As I said, we stayed at Paşa Konağı while in Safranbolu. It was a very nice hotel run by a very friendly couple, Ismail Urgancıoğlu and his family. In addition to showing us great hospitality at Paşa Konağı, they took us around to show us their other mansion, Gökçüoğlu Summer House, and beyond.
Judging by the photograph sequences and their date and time information, our day started at the nearby Demirciler Çarşısı and ended at Gökçüoğlu Mansion and then, a nearby aqueduct.
Demirciler Çarşısı, Ironsmith Market

Somewhat oddly, the small workshops perched on the edge of a canyon seemed to defy gravity. Some even showed sloping toward the chasm. Despite all that, everyone was tending to business as usual. Some hammering iron, some tinning copper pots, or whatever their specialty was. It seems, I even took an accidental selfie as my image reflected on the window behind the tinsmith.
Click on the images to see them larger, uncropped, and read their titles.
Kaymakamlar Museum
We must have walked down the street, gone by the backside of Cinci Han (see the previous article), and then stopped to visit the Kaymakamlar Museum. On the way, I remember seeing a saddlemaker working in his shop. He let me step in and take some photographs.
The Kaymakamlar Museum was operated by the municipality. Various rooms were peppered with mannequins dressed in period costumes. They depicted scenes of men dining on the floor, or taking a bath in a closet tub, to women working in the kitchen.




At some point, we had to sit down and wait in front of a mansion, maybe Gökçüoğlu Mansion. There was a bench where Jan settled, a little later I sat next to her. While waiting, a little charming girl allowed us to take her photographs. She must now be 24-25 years old. Oh, I so wish she could find her little self back in 2005!




Gökçüoğlu Summer House
Located in the area known as the summer resort of Safranbolu, Gökçüoğlu Summer House was carefully restored with genuine patina on the ceilings and wall cabinets. During the height of Safranbolu hundreds of years ago, men and women were segregated in separate areas. Men mainly lived in the area known as selamlık, and women remaiıned in the haremlik.
Serving Food
The separated areas in the old days included the kitchen from selamlık. It created a challenge to serve food to men sitting on the other side of the wall. When the food was ready in the kitchen serving area, women arranged the dishes on one side of a drum and rotated it to make the opening face to the selamlık. A male servant or the host picked them up and served them on the dining tray on the floor.
In the evenings, they locked the doors to the kitchen and the pantry to prevent the kitchen staff from roaming for snacks or food. That also blocked the cats from chasing and catching mice and rats in those areas. To allow the cats all-time access to the pantry and kitchen, they left small holes in the wall for them to go in and out at will.
Beautiful Woodwork
Woodworking must have been an integral part of their lifestyles in those days. Many samples, from cabinets to dumbwaiters, cat doors to ceilings, delight the visitors. Gökçüoğlu mansion rooms had interesting intricate pattern designs on their ceilings.

Below is a slide show and some more photographs from the mansion.
İncekaya Aqueduct
The mansion was fairly close to another attraction, an aqueduct. The İncekaya Aqueduct has a history going back to the Byzantine era, but it was restored in the 18th century by İzzet Mehmet Paşa. İncekaya means thin-rock, but the reference eludes me, especially after seventeen years since our visit.
I understand that walking on the aqueduct is no longer allowed, but when we visited, Ismail walked on it to give us a sense of scale. A few minutes later, I saw a couple walking toward us on the aqueduct. It was open to foot traffic then.



It was a nice ending to a long day with many faces and places we encountered. Next, we will go on a day trip to the Black Sea coast.
Haluk Atamal
Thanks for sharing Cemal. I am astonished why authorities do not take the power lines underground in such historical spots. If they did it in my street in Antalya, they can also do it in Safranbolu. They look terrible.
I did not like the wall mounted lighting fixtures – I am not sure if they belong to the same era or same culture (above the staircase and in the bedroom).
Take care and best regards,
Haluk
A. Cemal Ekin
Haluk, power lines are eyesores in my neighborhood too. In Safranbolu, they are totally out of place but … As far as the wall light fixtures, I remember kerosene lamp shelves on the walls of houses. But, these are not representing that era, you are right. But, thank goodness for this much preservation.
Take care,
Cemal
Bill Clark
Just what is needed, travel photographs to take us away from this crazy life. It keeps us longing to get back on the road. Thank you!
A quick question. I like the use of the slideshow. Can you tell me the program you used to make it. I’ve been looking for a good program for a long time.
Happy trails…
A. Cemal Ekin
Good to hear from you, Bill. Occasional time travel may be good for all. Glad to hear you enjoyed the visit.
The slideshow program was Proshow Producer by Photodex. I used it for many years, it was very capable. Unfortunately, they shut down their doors a couple of years ago. There is a new company using the same technology called Photopia. Take a look at their offerings.
Take care,
Cemal