted to include it.  It was an old Ottoman home dating back to the 1800s.  The entrance had a beautiful garden area with flowers blooming.  It was 3 stories, the top two being wooden. 

Inside was such a wonderful surprise.  Each room showed a different part of a family’s life back then – at least for the rich families. 

For example, one room was a bridal room next to the room where the women spent time before the wedding getting the bride ready.  Across the hall was the room for the men, complete with a pipe for smoking hash. There were rooms that displayed weapons, jewelry, weaving, etc.  It was a great addition to the tour.

After that we went to the Archaeological Museum which was small but excellent. It was built in 1921. The outside was as interesting as the inside.  We began outside looking at monuments that had been in cemeteries.  Since the Muslim religion prohibits depicting “likenesses” or statues, the only place this could be done was on the tombstone.  These stones were very decorative and beautifully carved out of stone.  While outside, we were served juices, cheeses, cookies, and pastries.  They were very good!

On the inside of the museum, there was a large collection of coins.  There were displays of jewelry, cookware, and even a life size display of an adobe looking oven that also served to heat the homes.  The other highlight was the gallery of icons – other museums we’ve seen had mosaics and frescos – which were beautiful paintings of religious symbols on the wood from chestnut trees.  They were beautifully preserved.

Just down the street (everything is very close) was the Alaaddin Mosque, unlike some of the other mosques we’ve seen – this was typical of the Seljukian period.  It is used for Muslims to pray only.   The typical water fountain outside for cleansing purposes was in the outside courtyard.  There was one minaret and unlike others we have seen, it was separated from the actual building used for prayers.  After removing our shoes, we went inside.  It was like the others we have seen with the staircase and main prayer area.  We also saw the prayer beads that contain 99 beads – one for each of the aspects Muslims attribute to Allah. 

The inside of the Mosque is never used for weddings or funerals.  Weddings are a civil affair for the most part.  For funerals, the body is put in a plain wooden casket (which is “recycled” for others afterwards!) and then put on a stone table in front of the Mosque.  This is where the ceremony takes place.

We learned that the chanting that comes across the loudspeakers from the minaret are not always a call to prayer.  They can be to announce someone’s death – his name and when the ceremony will take place, etc.

We then walked across the street to visit the Pervane Medressah religious school built in the 13th century.  It is now a handicraft center with locally made items.  We bought some more Turkish delight cookies.  There were more snacks here as well.

We then were taken back to the ship, where we got off and went back into town to look around the shops.  We went to several boat stores because this town is where little wooden boats are handcrafted.  We met some teenagers who spoke to us and were interested in practicing their English.  Two were especially nice and helped us find an Internet spot.  They took an hour of their time to make sure we not only found the right place, but knew how much we had to pay ($1 for an hour!), and that we could get connected, etc.  They were great ambassadors for their country! 

Back to the ship to dump our stuff and get a quick bite to eat – then back into town for another hour or so to enjoy the beautiful weather and park/walkway by the sea.  Unlike Trabzon, this city has its pedestrian area right on the waterway instead of a highway.  In the water, we were surprised to see so many white jellyfish – there were hundreds and hundreds of them! Because it was Sunday, there were many people out enjoying the day as well, so we saw many locals.  

What we found was how friendly the Turkish people are – from children to adults.  One older gentleman on the promenade just came up to Doug, smiled, and shook is hand.  He didn’t say a word – just a smile and handshake.  We talked to other passengers who all said the same thing and had stories of their own about how friendly the people were. 

We found this laid back town one of our favorite ports.