All the way back in June, we spent nearly a week in the Turkish capital of Ankara, with a fabulous overnight in Safranbolu, a UNESCO World Heritage site. I was a little unsure whether I'd like Safranbolu -- there's not a lot to do but admire the exterior of the restored historic houses -- but it was absolutely charming, a wonderfully laid-back afternoon and evening. I'm not much of a foodie, but omg, we also ate the single greatest meal I've had in Turkey, an amazing baked rice-cheese-pine nut appetizer and kofte in a tomato sauce, and when I can figure out the name of the restaurant, I will add it here. :) [Update: The restaurant was Kadioglu Sehzade Sofrasi, and it's just to the right of where the top photo was taken.]
We stayed at Selvili Kosk, a restored Ottoman house in the historic quarter of Carsi. The place was nearly empty (probably because Safranbolu was nearly empty mid-week) and it felt like we had the whole house to ourselves -- and we had an amazing bedroom upstairs, with high ceilings and the traditional closet bathroom, with the toilet in one cupboard and a (modern) shower in the other.
Safranbolu has a couple of museums to visit, but the only one we went into was Kaymakamlar Muze Evi, another restored house, but this one complete with mannequins. It was interesting enough for 20 minutes, but I mention it because of the photo below, that of the whirling closet. According to the sign, it was used by the ladies of the house, who were segregated in times past, to serve food and drink to foreign visitors without being seen.
But for the most part, we just wandered around Safranbolu enjoying the ambiance. It was just exceptionally lovely.
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