Safranbolu is situated in the North-Western Anatolia. Safranbolu, the history of which dates back 3000 years, has hosted a lot of civilizations which accounts for the cultural richness it enjoys today. The region where Safranbolu is situated appears as “Paphlagonia” in the Homer’s epic, The lliad, written in 9^th or 8^th centuries B.C. The region was dominated successively by Hittitites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Romans, Seljuks, Turkish Sultanates and Ottomans. Turkish rule in Safranbolu started with the Seljuks, Safranbolu was under the rule of Çobanoğulları by 1213 and of Candaroğulları by 1326 and of the Ottomans after 1354. Safranbolu developed a lot in economic and cultural terms in the 17th century because it was an important stopping place for the caravan route between İstanbul and Sivas. During this period, as there was a close connection between İstanbul and Kastamonu, notable buildings such as Hamam (Turkish bath), fountains and mansions were built in Safranbolu.

This settlement place having a 200-year-old structure consists of five regions called as “Şehir”, “Bağlar”, “Öte Bağlar (Kirkille)”, “Tokatlı”, “Kıranköy (Misak-ı Milli)”. Şehir, which is in a central position, is located on an area surrounded by worn rock walls called as “Kayaüstü” and claimed as a waterhole where there is no water now. Eski Çarşı (Old City) is a specific settlement, which was placed on deep canyons with arches in which water flows and they are connected with each other with small stone bridges.

Safranbolu is a model city reflecting all characteristics of traditional Turkish social life and preserving its cultural heritage in the architectural texture. It is world-famous on account of the successful manner in which it has been preserved and it received a place in the World Heritage City list drawn up by UNESCO in 1994. There are over 70000 cultural and natural properties to be protected in our country. 1125 of them are in Safranbolu. Safranbolu, a museum city on account of the successful manner in which it has been preserved, is also known as the Capital City of Preservation.

About 2000 Safranbolu houses, which have become the symbol of Safranbolu, are the most solid historical examples of the cultural, technological and architectural developments of Turkish society in the 18th and 19th centuries. Of these houses, 800 are protected properties. When the Supreme Board for Historic Monuments declared it a protected area, interest in the city spread rapidly. The economy of the city has improved since the rise of small and middle-sized tourist organizations during the 1990s. Run-down buildings have been restored and now have new functions. Historical floor surfaces have been renovated, monuments have been restored and handicrafts revived.