Safranbolu: A unique Anatolian city that brings history to life

It is the traditional houses of Safranbolu that have earned the city a world-wide reputation and inscribed it on UNESCO's World Heritage List, with many trailing back to 18-19th century. As you walk along Safranbolu's streets sheltering over 2000 traditional Turkish-Ottoman houses, you will grasp the opportunity of exploring the elegancy of Ottoman housing architecture and of becoming familiar with the traditional lifestyle of its hospitable locals. With their unique architecture and locations, the houses of Safranbolu give the guests insight into the former Turkish lifestyle. Because the houses were constructed on the slopes, they do not hinder one another's view and exposure to sunlight. Safranbolu adores those who set eyes on its beautiful houses that defy time with their sound stance and reflect an architecture of superior taste in company with fine wooden decoration. Some houses, designed as museums, have an eye-catching wooden artwork on ceilings and some possess an indoor pool to cool the air and to avoid fire. The name of the town derives from 'saffron', and Safranbolu is where the best quality saffron in the world is produced. The cultivation and care of saffron is very demanding, however, it is worth the effort since it is capable of coloring a fluid one hundred thousand times as heavy as the saffron itself with yellow. Being used in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetics industries, it carries the title of being the most expensive spice in the world. Safranbolu has made a name for itself with its perfectly-flavoured Turkish delight (lokum), a dessert regarded to be a leading flavour in the Turkish cuisine culture. The reason is, Safranbolu's lokum is lighter and the mineral-rich natural water sprung from Safranbolu is used in the making of this dessert; which means, you must taste and buy lokum as a gift during your visit to Safranbolu.