Safranbolu
Municipality
Town of Safranbolu
Town of Safranbolu
Safranbolu is located in Turkey
Safranbolu
Safranbolu
Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 41°14′58″N 32°41′00″E / 41.24944°N 32.68333°E / 41.24944; 32.68333
CountryTurkey
ProvinceKarabük
DistrictSafranbolu
Government
 • MayorElif Köse (CHP)
Elevation
508 m (1,667 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
52,999
Time zoneTRT (UTC+3)
Area code0370
ClimateCfa
Websitewww.safranbolu.bel.tr
CriteriaCultural: ii, iv, v
Reference614
Inscription1994 (18th Session)
Area193 ha

Safranbolu (Greek: Σαφράμπολις, Saphrampolis) is a town in Karabük Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Safranbolu District.[2] Its population is 52,999 (2022).[1] It is about 9 km north of the city of Karabük, 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of Ankara and about 100 km south of the Black Sea coast. The town's historic names in Greek were Theodoroupolis (Θεοδωρούπολις, i.e. city of Theodorus or female Theodora) and later Saphrampolis (Σαφράμπολις). Its former names in Turkish were Zalifre and Taraklıborlu. It was part of Kastamonu Province until 1923 and Zonguldak Province between 1923 and 1995. The town lies at an elevation of 508 m (1,667 ft).[3]

According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, the kaza of Safranbolu had a total population of 52,523, consisting of 49,197 Muslims and 3,326 Greeks.[4]

The Old Town preserves many historic buildings, with 1008 registered historical artifacts. These are: 1 private museum, 25 mosques, 5 tombs, 8 historical fountains, 5 Turkish baths, 3 caravanserais, 1 historical clock tower, 1 sundial and hundreds of houses and mansions. Also, there are mounds of ancient settlements, rock tombs and historical bridges. The Old Town is situated in a deep ravine in a fairly dry area in the rain shadow of the mountains. The New Town can be found on the plateau about two kilometers west of the Old Town.

The name of the town derives from "saffron" and the Greek word polis (πόλις) meaning "city",[5][6] since Safranbolu was a trading place and a center for growing saffron.[5][6] Today, saffron is still grown at the village of Davutobası to the east of Safranbolu, with a road distance of 22 kilometres.[5][6]

Safranbolu was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1994 due to its well-preserved Ottoman era houses and architecture.[7]

A panoramic view from the historical town

Sister cities

Notable natives

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  2. ↑ İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  3. ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc. "Geographical information on Safranbolu, Turkey". Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  4. ↑ Kemal Karpat (1985), Ottoman Population, 1830-1914, Demographic and Social Characteristics, The University of Wisconsin Press, p. 138-139
  5. 1 2 3 "Safranbolu". World Heritage Site. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 "Saffron Harvest in the Land of the Golden Plant". Cornucopia. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  7. ↑ "City of Safranbolu". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved 3 February 2017.
  8. ↑ Elabuga and Safranbolu become sister cities Archived May 3, 2014, at the Wayback Machine

Further reading

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