I love that Istanbul is a walking museum! It is a city drenched with history, from the mosques to the markets there’s examples of the rich Turkish history on show wherever you go. And impressively, it is no different with the food scene. For example, we’ve done a post on kofte from 1920, baklava from 1864 and there’s also a coffee spot from 1871. But Haci Bekir (Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir A.Ş.) beats them all, dating back to 1777! They specialise in Turkish delight.
Read more about them here.
Haci Bekir 1777
Haci Bekir are a family run institution that is one of the oldest in the whole of Turkey. To paint a picture of how old they are, this is back when King George III was the king of the UK! Back when the USA wasn’t even the USA yet. Basically, a long time ago!
They also claim to be the inventors and founders of what we now know as Turkish delight. So, I mean, it’d be a crime to not at least try it from here right? Are there better places that does it? Maybe. But I think for the history and novelty, it’s definitely worth trying. If you’re not a Turkish delight fan, but haven’t actually tried it in Turkey yet, you haven’t tried Turkish delight my friend.
The rose flavoured one is obviously the classic. They have a couple of branches and the one we’ve linked in this post at the end is next to the Egyptian Spice Market.
Egyptian Spice Market
In our humble opinion though, the best place for Turkish delight was this spot in the Egyptian spice market. Their Turkish delight, especially the hazelnut nougat type ones, were simply sublime! Uniquely, they use honey in their recipe. It stays good for months on end too!
Getting There:
Google Maps Location link: click here
