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The small city center of Kastamonu has a lot of interesting sights to offer. It doesn’t take a very long time to walk through the city.
Nasrullah Bridge
A good place to start exploring Kastamonu is near Nasrullah Bridge (Nasrullah Köprüsü), an old Ottoman bridge that crosses over the river through the middle of town. Unfortunately, it’s not fully intact. The ends were destroyed to build the main roads through town.
Republic Square
On the east side of the river is Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı), a large square that contains the stunning Kastamonu Governorship building (Kastamonu Valiliği). The centerpiece of the square is a monument to Atatürk that honors Kastamonu’s contribution to the Turkish Independence War.
Nasrullah Mosque
Nasrullah Square (Nasrullah Meydanı) lies to the west of the bridge in the city center. This square contains several historic buildings. The most prominent is the Nasrullah Mosque (Nasrullah Camii), which was built in 1506.
Caravanserais
Two 15th century caravanserais are the other historic buildings on the square. The Kurşunlu Han, currently a hotel, was built in 1443. The Aşirefendi Han (Aşirefendi Hanı) is the other one. The Cem Sultan Bedesten (Cem Sultan Bedesteni), a historic workshop built in 1469, is just off the square.
Yılanlı Mosque
Behind Nasrullah Mosque is the Yılanlı Mosque (Yılanlı Camii), which contains a small Seljuk gate from the original mosque built in 1272, and the Münire Sultan Madrasa (Münire Sultan Medresesi), an Islamic school built in 1746 now serving as a craft market.
Ottoman Palace
The Ottoman Palace (Osmanlı Sarayı), a former Ottoman government building built in 1915, is also near the center. It now functions as a hotel. The historic Arabapazarı Hamam (Arabapazarı Hamamı), built in 1515, is located across the street.
Ottoman Mansions
The city center is full of modern buildings, but once in a while you’ll come across a few impressive Ottoman mansions. With all the restoration work underway during my visit, it was obvious that many of these buildings had been neglected for years, but the owners finally see the potential and have been investing a good amount of money in them. Kastamonu could be a solid tourist destination if the majority of these buildings were restored.
