Gokcuoglu Residence

[Siyabend]

A magnificent house in the summer quarter of Bağlar ("Orchards"), full of poignant details of a vanished way of life. The scale is grand: the rooms were fashioned in wood in an age when both timber and labour were in infinite supply; and every niche and alcove had its discreet purpose. Notice the cat corridor in the granary, built to deter mice, and the intricate patterns of the bedroom ceilings that were apparently designed to aid sleep. A revolving cupboard once allowed the women of the harem quarters to serve hot food to the guests of the male side without being seen.!

The re-decoration combines a few gilded antiques, which look out-of-place against the restrained elegance of the old house, and a lot of cheap kitsch reflecting the tastes of modern Safranbolu. A charmingly conventional family, led by the daughter, runs the establishment. There is a vast and semi-kempt garden in the back.

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