Safranbolu

Introducing Safranbolu

Every town in Turkey has its old Ottoman houses, but Safranbolu, the valley town at the heart of the new restoration movement, takes it to a different level: virtually the entire old Ottoman town has been preserved and now spruced up to such good effect that it made it onto the Unesco World Heritage list. This is as close as you’ll ever come to historical Turkey, and the town’s popularity with domestic tourists reinforces just what a rare treat this is.

The weather, too, can play a part in this unique experience: summer thunderstorms periodically close over the sunken valley like a heavy black lid, and you can watch the lightning-pierced darkness drawing on inch by inch until finally the light is gone and the rain bursts down onto the tiled roofs. Simply magic.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009