Sinop Prison in Turkey, which housed many notorious convicts and criminals over the course of 112 years, was converted into a museum in 2000. In the intervening 20 years, the prison hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, contributing to the region’s dark tourism. It was restored in 2020 with a 10.5 million euro grant from the European Union and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. According to reports, the historic Sinop Prison will reopen to the public in the first months of 2023 with a new face.

Sinop Governor Karaömerolu stated that the restoration will transform the prison into a center, adding, “There will be a Maritime Museum, a Justice Museum, a Culture and Art Center, reflecting our thousand-year-old shipyard. Art galleries and the Art and Literature Museum, where the works of famous writers who stayed here, will turn into a living space where panels can be made.”

Berkan Şen