View source for Safranbolu

{{Infobox Turkey place
| type                 = municipality
| name                 = Safranbolu
| other_name           = 
| image_skyline        = 20180107_Safranbolu_1945_(39101010504).jpg
| image_caption        = Town of Safranbolu
| image_shield         = 
| coordinates          = {{Coord|41|14|58|N|32|41|00|E|scale:50000|display=it}}
| province             = Karabük
| district             = Safranbolu
| leader_party         = CHP
| leader_name          = Elif Köse
| area_footnotes       = 
| area_total_km2       = 
| elevation_m          = 508
| population_footnotes = <ref name=tuik/>
| population_total     = 52999
| population_as_of     = 2022
| postal_code          = 
| area_code            = 0370
| website              = {{url|https://www.safranbolu.bel.tr/}}
| blank1_name                     = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank1_info                     = [[Humid subtropical climate|Cfa]]
| footnotes                       = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
  |child = yes
  |ID = 614
  |Year = 1994
  |Area = 193 ha
  |Criteria = Cultural: ii, iv, v
  }}
}}

'''Safranbolu''' is a town in [[Karabük Province]] in the [[Black Sea Region|Black Sea]] region of [[Turkey]]. It is the seat of [[Safranbolu District]].<ref name=ilce>[https://www.e-icisleri.gov.tr/Anasayfa/MulkiIdariBolumleri.aspx İlçe Belediyesi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706215822/https://www.e-icisleri.gov.tr/Anasayfa/MulkiIdariBolumleri.aspx |date=2015-07-06 }}, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 1 March 2023.</ref> Its population is 52,999 (2022).<ref name=tuik>{{Cite web |title=Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports|url=https://biruni.tuik.gov.tr/medas/?kn=95&locale=en |access-date=13 March 2023|publisher=[[TÜİK]]|language=en|format=XLS}}</ref> It is about 9&nbsp;km north of the city of [[Karabük]], {{convert|200|km}} north of [[Ankara]] and about 100&nbsp;km south of the [[Black Sea]] coast. The town's historic names in [[Greek language|Greek]] were ''Theodoroupolis'' (Θεοδωρούπολις, i.e. city of Theodorus or female Theodora) and later ''Saphrampolis'' (Σαφράμπολις). Its former  names in [[Turkish language|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 {{convert|508|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fallingrain.com/world/TU/89/Safranbolu.html|title= Geographical information on Safranbolu, Turkey|access-date=11 April 2023|author=Falling Rain Genomics, Inc}}</ref>

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 [[Ottoman Greeks|Greeks]].<ref>[[Kemal Karpat]] (1985), [https://kupdf.net/downloadFile/59e4a7b908bbc56144e653d7 Ottoman Population, 1830-1914, Demographic and Social Characteristics], [[The University of Wisconsin Press]], p. 138-139</ref>

The Old Town preserves many historic buildings, with 1008 registered historical artifacts. These are: 1 private museum, 25 [[mosque]]s, 5 tombs, 8 historical fountains, 5 [[Turkish baths]], 3 [[caravanserai]]s, 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",<ref name=WorldHeritage>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/site.php?id=614|title=Safranbolu|publisher=World Heritage Site|accessdate=3 February 2017}}</ref><ref name=Cornucopia>{{cite web|url=http://www.cornucopia.net/events/saffron-harvest-in-the-land-of-the-golden-plant|title=Saffron Harvest in the Land of the Golden Plant|publisher=Cornucopia|accessdate=3 February 2017}}</ref> since Safranbolu was a trading place and a center for growing saffron.<ref name=WorldHeritage/><ref name=Cornucopia/> Today, saffron is still grown at the village of Davutobası to the east of Safranbolu, with a road distance of 22 kilometres.<ref name=WorldHeritage/><ref name=Cornucopia/>

