Sinop is on the most northern edge of the Turkish side of the Black Sea coast. We walked along the sea wall and explored the ancient ruins.
There really is not a lot to see here unless you want to visit the Fortress Prison. One of the oldest in Turkey, it was established in the late 1800 and closed in 1997. When open, the prison hosted many notable inmates who were journalist, novelist, writers and poets that were charged for political reasons.
We took in the number of boats , before wandering into Özekes knife shop. The owner was a 3rd generation master craftsman. His wife prepared tea for us and ask us to sit a while. Even though we had a language barrier we appreciated the gesture. Mister Özekes spoke English so we learned enough to realize the history of this skill is a family business that goes back to the 1890’s. During the Cold War the US military built a base near Sinop Turkey. The Özekes Shop quickly became known among soldiers for their excellent custom knives. They were perhaps best known for copies of Randall combat knives. I wish I had taken a photo of Mr. Özekes and his wife in the shop. We purchase a set of 4 knives with elk handles that are displayed on our kitchen counter today.
Labyrinth of life 