Authors: Korhan Bircan, Murat Bircan, Ugur Young, Nili Liphschitz
Project Context: A collaborative research and conservation initiative started in 2012 to preserve the last remaining examples of traditional woodcraft in Sinop.
Abstract
This study documents the scientific investigation and initial conservation phases of the Çapar, a traditional Black Sea vessel type that has managed to survive from the late Ottoman and early Republican eras. As woodcraft traditions began to vanish due to modern industrial shifts, this project was initiated to prevent the total loss of this unique maritime typology.
Structural Documentation: Led by researchers Korhan Bircan and Murat Bircan, the project produced the first-ever technical construction plans and cross-sectional drawings of the Çapar, documenting its unique symetrical “double-ended” design and traditional “armuz” planking method.
Botanical Identification: In collaboration with Prof. Dr. Nili Liphschitz (Tel Aviv University), microscopic wood anatomy analyses were conducted. These tests identified the primary materials as Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris) and Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa), providing insight into the historical timber preferences of Black Sea shipbuilders.
Conservation Status: The vessel, currently protected at the Sinop Historical Prison Museum, underwent a detailed “damage assessment” identifying biological decay (fungal and insect activity) and physical deformation.
This study remains the most comprehensive scientific documentation of the last surviving Çapar vessel. Although the planned full-scale restoration could not be brought to completion due to institutional challenges, the project succeeded in creating a permanent “digital and botanical archive” of this vanishing typology. It stands as a vital reference and a scientific “warning” for the urgent need to protect traditional Black Sea maritime heritage before it disappears entirely.
A life, K., A life, M., Teen, The. ve Liphschitz, N. (2014). “An Important Discovery of Black Sea Traditional Boat Types: Capar Boat”, 29. Meeting Archeometry Results, (27-31 Mayıs 2013, Sitki Kocaman University, Muğla), Publications of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, 216-227.