Bartın forests and economic activities based on forestry from 19th to 20th centuries

In this study, forestry activities carried out in the Bartın region in the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century are examined. It is aimed to determine the extent to which Bartın forests contribute to the economy of the region and the country. Bartın, one of the Western Black Sea cities, is located on the Black Sea coast and has a mild and rainy Black Sea climate. The most important gift of its geography and climate to Bartın is its rich and high quality forests. Rich and high quality forests have constituted an important economic resource. In addition, the Bartın River, one of the few rivers on which commercial activities can be carried out, has enabled the development of commercial activities in the city. This advantageous situation of Bartın contributed greatly to the economy of the region during the Ottoman period. Forestry and lumbering activities were an important source of livelihood for the people of the region, most of whom were forest peasants. Bartın's proximity to Istanbul increased the importance of Bartın forests in the supply of various products and services, especially wood raw materials. In particular, it is one of the areas where the timber required for Tersane-i Amire and Tophane-i Amire is met. With the discovery of hard coal in the Western Black Sea region in the mid-1800s, Zonguldak and the Bartın region hosted the only hard coal deposits of the Ottoman Empire. As is known, it is not possible to carry out mining activities without forests. The forests in and around Bartın were utilized to supply the mine poles required for the increasing number of mines in the region. Apart from mining activities, the shipping industry was also highly developed in Bartın. Ships of various types and sizes have been built in Bartın shipyards and shipping has an important place in Bartın's economy and social life. In our study, the forestry activities carried out in Bartın during the last period of the Ottoman Empire were examined by making use of Kastamonu and Bolu provincial salnames, reports of foreign experts, travel notes of travelers, documents of the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives and works of local researchers. As a result of the study, it was determined that Bartın's rich and high-quality forest assets, especially lumbering, shipyards, mining and lumbering, as well as forestry-based economic activities such as shipbuilding, mining, and lumbering, opened an important earning door for the local people, while these sectors played a vital role in the development of Bartın. Keywords: Bartın, Bartın Forests, shipping, logging, mining directing, forest, wood,