Kept Light

In 2005 I visited Safranbolu for the first time, and ended up extending our planned stay from 2 days to 4. The town received the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation and has remained like a time-capsule, at least so far. The streets, the houses, actually mansions, the lifestyle mostly reflect how the town looked several hundred years ago; bar the cell phones, the TVs, and the

Macunagasi Izzet Efendi Mansion - Click to Play Video

A lucky stop at the door with a sign that, I believe, said “Zamanlik”; roughly translated “time-barn” (entirely my term and the owners may not prefer the translation). There we met Ibrahim and Gul Canbulat working on their project to build and store the collective memory of the town, thus the name. After a brief conversation, they were kind enough to invite us for coffee at their newly restored house. Later that afternoon, we went to the Macunagasi Izzet Efendi Mansion. The couple lovingly restored and decorated the structure to its early glory. They were kind enough to allow me to take photographs in and around their house, which I believe was the first time a stranger was allowed to do; thanks Ibrahim and Gul for that experience.

I produced a video slide show, a photo book and shared them with the Canbulats. Recently, with the more advanced production software I have recreated the slide show remaining fairly close to the original version. This new rendering should provide a smoother video experience and a larger view port. I hope that it conveys the enchanting charm of the town, and more specifically the beauty of the Macunagasi Izzet Efendi Mansion; enjoy!

(View with Flash if the Quicktime version does not play when the image is clicked.)