Safranbolu: urban architecture along a trade route

Useful to know

Safranbolu was an important caravan stop along an east-west trade route from the 13th century until the advent of the railway in the early 20th century. UNESCO points to an old mosque, bath and madrassa of 1322 and the importance of the city in the 17th century. [1]

The architectural value is not limited to a picturesque house. Public functions and the movement of people and goods give context to the urban environment.

A practical task when exploring is to separate the residential streets from the public service places. If you only look at the facades of homes, also look for a description of the bathroom or the school building, so that the whole remaining organization of the city does not disappear.

The historical end of the leading caravan role does not mean the end of the existence of the settlement. It shows a change in the transport network and the economic context in which the architecture was used.