I’ve been here and there constantly for the last two months. While I was thinking of being at home this weekend and tidying up the surroundings, my wife said, “Come on, let’s go to Safranbolu” after breakfast on Saturday. While wondering whether we should go or whether it was too late, we found ourselves on the road. Actually, it’s not a short distance. The distance between Istanbul and Safranbolu is approximately 415 kilometers. But is it worth it? Definitely. Around 11:00 in the morning, we took only one day’s clothes with us and got into the car. Since we were out until late the night before, we were extremely tired. While I was thinking about having a coffee or something, we saw a Starbucks around Şekerpınar in the direction of Kocaeli. And it’s a drive-thru service 🙂 We’ve been going to this road for years and have never seen it before. More precisely, we haven’t seen it yet, the store has just opened. This was the surprise of the day for us. When you think of a drive-thru, don’t think of a small Starbucks; it is a very large store with 3 floors. We immediately got in line and placed the order. It didn’t even take 3 minutes to get our coffees. If you pass by here, I definitely recommend it. A clean and decent stopping point. Now that we are in a good mood, we continue on our way. Safranbolu is a place I have been to many times before. As you know, I am from Sinop. Safranbolu was our stopping point many times between Sinop and Istanbul. However, it will be a first for Murat. Of course, I don’t stop and on the way I tell Murat what I remember about Safranbolu. We don’t understand how the road passes, we arrive in Safranbolu around 15.30. Its known date is BC. Dating back to 3000 BC, Safranbolu is one of our cultural assets that has taken its place in the World Cultural Heritage List. Thanks to the advantage of its geographical location, it has been an administrative and commercial center for years. The settlement, which hosts approximately 48,000 people today, takes its name from the rare plant called saffron that grows in the region. Saffron flower; It is used in the pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries. The best quality saffron in the world is produced in Safranbolu. When you say Safranbolu, the first thing that comes to your mind and appears before your eyes will most likely be the historical houses of Safranbolu. These houses, which reflect classical Ottoman architecture, were included in the World Heritage List on December 17, 1994. These historical whitewashed houses, with lower floors of stone and upper floors made of wood and adobe, mostly 3-storey, are the symbol of Safranbolu. One of the most important features of Safranbolu houses is that no house blocks the sun and view of the other house. Corrugated tiles are dominant on the roofs and wood is dominant in the windows and doors. There are wooden decorations on the ceilings, walls and cabinets of the rooms. The wooden cages used to decorate houses are called “musabak”. Most of them have small ornamental pools on the ground floor. Three generations lived together in historical houses. Every house has a large central hall and small rooms opening to this hall. A nuclear family lived in each of these rooms, which had their own closet and bathroom. These houses are gathered in two different places in Safranbolu. They call the first episode “City”. This is the section used as winter accommodation in the lower part, intertwined with the bazaar. The second part is the summer part called “Bağlar”, which is a little higher and gets more breeze. Of course, since not every family has a house both in the city and in the vineyards, the use of the house varies from season to season. Since the middle floor can be heated more easily, they prefer the middle floor in winter and the upper floor in summer. The bottom floor belonged to animals. We agree on a one-night stay in one of the historical mansions, which has been converted into a hotel today, and park the car. After all, the best way to explore the historical city is to walk around it. The heart of life in Safranbolu is the historical city, which is the center where all trade and production takes place. The most important places to visit here are Cinci Han and its bath, Yemeniciler Bazaar, Demirciler Bazaar, Coppersmiths’ Bazaar, Asmazlar Mansion, Clock Tower, the current City History Museum, which is the former Government Office, Sundial, mosques and fountains. Tokatlı Canyon can also be visited in the surrounding area. In particular, the glass terrace on the canyon, completed in 2012, is 80 meters above the ground. It is recommended. Cinci Inn and its bath is a building consisting of two parts: rooms and a stable. The building, which consists of 2 floors and 62 rooms, was built to meet the needs of a caravan coming here. What is important for the caravan is that he can tie his horse, wash himself and buy various needs. Cinci Han and its bath, together with the adjacent market, can meet all these needs. Since Safranbolu has been located on trade routes throughout history, the concept of bazaar is very developed here. One of the most important bazaars is Yemeniciler Arasta. In fact, this is a bazaar where handmade leather shoes called “yemeni” are lined up with 48 wooden shops. Here, everyone, from master to apprentice, worked together. After here, we go to Arasta Coffeehouse and drink Turkish Coffee to relax a bit. The coffee, which has been serving since 1661, is amazing in its cooking, presentation and taste. Black mulberry sherbet and saffron Turkish delight are served on the side. Safranbolu Turkish Delight is different from other types of Turkish delight because it is less sweet and lighter. Especially my favorite is double roasted. But hazelnut, saffron, mastic, coconut, chocolate and rose varieties are also among the most preferred ones. Since we are talking about delicacies, let’s not skip the tandoori kebab, bellows meat okra, and walnut buns. Other prominent flavors are bendeme, peruhi, walnut keşli yayin, long and sliced ​​beans, keskek, and saffron zerde. Returning to our trip, another market area is the old tannery located at the junction of Akçasu and Gümüş streams. Right next to Yemeniciler Arasta, Köprülü Mehmet Pasha Mosque, one of the most important mosques of Safranbolu, is located. The most important feature of this mosque is that it is the first mosque built in Safranbolu. Even though Safranbolu is a small settlement, it has many mosques. İzzet Pasha Mosque, Kazdağlıoğlu Mosque, Kaçak Lütfiye Mosque are important mosques that you can visit, both historically and architecturally. Our last stop is Hıdırlık Hill, where the Turks besieged Safranbolu. On this hill overlooking the city, the Tomb of Köstendil District Governor Hasan Pasha, Hızır Pasha and Dr. The graves of Ali Yaver Ataman can also be seen. On the Hıdırlık slope, Kaymakamlar Mansion, which is an education center today, can be seen. This mansion is also one of the best examples of typical Safranbolu mansions. Other mansions worth seeing in Safranbolu: Mümtazlar Mansion, Kileciler Mansion, Mektepçiler Mansion, Havuzlu Asmazlar Mansion. The building, which was the former Government Office, now serves as the City History Museum. If you have time, you can spend 1-2 hours in this museum and learn the history of the region in more depth. Safranbolu; It is an ideal weekend getaway spot for those who want to walk peacefully on the cobblestone streets, take a bath with its historical mansions and make their stomachs happy. Have a nice trip in advance… Mavimore Tourism is a travel agency registered with TÜRSAB. Document number: A-8307