What does it take to become a national hero? Sadun Boro Heykeli stands here as a testament to one man’s incredible journey. This monument commemorates Sadun Boro the first Turkish sailor to circumnavigate the globe.
Sadun Boro was born in Istanbul in 1928. From a young age he was captivated by the sea. He spent his childhood in Kadıköy on the Marmara Sea coast. Even as a high school student he traded his rowing boat for a sailboat.
After graduating from Galatasaray High School in 1948 Boro went to England. He studied textile engineering at the University of Manchester. In 1952 Boro made his first ocean voyage. It was from the British Islands to the Caribbean Islands. He sailed on the Ling with an Englishman. The journey lasted six months. His story was published in the Turkish daily Cumhuriyet. Later in 2004 it was compiled in his book Bir Hayalin Peşinde.
In 1963 Boro had a 10.5 m sloop built. It was built in Üsküdar Istanbul and named Kısmet. He even made the sail himself. He used the textile plant where he worked in Çukurova.
On August 22 1965 Boro began his circumnavigation. He sailed westabout from Istanbul with his German-born wife Oda Boro. They sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. They reached the Canary Islands. There they took a housecat aboard. They named it Miço Turkish for shipmate. Crossing the Atlantic they arrived in Barbados and the Caribbean. They passed through the Panama Canal and sailed the Pacific Ocean. They visited the Galápagos Islands Marquesas Islands and Tahiti. Their route included Tonga Fiji and New Guinea. They sailed through the Torres Strait to Timor Indonesia and Singapore. Crossing the Bay of Bengal they reached Ceylon now Sri Lanka. They sailed the Arabian Sea and Red Sea. A truck carried them from Eilat to Haifa. Back in the Mediterranean their last stop was Israel.
On June 15 1968 Boro arrived back in Istanbul. His voyage had lasted 1028 days. He was greeted by his mother and cheered as a national hero. He became the first Turkish global circumnavigator.
His memories were published in the daily Hürriyet. Later they were written in his book Pupa Yelken. This monument features Sadun Boro at the wheel of his sloop. His wife Oda stands beside him. They are sailing on the globe. The Sadun Boro Heykeli stands in front of Kalamış Marina. It commemorates his incredible achievement.
Between 1977 and 1979 Boro sailed to the Caribbean and the US East Coast. He sailed with his wife and eight-year-old daughter Deniz. After 1980 he settled in Bodrum and Gökova. He devoted himself to protecting nature. He especially focused on Gökova Göcek and Fethiye. Boro wanted to inspire love for nature in young people. He published articles in newspapers and journals. He had a mermaid statue erected in Gökova with an inscription. It reads “This mermaid has traveled many seas to find her dream heaven. She reached Gökova.”
Boro donated his sloop Kısmet to the Rahmi M Koç Museum. It is a museum in Istanbul about transport and industry. Boro sailed Kısmet for 46 years. He covered about 150000 nautical miles.
Sadun Boro died on June 5 2015. He was 87 years old. He was buried in Karacasöğüt Cemetery in Marmaris. His last voyage was a memorial tour along the Turkish Riviera.
Today Sadun Boro Heykeli reminds us of his adventurous spirit. It also honors other Turkish sailors who circumnavigated the globe. This monument is a tribute to a life of passion courage and dedication to the sea.