The famous Safranbolu houses were built with architectural information reflecting the history, culture, economy, technology and lifestyle of the 18th and 19th century Turkish society. Of the approximately 2000 traditional buildings in the city, 1008 are registered and under legal protection.
The registered historical houses of Safranbolu include 1 private museum, 25 mosques, 5 mausoleums, 8 historical fountains, 5 baths, 3 inns, 1 historical clock tower, 1 sundial and hundreds of houses and mansions. There are also mounds, historical bridges and rock tombs. Built in 1797 by Grand Vizier İzzet Mehmet Pasha, the clock tower and Hıdırlık Hill are visited by local and foreign tourists.
At the end of the 19th century, Safranbolu had 28 mosques, 2 Greek Orthodox churches, 13 lodges (Nakşibendiye and Halvetiye), 2 libraries, 191 schools with 2937 students, 12 Greek madrasahs, 8 Greek schools, 1 telegraph station, 24 inns, 11 baths, and 940 shops.
The historic city of Safranbolu has narrow streets and houses close to each other. Houses located in a valley do not block each other's sunlight.
The basements of the mostly two-storey houses are used for feeding animals or storing fuel and firewood. Private areas are located above. Ground floors are usually made of stone and have higher ceilings than the upper floors. If the house has three floors, the middle floor has relatively low ceilings. In addition, the windows of the houses are long and narrow.
