Safranbolu ve Amasra

For our first weekend all of us CSIs (Communication Skills Instructors) were taken out to Safranbolu and Amasra.

Safranbolu, a small town to the north, is a declared World Heritage Sight. Much of the town has been beautifully restored. It is home to restored Ottoman dwellings and narrow cobblestone streets. We stayed at Havuzlu Konagi, which included courtyards of roses, huge marigolds, grapevines, and a decorative pool in the breakfast room. I stayed in the annex, which had decorative ceramics and creaky wooden floors. The breakfasts were exquisite- bread, an array of jams, eggs, watermelon, cucumber, halva, tea, coffee, and so much more.

In the Çarçi (bazaar) area was a saffron shop owned by a sweet old man. He invited a couple of us in for a free taste of saffron tea. He had us each take pictures with him and insisted we promise to send them to him. He has pictures in his store of himself with customers from all over the world. And of course, I bought saffron for Ba. We also visited the Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Mosque.

In the afternoon we drove out to Amasra, a small town on the Black Sea. There are ruins of two fortresses built by the Genoese in the 14th century, and a bridge from the Romans.  

We headed back to Safranbolu after dinner. A few of us headed to the Cinci Hamamı, a Turkish bath built in the 17th century and still in use today. It was an interesting experience, I'd recommend it.