Inebolu's Silent Witness Transcending Time: Tevfikiye Mosque Sundial
What makes a city a “Museum City” is not only its great stories or magnificent buildings, but also its humble values with a story hidden in the alleyways, courtyards and daily life. With its 2030 vision, Inebolu has the potential to turn into an open-air museum, and there is a history waiting to be discovered in every corner. One of the most special and meaningful stops of this journey is the sundial that continues to witness time with a humble stance in the serene courtyard of the historical Tevfikiye Mosque, popularly known as the New Mosque.
When you step into the mosque courtyard, this marble dial, which welcomes you with a gentle and gentle stance, is not an ordinary piece of stone; it is a marvelous combination of science and craft. Designed in 1931 by Ahmet Ziya Akbulut, the last great sundial master, it is considered by authorities in its field to be one of the best sundials in the world.
The dial, which covers the hours between 05:00 and 19:00, when the sun can be seen in the skies of İnebolu, has a precision that does not look like today's modern clocks. It allows you to read the time almost millimetrically with the shadow by displaying the hour heads, half and quarter hours, 5 minute segments, and even the minute display.
On October 3, 2018, our country switched to permanently forward time (GMT+3), so your clock will be one hour ahead of the sundial. Therefore, do not think that the sundial is inaccurate.
A Window to Science for Future Generations
Tevfikiye Mosque Sundial is a great discovery point not only for adults or history buffs, but also for children. Bringing your children, especially primary school children, to this courtyard and explaining to them the movements of the sun, the rotation of the earth and the language of shadows through this historical artifact will add an invaluable experience.
Seeing how the knowledge of astronomy and mathematics they have read about in books has been working like clockwork on this stone since 1931 will open their horizons and ignite their curiosity about science.
As you walk through Inebolu, be sure to stop by the courtyard of Tevfikiye Mosque to read time not only in the buildings and streets, but also in the ancient language of the sky and the sun. Because time in this city is not just something that flows, but a heritage that you can touch and feel.