Preparation for the “5th Lakerda Festival” in Sinop: It has a history of 3,000 years.

The 5th edition of the traditional “Lakerda Festival” in Sinop will be held this year from November 14 to 17.
Sinop Culture and Tourism Association Vice President Çobanoğlu announced that the tradition of the Lakerda Festival will take place once again at the Sinop Sabahattin Ali Cultural Center from November 14 to 17.

“A heritage of 3,000 years”
In a press statement, Çobanoğlu also touched on the historical roots of the festival, stating, “Thanks to its natural harbor, Sinop is in a much more advantageous position compared to all other cities on the Black Sea coast. Due to this position, it is a port city with a historical maritime and fishing heritage dating back to 1000 BC, making its living from fishing. Unlike cities that only use the sea for summer tourism, it has the chance to benefit from fish gastronomy tourism with value-added products (processed fish and seafood). Inspired by the findings from archaeological excavations in Sinop, where salted and dried fish were found that were transported in pithos during ancient times, the goal of the Sinop Culture and Tourism Association, which was initiated in 2016, was to promote the production of ‘lakerda,’ which has a historical background of 3,000 years and is part of the fishing culture in Sinop, thus contributing to the preservation of this tradition for the future. Of course, in addition to this, we aimed to develop seafood gastronomy and pave the way for the greater integration of maritime and fishing into our lives,” he said.

Çobanoğlu announced the prizes for the lakerda-making competition held as part of the festival, stating, “Our first prize will be 40,000 lira, our second prize will be 25,000 lira, and our third prize will be 15,000 lira.”

He invited all citizens
Sinop Mayor Metin Gürbüz invited all Sinop residents and citizens from all over Turkey to the Lakerda Festival, which will take place from November 14 to 17. Mayor Gürbüz emphasized that Sinop offers beauty in every season, particularly highlighting its unique charm in autumn. He stated that the festival will play a significant role in promoting Sinop’s gastronomic values, saying, “I would like to remind our travelers, guests, and both domestic and foreign tourists who prefer autumn once again about the dates of November 14 to 17. This year, we will host an ambitious festival where seafood will be promoted, and Sinop will take its share from the gastronomy of processed seafood. I invite all Sinop residents and our citizens across the country to join us in Sinop, to participate in our festival, and to experience the beauties of our festival.”