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The UNESCO World Heritage listed old town of Safranbolu is well-known for its collection of beautifully restored traditional Ottoman homes and mansions. While exploring the town, you’ll find all kinds of different homes that have been turned into boutique hotels, restaurants, or ethnographic museums.
Kaymakamlar House
One of the most impressive homes open for visit is the 18th century Kaymakamlar House (Kaymakamlar Evi). It’s a large mansion that has an impressive display of Ottoman life in every room. Adult admission is 75₺ (as of August 2024) and includes admission to the City History Museum on the same day.
Rooms include a men’s meeting room, bedrooms, the kitchen, and a bridal room – all complete with creepy yet comical mannequins.
During Ottoman times, women lived their daily lives separated from men. This is clearly shown in the displays.
Historic Home
On the small main square where you find taxis and buses to the new town, there’s a historic home that’s open to the public. It features original Ottoman home furnishings and more creepy mannequins.
Asmazlar Mansion
As I mentioned earlier, many homes in Safranbolu have been turned into boutique hotels, such as the Asmazlar Mansion (Asmazlar Konağı) (for a virtual tour, click here). If you have time, it might be worth popping into them to see how they’ve been transformed.
