Safranbolu

The City of Safranbolu is an example of a typical Ottoman trade town.
It has played a key role in the caravan trade on the main route between Europe and the Orient.

The Old Town preserves many old buildings, with 1008 registered historical artifacts. These are: 1 private museum, 25 mosques, 5 tombs, 8 historical fountains, 5 Turkish baths, 3 caravanserais, 1 historical clock tower, 1 sundial and hundreds of houses and mansions. Also there are mounds of ancient settlements, rock tombs and historical bridges. The Old Town is situated in a deep ravine in a fairly dry area in the rain shadow of the mountains.

The name of the town derives from saffron, since Safranbolu was a trading place and a center for growing saffron.

Year Decision Comments
1994 Inscribed Reasons for inscription
1992DeferredMore Info on boundaries

Reviews

Peter Day (UK):
August 2008. Safranbolu is a lovely old town stuffed with the beautiful wood frame houses built by the merchants. Some of these are open as museum houses, others have been turned into guest houses - some well, others not. Very relaxing to wander round the narrow lanes of the old town, scramble up to the castle and clock tower for a panoramic view, take a tour of some surrounding areas to take in the caves, the ancient aquaduct. Doesn't feel over-run by tourists.
Date posted: September 2008


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