Safranbolu was added to the list of [[List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey|UNESCO World Heritage]] sites in 1994 due to its well-preserved [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] era houses and architecture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/614|title=City of Safranbolu|publisher=[[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Convention]]|accessdate=3 February 2017}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:20180107_Safranbolu_1946_(39779008132).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_1943_(39779017602).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_1942_(39810646531).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_1940_(39810654251).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_1941_(24940479487).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_1945_(39101010504).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_1993_(39778928982).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_2001_(25938148028).jpg
File:20180107_Safranbolu_2067_(28031784569).jpg
File:Old Government House - 2014.10 - panoramio.jpg
</gallery>

{{wide image|Safranbolu Panorama.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|A panoramic view from the historical town}}

==Sister cities==
* {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Elabuga]], [[Russia]].<ref>[http://www.tatar-inform.ru/news/2009/01/19/150188/ Elabuga and Safranbolu become sister cities] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140503193953/http://www.tatar-inform.ru/news/2009/01/19/150188/ |date=May 3, 2014 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|North Macedonia}} [[Ohrid]], [[North Macedonia]]

==Notable natives==
* [[Djindji Khodja|Karabaşzade Hüseyin Efendi]] (Cinci Hoca) - Mentor of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[Sultan of the Ottoman Empire|Sultan]] [[Ibrahim of the Ottoman Empire|İbrahim]] in the 17th century
* [[Safranbolulu Izzet Mehmet Pasha]], 18th century Ottoman [[Grand Vizier]], in office [[List of Ottoman Grand Viziers|1794–1798]]
* [[Türker İnanoğlu]] (b. 1936), film producer
* Ali Gümüş (1940–2015), President of the Wrestling Commission of the International Sports Press Association (''Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive'', AIPS), journalist and author

== See also ==
* [[Amasya]]
* [[List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite conference |last= Bayazıt |first= Nigan |title= Social and Cultural Change of Traditional Safranbolu Houses in 35 Years |book-title= 7th International Seminar on Vernacular Settlements |publisher= Istanbul Technical University |date= 2014 |location= Istanbul |url= https://www.academia.edu/8837717/N_Bayazit_2014_SOCIAL_AND_CULTURAL_CHANGE_OF_TRADITIONAL_SAFRANBOLU_HOUSES_IN_35_YEARS}}
*{{cite journal |last1= Celikyay |first1= Selma |last2= Donmez |first2= Sirin |last3= Bollukcu |first3= Pinar |last4= Kahriman |first4= Emine |last5= Ates |first5= Oguz |title= An urban design framework for sustainability of historical environment: A case of Safranbolu, Turkey |journal= African Journal of Agricultural Research |volume= 5 |issue= 12 |pages=  1456-1473 |publisher= Academic Journals |place= |date= 18 June 2010 |url= https://www.academia.edu/29326904/An_urban_design_framework_for_sustainability_of_historical_environment_A_case_of_Safranbolu_Turkey}} 
*{{cite journal |last1= Coşkun |first1= Mücahit |last2= Gök |first2= Mesut |last3= Coşkun |first3= Sevda |title= Climate Characteristics of Safranbolu (Karabük) and Saffron cultivation |journal= International Journal of Geography and Geology |volume= 6 |issue= 3 |pages= 58-69 |publisher= Conscientiabeam |place=  |year= 2017 |url= https://www.academia.edu/49144722/Climate_Characteristics_of_Safranbolu_Karabuk_and_Saffron_Cultivation}}

==External links==
{{Commons|Safranbolu}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline}}
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/614 UNESCO World Heritage - Safranbolu]
* [http://www.doyouknowturkey.com/saftanbolu-a-town-of-traditional-houses/ Safranbolu: A Town of Traditional Houses]

{{Safranbolu District}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Turkey}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Turkey]]
[[Category:Saffron]]
[[Category:Populated places in Karabük Province]]
[[Category:Safranbolu District]]
[[Category:District municipalities in Turkey]]