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The final stop for my day exploring the area around Safranbolu was Yörükköyü. It’s a small village near Safranbolu that has remained almost untouched for nearly 200 years.

 

History

Yörükköyü was founded by Yörük nomads of the Bektashi sect of Islam. There nearly 150 historic Ottoman homes in the town but only 60 are inhabited.

Yörükköyü, Turkey
Yörükköyü
Yörükköyü, Turkey
Yörükköyü

 

Why Visit?

Yörükköyü is a special place because it has homes just as spectacular as Safranbolu, but it remains quieter and much more authentic. It’s a must-visit while in Safranbolu if not just to get a sense of how life was 200 years ago.

Yörükköyü, Turkey
Yörükköyü
Yörükköyü, Turkey
Yörükköyü

 

Sipahioğlu Mansion

The most interesting place to visit in Yörükköyü is the Sipahioğlu Mansion (Sipahioğlu Konağı). This 19th century mansion is still in the hands of the family that originally built it and serves as sort of an ethnographic museum. For a virtual tour of the home, click here.

Sipahioğlu Konağı in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Sipahioğlu Mansion

The current owner of the house was a friendly man who happily showed me the rooms and explained how they were used. He also had a great collection of antiques strategically placed within the rooms.

Sipahioğlu Konağı in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Living room in the Sipahioğlu Mansion
Sipahioğlu Konağı in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Bedroom in the Sipahioğlu Mansion
Sipahioğlu Konağı in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Sipahioğlu Mansion
Sipahioğlu Konağı in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Sipahioğlu Mansion

 

Laundry House

Next, we walked to the Çamaşırhane, a 500 year old laundry house. There is a large stone table on the inside for washing the clothes. It has 12 sides and is uneven so taller women could work on one end and shorter women on the other.

Çamaşırhane in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Laundry House
Çamaşırhane in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Laundry House

 

Around Town

I then took a good half hour to wander through the town and see it for myself. Other points of interest I found were a bust of Turkish opera singer Leyla Gencer, whose father was from the town, and a small wooden mosque.

Bust of Leyla Gencer in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Bust of Leyla Gencer
Wooden mosque on the left in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Wooden mosque on the left
Wooden mosque in Yörükköyü, Turkey
Wooden mosque

 

Getting There

For my excursion to Yörükköyü, I hired a taxi to take me to Bulak Mencilis Caveİncekaya Aqueduct, and the village. The driver offered to do all three sites for a discount. There wasn’t a schedule and I was able to take my time at each site.

Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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