THE ANCIENT HITTITE CAPITAL OF HATTUSA is only an hour or so east of Ankara but we decided to take a 500 kilometer detour and an overnight visit in the Ottoman town of Safronbolu instead of the direct route. This would be our only chance to visit the north and get a peek at the Turkey of Ataturk.
Safronbolu
The stench from the steel mill at Karabuk dissipated as we climbed out of the valley towards Safronbolu. After lunch at our hotel we found a parking spot just outside the old city. Ataturk would have recognized the cobbled lanes, the Ottoman buildings, the hammam and mosques but the throngs of tourists and souvenir stands would likely have sent him screaming back to Ankara.
Safronbolu chimneys
