Safranbolu and Amasra were among the preferred tourism destinations during the holiday

KARABÜK/BARTIN (AA) – ORHAN KUZU/SELİM BOSTANCI – Safranbolu district of Karabük, famous for its historical houses on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and Amasra district of Bartın, famous for its historical structures, natural beauties and culinary culture, became a popular destination for visitors during the Eid al-Adha holiday. Safranbolu district of Karabük attracted the attention of those who wanted to stay in the unique beauty of inns, baths, mosques, fountains, bridges and mansions from the Ottoman period during the Eid al-Adha holiday.

In Safranbolu, which hosts tourists from home and abroad, especially from Istanbul, Ankara, Kocaeli, Eskişehir, Sakarya, Düzce, Bolu and Zonguldak during the Eid, there are 3-storey, 6-8 room, aesthetically shaped traditional houses built in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. – “We saw that our visitors preferred Safranbolu with great intensity.” Safranbolu Tourism Operators Association President Şebnem Urgancıoğlu told the AA correspondent that they experienced Safranbolu to the fullest during the 9-day holiday.

Urgancıoğlu stated that they saw that both citizens and visitors coming from outside the city for Eid al-Adha preferred Safranbolu, both for the day and for accommodation, and said, “We can say this not only for the Historical Bazaar, but for the whole of Safranbolu. Crystal Glass Terrace, İncekaya Aqueduct, Mencilis Cave and Yörük Village… The whole of Safranbolu benefited widely from this movement and we had a full holiday.” he said.

Reminding that the tourism season in the district opened in April, Urgancıoğlu said: “We opened the season with Eid al-Fitr because April 23, May 1 and May 19 coincided with good dates that will benefit Safranbolu. For this reason, the season had already started and since spring and autumn are our highest seasons, there was already movement. We expect the continuity of this movement in the summer period. Of course, the season is high in summer throughout Türkiye.

“We want to get our share of this tourism movement in the summer season as well.” – Amasra hosted more than 200 thousand guests. Those who wanted to spend the Eid al-Adha holiday in the Amasra district of Bartın, known for its historical structures and natural beauties, and the Safranbolu district of Karabük, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, were crowded. Amasra district of Bartın, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List in 2015 with Amasra Castle, hosted many visitors from Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir as well as surrounding provinces during the holiday.

Amasra, which has a central population of 6 thousand and is flocked by local and foreign tourists with its untouched bays, clean beaches, slightly wavy sea and nature-integrated beauties as well as its fish-based culinary culture, had 45 thousand 629 vehicle entries during the 9-day holiday period and the district hosted more than 200 thousand visitors. Mete Ayyıldız, Vice President of Amasra Culture and Tourism Association, explained that hotels and hostels with a capacity of 3 thousand beds in the district are 90 percent full, and that there is serious congestion with thousands of daily tourists coming to the district.

Stating that they host many visitors, especially from Ankara and surrounding provinces, during official and religious holidays, Ayyıldız said, “Amasra attracted more tourists during the 9-day holiday than the first 5 months of the year. We also enjoy pleasing our guests at such times. With the holiday spread over 9 days, a time period emerged where people could enjoy their holidays comfortably without getting overwhelmed or bored.

It was comfortable for operators like us, everyone offered their service comfortably.” he said. Reminding that the district stands out with its fish and salad, as well as its historical and natural beauty, Ayyıldız said, “Our guests had the opportunity to see historical and touristic places such as Amasra Castle, Kemere Bridge, Amasra Museum, Tow Trucks Bazaar. There were even those who went swimming due to the good sea water temperature.

They also had the opportunity to feast on fresh varieties of fish and salad in fish restaurants, taking advantage of the gastronomic values of Amasra.” he said. Ayyıldız added that they are waiting for guests with the sea and summer season in Amasra, which stands out with the richness of the surrounding bays and beaches, and that the necessary preparations have been completed and precautions have been taken for this.