Safranbolu

Can a city take its name from a flower? Safranbolu does. Saffron, one of the world’s most precious spices, drawn from the crimson threads at the heart of its purple petals, was once grown around this town. The second half of the name is a familiar one: just as in Bolu, it comes from the old word “polis,” meaning city… The city of saffron, then…