ÇANKIRI HOUSES
There are 60 historical houses in
Çankιrι Province (57 in the central county and 3 in Çerkes County) which are protected by being registered at the Supreme Council of Immovable Cultural and Natural Assets. There are also several very beautiful houses still inhabited in Bayramören, Ilgaz, and Yaprakli Counties which were built according to Ottoman architectural style.
In general,
Çankιrι houses are two-storey, with the ground floor being used during winter. It is planned simply and practically for daily life, accommodating the functions of cooking, eating, sitting, and sleeping.
The upper floor, on the other hand, is usually furnished rather heavily. It has a panoramic view and used for accommodating guests and for summer living.
Usually the houses are built of sun-dried bricks on top of cut stone basement walls. Their architectural style reflects the economic and geological characteristics of the region.
KIRKPINAR PLATEAU (ILGAZ COUNTY)
This plateau in Ilgaz County is at an elevation of 1650 m. The plateau contains 32 summer houses belonging to the surrounding villages, and a 150x350 m artificial pond.
The plateau is surrounded by yellow and other fir and larch trees and meadows. It is excellent for touristic activities such as horseback riding, trekking, sight seeing, camping, caravaning, photography, and mountaineering. Because of its easy accessibility, it is also excellent for day trips, with a beautiful panorama, clean air, clear pond, and abundant springs of water.
It is reached by a 10-km stabilized access road beginning at the 10 km mark of the Ilgaz-Kastamonu highway.
KADIN ÇAYIRI (LADIES’ MEADOW) RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (ILGAZ COUNTY)
This recreational area is 20 km from Ilgaz and 70 km from
Çankιrι. It is reached by means of a 7-km asphalt access road at the 13 km mark of the Ilgaz-Kastamonu highway. The meadow is covered with various herbaceous plants and is located in a small valley surrounded by thick forests of different species of pine trees.
A 10-hectare area of the grounds has been developed by the Ilgaz Forestry Department and equipped with picnic tables, barbecues, water, toilets, etc. for daytime use.
ILGAZ MOUNTAIN PEAK (ILGAZ COUNTY)
Ilgaz Mountain, at an altitude of 1800 meters, is 25 km from Ilgaz, 40 km from Kastamonu, 75 km from Çankiri, and 210 km from Ankara. It attracts quite a number of visitors for its natural beauty, the richness of its wildlife, and its winter sports facilities.
Besides the accommodations of the Ilgaz Doruk Hotel which is licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and lies within Ilgaz National Park, there are also ski lifts and slopes for skiers.
A section of Ilgaz Mountain near the peak, within the boundaries of both Çankiri and Kastamonu provinces, has been declared a “Winter Sports Tourist Center” by the Council of Ministers, and planning studies are under way.
BÜLBÜL PINARI (NIGHTINGALE SPRING) RECREATIONAL GROUNDS
These grounds are located 5 km from Eldivan, and can be reached by means of an asphalt road. The recreational grounds, spread over a wide area, include picnic tables and benches, barbecues, water, public toilets, kiosks, shelters, a panoramic terrace and tower, parking lot, children’s playground, telephone booths, and a bungalow with 7 beds.
Besides Bülbül Pinari, there are several other good picnic and camping locations in Eldivan County, some with natural springs, including the Karadere and Saray Ponds.
FORESTRY NURSERY RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (ÇERKES COUNTY)
These grounds are 3.5 km from Çerkes within the forestry nursery. They include picnic facilities, barbecues, water, and public toilets. There are also artificial ponds for breeding rainbow trout and a guest house furnished in oriental style.
SEYBELI RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (ÇERKES COUNTY)
These recreational grounds are located 20 km from Çerkes on the Çerkes-Kizilcahamam (Ankara) highway. It is situated on the northern slopes of the mountain and has picnic facilities, barbecues, water, a rain shelter, parking lot, and public toilets. The highway passes through the grounds.
KARAÖREN POND RECREATIONAL GROUNDS (SABANÖZÜ COUNTY)
This pond and recreational area is 6 km from Sabanözü and 2 km off the Sabanözü-Orta highway, down a stabilized road. It is a beautiful natural area surrounded by pine and oak trees.
BÜYÜK YAYLA (GRAND PLATEAU) (YAPRAKLI COUNTY)
Yaprakli County, located 30 km from
Çankιrι, has a prominent place in the tourism potential of Çankiri Province with its Grand Plateau. The plateau, at an elevation of 1600-1700 m, stretches over a large area in the north of the county, and possesses a rich covering of vegetation and wildlife.
The boundary of Büyük Yayla starts 8 km from the county line, and there are summer houses at the 13th km. The access road is gravel covered, and the plateau grounds have electricity and running water.
Besides day trips, the grounds are also suitable for horseback riding, walking, bicycling, sightseeing and photography, camping, and hunting.
SALT CAVE
The cave is located in the area which contains the largest source of rock salt in Turkey. It is estimated that the salt reserves have been mined for about 5000 years, since the time of the Hittites.
The salt cave which is approximately 20 km east of Çankiri’s central county was created by the salt mining activities, which are now being carried on by the Management of Turkish Monopolies. Inside a rather narrow entrance, the cave has several galleries resembling large highway tunnels decorated with pure white salt stalactites and stalagmites.
The rock salt is processed in Çantuz (Çankiri Salt) Factory and marketed under the brand name of Safir Tuz (Sapphire Salt) throughout Turkey.
CAVUNDUR THERMAL SPRING (KURSUNLU COUNTY)
This thermal spring is located within the boundaries of Çavundur Municipality in Kursunlu County, 1.5 km off the Gerede-Samsun highway. It is 9 km from Kursunlu and 90 km from Çankiri. Near the spring, which has 54°C water flowing at 47 lit/sec, are two pools operated by the municipality, an accommodation facility with a 115 bed capacity, and a privately owned boarding house.
The physical and chemical characteristics of the spring water have been determined by the Hygiene Institute Laboratories of the Ministry of Health. Its value for medical treatment is explained in a report issued by the Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatoligical Research and Application Center of Istanbul University as follows:
“The natural heat of this sodium bicarbonated thermal spring water, having hyperthermal and hypotonic characteristics, is useful in the treatment of all types of painful diseases. The alkaline characteristic of the water makes drinking it helpful in treating gall bladder insufficiencies, gall duct problems, liver function after jaundice, chronic diseases of the pancreas, diabetes mellitus, and gout. It may also be used for prevention of stomach, intestine, kidney, and urethra infections and the formation of kidney stones. The water, containing sodium ions, may also be utilized for inhalation and aerosol cures for allergies and infections of the upper respiratory tract and lungs.”
“The water should be cooled to 37-38°C for bathing cures, to 27-30°C for swimming, and to 20-25°C for drinking.”
