I'm in old house geek heaven!

The old town in Safranbolu, near the Black Sea, is a U.N. World Heritage Site, famous for its traditional Ottoman houses. I've been here a couple of days and taken, approximately, a couple of thousand photos. I'll spare you all of them, but here is an example.

A few of the houses are open for tours--some more officially than others. I did the official tours and then accepted an offer from an enthusiastic gentleman to see his "museum." He seemed to think it was a museum to him and his family, as he told me about his parents, grandparents, etc. But it was interesting to see a house that's actually being lived in.

Rooms traditionally were (maybe are) specialized by social role rather than by function. I presume because their ancestors lived in tents, people eat, sleep, work, and relax in the same room--but one room is for men, one for women, one for a woman who has a child, etc.

Safranbolu also still has its caravanserai, where people traveling the Silk Road with their animals and wares would stay for the night. You can see some of the cave-like rooms where they bedded down and even stay in one, as the building is now a hotel.

And I can't resist adding this last photo of the proprietor of one of the house museums. She owns the house and runs a little souvenir shop and pancake restaurant on the ground floor. She definitely breaks the mold of the subdued Muslim woman! And she was happy to pose for photos with me and the three Malay/Singaporean women who were also visiting her establishment.

Notice my Muslim-friendly scarf hat. :-)

Tomorrow I move on to Amasra, a small port town on the Black Sea, for a day or so of relaxation before I head back to Istanbul and then to Boston. So expect one more thrilling installment before I'm done.