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The memory of prisons: from Ankara to Sinop
Photo: Panegyrics of Granovetter / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Editor's route Dark tourism

The memory of prisons: from Ankara to Sinop

Two prisons that carry some of the heaviest stories in the history of the Republic: Ulucanlar in Ankara, where executions took place, and the historic prison inside the castle walls of Sinop, where writers were held. On day one, visit Ulucanlar and set off for Sinop; on day two, explore the prison, the walls and the archaeology museum on foot.

Duration2 days
Walk≈ 3 km
Stop4
Tickets0
AP

AnatoliaPass editorsDark tourism and industrial heritage collection · last checked 22 October 2026

Respect guidelines
  • Keep your voice down in prisons, martyrs' cemeteries and memorial sites: these are places where people suffered and died.
  • Do not pose for photos in exhibitions about suffering or beside graves; photograph the place itself.
  • Do not enter ruined buildings or climb walls; do not leave the marked paths and the visitor area.
  • Do not talk loudly in the cells and the execution area; respect other visitors' grief.

Dark tourism means visiting places where people have confronted suffering, loss and hard labour: prisons, dungeons, abandoned and submerged towns, underground shelters, and the factories and mines that paid the price of industry. Every place in this collection can be visited legally and with permission; there are no routes into abandoned private property or building sites, or routes built around watching neighbourhoods where people live. Battlefields, martyrs' cemeteries and memorial sites are in the “Remembrance and mourning” collection. Please respect the story of the places you visit.

Make your own version

  1. Day 1 Ankara · Ulucanlar and the road to Sinop

  2. 1

    Ulucanlar Prison Museum

    Start: Ulucanlar, Altındağ; ≈ 10 min by taxi from Ulus · stay 120 min

    Ankara Central Closed Prison, in use from 1925 to 2006, opened as a museum in July 2011 after restoration by Altındağ Municipality. Nineteen people were executed in its courtyard; Deniz Gezmiş, Yusuf Aslan and Hüseyin İnan were hanged here in 1972, and Erdal Eren in 1980. Nâzım Hikmet, Yaşar Kemal and Bülent Ecevit were among those held here. The wards and cells are shown with reconstructions.

    Ulucanlar Prison Museum
    Photo: Gargarapalvin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Check current visiting days and hours on ulucanlarcezaevimuzesi.com before you go.

  3. Day 2 Sinop · prison, walls and museum

  4. 2

    Sinop Historic Prison

    ≈ 420 km by road from Ankara to Sinop, 5.5–6 hours with breaks (via Kastamonu or Boyabat); spend the night in Sinop · stay 120 min

    Built in the late 19th century inside the inner keep of Sinop Castle, the prison was emptied on 6 December 1997 and handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 1999. Sabahattin Ali, Refik Halit Karay and Zekeriya Sertel were held here; Sabahattin Ali wrote his poem "Aldırma Gönül" ("Never Mind, My Heart") here in 1933. You can visit the wards, cells and courtyard.

    Sinop Historic Prison
    Photo: Basak / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Sources disagree on hours and prices; check with the museum before you go.

  5. 3

    Sinop Castle walls

    ≈ 12 min walk (900 m) east through the castle to the harbour side · stay 40 min

    The inner keep that surrounds the prison was built in 1215, after the Seljuks took Sinop; part of the walls that ringed the city still stand today. On the harbour side there are boatyards in front of the walls; the height of these walls explains why the prison was called "inescapable".

    Sinop Castle walls
    Photo: Dosseman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Do not climb onto the walls; check on site which sections can be visited. Location: the castle marker on OSM.

  6. 4

    Sinop Archaeology Museum

    ≈ 7 min walk (500 m) to the town centre · stay 75 min

    Ancient finds from Sinop and the surrounding area, grave stelae, sarcophagi and icons; Roman stonework in the garden. The stop that links the stories you heard in the prison to the city's thousands of years of history.

    Sinop Archaeology Museum
    Photo: Robot8A / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

    It may be closed on Mondays; check current hours before you go.

One more day? Bursa.

Outside Istanbul

≈ 2 h 15 min · fast ferry + bus · Day trip

Why here: The first Ottoman capital. The Green Mosque, the Grand Mosque and Koza Han make an easy day trip; we suggest it if you are staying in Istanbul for more than four days. Not part of this route.

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