Safranbolu

Template: Infobox city in Turkey / Maintenance / County

Safranbolu (formerly Dadibra, Zalifra ) is a small town in north central Anatolia in Turkey and the capital of a district in the province of Karabük; it is 10 km north of Karabük. Because of their specific half-timbered houses townscape it is in the list of world cultural heritage of UNESCO since 1994. A delicacy Safranbolus is " Turkish Delight ", a syrup -based candy.

Before the great military conflicts of the years 1919-1922, which the National Turkish troops under the command of Mustafa Kemal Pasha, became later known as Atatürk, fought against the Greek invasion army were, the inhabitants of Safranbolu to a considerable extent Greeks: These settled in the a result of the Treaty of Lausanne of July 24, 1923 at her home to Greece.

Origin of the name

There are several hypotheses to name Safranbolu. The author Nisanyan is the former name as Theodoroupolis and thus designate a place from the time of the Eastern Roman Empire. This then had arisen Sadrabolu and then Safranbolu. According to Bilge Umar, however Dadybra was the original form. Was in adaptation to the Turkish way of speaking of it first Zalifre, later Zağfiran Borglu become. As secured in any case that the name has nothing to do with saffron.

City ​​Topography

The city is divided into three parts, the old city center Carsi Bölgesi, the modern center Kiranköy Bölgesi and the upper town Bağlar that once served as a kind of summer. In particular, the lower and upper part have numerous traditional houses and have therefore preserved as one of the few places in Turkey, a medieval-like atmosphere. These houses are mostly three storeys: On a stone-built ground floor there are two further floors which consist of plastered timber, composed of fairly narrow compartments. Safranbolu is like an open air museum of traditional Turkish, but this Greek influenced architecture.

The Undercity

This oldest part was originally a stage station on one of the branches of the so-called Silk Road. 700 years Safranbolu was an important base for the East-West trade caravans. This function testified today, the mighty building of the caravanserai in the middle, the " Cinci Han" means. Their fortress-like character Mark narrow windows and loopholes. Inside is a wide courtyard where there are two tiers of arcades, in the middle of a fountain. Today the building houses a boutique hotel is housed, the guest room once served the merchants lodging and accommodation for their goods. The pack animals were on the ground floor in a large hall. The caravanserai senior managers had an apartment in the towering over the single gate tower.

In the vicinity is the artisan district is located to the bazaar where modern shops are available, in addition to those souvenirs saffron and other herbs are sold. Here, however, work still single, the traditional guilds of smiths belonging to craftsmen. The forging of iron is a traditional source of income in the province Karabük. In the old workshops horseshoe, iron nails, mesh and other metal objects are forged.

The houses around the bazaar are two mosques dominated, was donated by its former reigning 1656-1661 Grand Vizier Mehmed Koprulu, after which she bears her name; There is a Roman sundial in its courtyard. The second mosque of the late 18th century is named after its founder Izzet Mehmet Pasha ( 1743-1812 ) named, who was from 1794 to 1798 and Grand Vizier came from Safranbolu itself; his sarcophagus -like Türbe ( grave monument) is seen in the courtyard. The interior decoration of the mosque is reminiscent of Central European Rococo., Include a library for subsequent building complex. Between the two mosques, the large building of the hamam, the Turkish bath rises, with several domes crowning the roof. Furthermore, there is the Dağdelen Mosque ( also 18th century) and the standing on an arc above the Safranbolu River Kalpak or Lütfiye Mosque, which was built in the 19th century. A little above the lower town is a neo-classical palace from the 19th century, which was the town hall earlier but now houses the municipal museum. From here you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the historic center.

Central and Upper Town

The subsequent to the north central part of town is the center of busy modern life. Here is another, rather nondescript mosque. Further up towards extends to the whole city towering castle hill with the Seljuk fortress the Upper Town with its loosely houses built in the style of the lower city core: These were used in the hot season as a villa-like summer residences of the inhabitants of the old Safranbolu. From the fortress hill itself, one can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire city.

Environment Safranbolus

In the surroundings you can visit the natural cave Bulak Magarasi whose to SIGHTSEEING part is around 400 meters long, while the total length is about six kilometers. The cave extends over three levels, the average is traversed by a stream that forms a waterfall, which is about 15 meters high.

In the other direction you reach an aqueduct from the Ottoman era, the Inceköprü Safranbolu - aqueduct. He crosses in kinked routing a stream that flows in a picturesque deep valley. Today, at this point open-air events.

In the wider area of the city's famous saffron crocuses are grown, especially in today Davutobasi a 20km distant village of Safranbolu.

Attractions

• Traditional Ottoman houses with a rectangular water basin ( havuz ) in the house
• Residence of Süleyman Pasha
• Greek Town Hall
• Cinci Hani, a caravanserai in the 17th century
• Cinci Hamam, hammam 17th century
• Su Kemeri, a Byzantine aqueduct seven kilometers north of the village Incekaya