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Ottoman culture
is alive and well in Safranbolu,
a real museum of a town filled
with graceful Ottoman houses and
artisans working at traditional Turkish
crafts.
Industrialization came to neighboring Karabük,
a steel-making town 10 km (6 miles)
to the south, but it spared Safranbolu.
In the 1970s Turkish artists and
photographers began to notice this
historic gem of a town.
In the 1980s tourism authorities saw
its value, and the government pledged
to preserve it. Modern structures
were prohibited in its historic
neighborhoods, and traditional artisans were
encouraged to ply their crafts in
restored workshops. Costumed staff
in cafes and restaurants serve Ottoman cuisine.
Luckily, it's not at all Disneyfied.
The local people are real people,
not performers, and they love their
historic town.
Today you can stroll along its cobbled
streets and visit its graceful, well-preserved
half-timbered houses, many of which
have huge water pools in them to cool
the air on warm summer days. Several
of the best houses have been turned
into charming inns.
If you have any interest in domestic
architecture, traditional crafts or Ottoman
history, you've got to see
Safranbolu! Allow at least a full
day, and preferably at least
one night in a local inn.
Direct buses run
from Istanbul and Ankara to Karabük,
from which minibuses run you to Kiranköy,
the modern hilltop district in Safranbolu.
From Kiranköy, take a taxi or
municipal bus to your inn, which may
be down in the valley (called Çarsi,
market) about one km (6/10 mile) beyond
Kiranköy.
You can also ride the Karaelmas ('Black
Diamond') train going
from Ankara to Zonguldak,
but get out at Karabük, and take
a bus or taxi to
Safranbolu, but the train runs only
3 days per week, and takes 8 hours
from Ankara to Karabük; the bus
travels the same distance in half the
time (4 hours).
Distances & Travel Times
Amasra: 70
km (44 miles) N, 1.75 hours
Ankara: 225
km (140 miles) S, 4 hours
Bartin: 60 km (37 miles) N,
1.5 hours
Bolu: 145 km (90 miles) SW,
3 hours
Istanbul: 390
km (242 miles) W, 6 hours
Karabük: 10 km (6 miles)
SW, 15 minutes
Kastamonu: 100 km (62 miles)
E, 2 hours
Sinop: 300
km (186 miles) NE, 5.5 hours
Central
Anatolia
Black
Sea Coast
Where
to Go
Turkey
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