Walking around in museums is a delight but walking around in a museum full of chocolate? Well, that is delicious. Known for its historic Ottoman architecture and serenity that you can hardly find in the 21st century, the Black Sea region province of Karabük's famous district of Safranbolu is now home to the Chocolate Museum.
The museum has come to life thanks to Mesut Kırımlı, who graduated from the chocolate academy in Belgium and wanted to bring his expertise to his home town Safranbolu. Kırımlı decided to build a chocolate factory in the district and turned a part of the factory into a museum where people can spend a lovely and tasty time.
The museum features the models of region's landmarks including famous Safranbolu houses, the Clock Tower, the Mincilis Caves, the Glass Terrace and the Safranbolu mosque, all made from chocolate. Kırımlı alo displays chocolate sculptures of great politicians throughout the history of Republic of Turkey including Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Adnan Menderes, Bülent Ecevit, Turgut Özal, Süleyman Demirel and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Speaking at the opening of the museum, Kırımlı said he spent 4.5 tons of chocolate to make the exhibitions in the museum and his ultimate aim is to make people happy, even if only for an hour or so. "I wanted people to enjoy chocolate and models and sculptures we made. We wanted to show people how beautiful Safranbolu is. As long as this museum stands tall, we can remember all those who have worked for Safranbolu," Kırımlı added.
