Samsun Honor Monument commemorates Black Sea boatmen

The Honor Monument in Samsun, Turkey, features reliefs on its pedestal that depict the logistical contributions of mavnacılar (boatmen) during the Turkish War of Independence. These individuals transported weapons and ammunition from ships anchored in the Black Sea to the shore under the cover of night, despite hazardous maritime conditions.

Once the supplies reached the coast, they were carried by men, women, and children across Anatolia to support the resistance. This heroic effort was officially recognized by the Grand National Assembly in 1924 with the Independence Medal (İstiklal Madalyası) for the boatmen of Samsun, Inebolu, and Trabzon.

To preserve this history, the former Samsun Museum is being transformed into the 'Independence Medal Museum: Silent Heroes of the Black Sea, the Mavnacılar' exhibition space. The monument itself was commissioned to Austrian sculptor Heinrich Krippel in 1927 and was brought to Samsun in 1931.