Historic Sinop High Security Prison, one of Turkey’s most famous prisons, is located within the ancient Sinop Castle. The prison, where many famous writers, artists and dissidents served their sentences, has inspired a multitude of poems and songs. Referred to as "Anatolia's Alcatraz", the prison was abandoned in 1997 and turned into a museum in 1999. The historical prison is situated within the thick and high castle walls, which are surrounded by the sea on three sides. According to archaeological data, the castle in which the prison is located was constructed during the Hellenistic period. It was subsequently used with additions during the Roman and Byzantine periods, and a large shipyard was constructed during the Seljuk period. During the Ottoman period, the bastions of the inner castle were used as dungeons. The renowned Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi references this dungeon in his travelogue, describing it as follows: "It is a huge and terrible castle. It has 300 iron gates, guards like giants, many notorious prisoners tied to iron bars, from whose moustaches you could hang ten men. The guards prowl its bastions like dragons. God forbid, they would not let a bird fly from there, let alone an escaped prisoner". In 1887, the prison building was constructed by Veysel Pasha, the Mutasarrif (governor of an Ottoman province) of Sinop. This marked the official transformation of the castle into a prison. The historical prison, constructed of ashlar stonework, is a U-shaped building with a north-south orientation. It comprises 28 wards and workshops, divided into three sections separated by high courtyard walls. In 1939, a further edifice was constructed adjacent to the prison to serve as a juvenile detention facility. While Sabahattin Ali is the most prominent figure among those who served their sentences here, it would be remiss not to mention the contributions of other notable individuals, including Refik Halit Karay, Mustafa Suphi, Ahmet Bedevi Kuran, Kerim Korcan, Eşber Yağmurdereli, Burhan Felek, Osman Deniz, Osman Cemal Kaygılı, Zekeriya Sertel and Refi Cevat. While You Are Here... Tatlıca Waterfalls in Tatlıca Village of Erfelek district offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a cooling and refreshing experience. The region, also known as "Erfelek Nature Park", comprises 28 waterfalls, both large and small, situated within the same valley. This two-kilometre narrow valley provides a serene setting for an exciting walk accompanied by waterfalls.
HISTORICAL SİNOP PRISON
