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PART 9: Sinop, A Historic Metropolis

By contrast, Sinop-the ancient Sinope-retains some of its historic atmosphere, which is enhanced by its remarkable natural setting on the neck of a narrow peninsula with the sea on either side. Founded in the 7th century BC as a colony of Miletus, Sinop ranks as the oldest city of the Black Sea coast. Long before the rise of Trabzon it thrived as the region's most important metropolis. Its citizens included the philosopher Diogenes, inventor of Cynicism (circa 390-323 BC). The tales circulated by his detractors-that he lived naked in a tub, that he sought out "human beings" with the aid of a lamp, that he asked Alexander the Great to get out of his sun-were no doubt meant partly as comments on the Pontic temperament.

Sinope had its hour of glory under the Kings of Pontus who captured the city in 183 BC and subsequently made it their capital. The Kingdom of Pontus had its beginnings in Amasia (Amasya), where Mithridates I, an adventurer of unknown origin, carved out a domain for himself in the chaotic period following the disintegration of Alexander's empire. His power was based on the Persianized local aristocracy of Asia Minor. His successors adopted the language and outward forms of Hellenism, and steadily expanded their power throughout northern Anatolia.
What otherwise would have been an obscure local kingdom achieved its place in world history through the remarkable personality of Mithridates VI Eupator. With single-minded persistence and unscrupulous choice of means, Eupator fought against Roman expansionism in the east for a period of half a century (113-63 BC). He exploited every crack and every discontent in the Roman system, rallying local Anatolian potentates into a common front, posing as the liberator of Greek cities, sending aid to anti Roman rebels in distant Spain. Defeated in turn by the Scipio brothers, Marius, Sulla and Lucullus, he came back each time with a new offensive. Finally defeated by Pompey, he escaped, a lonely old man, through the mountains of the Black Sea to Crimea. He committed suicide there in 63 after the failure of yet another attempted
comeback. Having inured himself to all types of poison during his lifetime, he was forced to have a servant run him through with a sword.
He is cited as the earliest leader of a "national" resistance struggle. The extent of his alliances, ranging from Spain to Crimea and Syria, suggests that he might have tried to play a bigger game had he won. One can only imagine how history would have evolved if a Sinopean Empire had succeeded to grow at the expense of the budding Roman. Would the Pope, perhaps, hail now from the Pontic shores?
Possibly anticipating an imperial role, Mithridates is said to have adorned his capital with splendid colonnades, agorae, gymnasia and other staples of Hellenistic architecture. Only the citadel, the ruins of a Temple of Serapis in the city center (2nd century BC) and the defensive wall across the neck of the peninsula survive. The citadel is now occupied by a US military installation which reportedly houses an important listen ing, post. It explains the presence of a surprising number of Americans in Sinop, some of whom speak fluent Russian. They, in turn, account for amenities like several good bars and eateries as well as the only formally designated jogging lane in all Turkey. The latter leads to the excellent Karakum Beach located at the tip of the Sinop Peninsula. At the beach hotel, one can rent windsurf equipment and arrange fishing expeditions.
In 1214, about the same time as the formation of the breakaway Byzantine Empire in Trebizond, Sinop was captured by the Seljuk Turks. The Sultans developed the city as the main northern seaport of their Kingdom, just as Alanya was growing as its main southern outlet. The Alaiye Medresesi is a former theological school dating from that period and has now been con¬erted into a museum. Its splendid carved wood minber has recently been re-moved to a museum in Istanbul. The Ulucami (or Alaaddin Camii) mosque is dated 1267. The tombs of
the Isfendiyaroglu beys who ruled in Sinop and Kastamonu between 1301 and the Ottoman conquest of 1458 are located within the mosque complex. Another little mosque associated with the 14th century Seyid Bilal Mausoleum offers a good view of the town from a hilltop position. The only sig-nificant Christian monument. the ruined Balat Church, located within the premises of a Byzantine palace, dates from 660. It retains some badly dammed frescoes from the 17th century while its fine I Sth and 19th century icons are displayed at the city museum.
The Inceburun Peninsula which extends west of Sinop forms the northernmost point in Turkey. It is a region of striking natural beauty. Highlights include fjord-like Hamsilos Bay with the forest reachim, down to the shore. Cape Inceburun which is hatching ground for various rare species of birds, and Sarikum Beach where sand dunes, forest and a lagoon combine to create a memorable setting