Stepping into Koza Han is like stepping back in time. The han was built in 1491 and showcases the distinct Ottoman architectural style, characterised by arched, covered passageways and a serene central courtyard. The ground floor features an elegant sadirvan (fountain) surrounded by 95 rooms that open onto the courtyard, once bustling with merchants negotiating the prices of their silk cocoons. While the silk trade no longer defines Koza Han’s daily activities, visitors can still find affordable, high-quality silk products, from delicate fabrics to luxurious shawls and bridal dowry items.

Despite recent renovations, Koza Han has retained its original character and charm. The leafy inner courtyard is shaded by towering oak trees that have stood here for centuries. Today, the courtyard is filled with cozy cafes, offering a peaceful retreat from the vibrant markets outside. Low tables and cushioned seating create a warm, welcoming atmosphere where patrons can sip Turkish tea, indulge in local sweets, and enjoy the tranquil ambiance.

A modern marketplace with Ottoman roots

Though the grand silk trade of the past may have diminished, Koza Han remains a key destination for those seeking authentic silk products. The shops surrounding the courtyard now sell an array of silk garments, scarves, and even some fine table silver. The quality of the silk here, though still exceptional, reflects a more boutique trade, catering to the tastes of modern visitors while honouring the traditions of old.

The blend of Ottoman heritage and contemporary life is what makes Koza Han so captivating. It is a place where history and commerce meet, where the past echoes through the cobbled pathways and arches, and where the simple act of sipping tea under the shade of ancient trees feels like participating in a centuries-old tradition.

For anyone interested in Ottoman architecture, Turkish culture, or the fascinating history of silk production, Koza Han is a must-visit. Its blend of architectural beauty, historical significance, and modern-day vibrancy make it one of Bursa’s most treasured landmarks. As you wander through the grand archways, explore the silk shops, or relax in the leafy courtyard, you can’t help but feel connected to the merchants, travellers, and artisans who passed through this remarkable building over the centuries.

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A glimpse into Misi’s rich history

Misi’s history is as deep as it is fascinating. Nestled along the banks of the Nilüfer River and surrounded by lush forests, the village derives its name from the Mysi, an ancient tribe first chronicled by the historian Herodotus. According to historical accounts, the Mysi, or “Misyalılar,” established this village around 1816 B.C. as one of six tribes migrating from Thrace to Anatolia. This tribe holds the distinction of being among the first to travel from west to east in recorded history.

Misi has been influenced by various civilizations over the millennia. Notably, in 183 B.C., the village served as a significant religious center for early Christians, who held pivotal gatherings here to discuss the spread of Christianity and formulate strategies for its expansion. One of the most intriguing aspects of Misi’s religious heritage is the belief that a copy of the Bible was buried in the Misipoli Monastery during this period, underscoring the village’s historical and spiritual significance.

With the Ottoman Empire’s rise, Misi came under Ottoman rule but retained its importance due to its strategic location, fertile agricultural lands, and rich history. In 1989, Misi was designated a protected site, preserving its unique blend of Ottoman and Greek cultures and its historical fabric for future generations.

A tranquil escape from modern life

Today, Misi is a haven for those seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life. The village’s stone-paved streets, flanked by traditional bay-windowed houses, evoke a sense of nostalgia, transporting visitors to a bygone era. Misi’s tranquil atmosphere, shaded by monumental plane trees and set against the backdrop of the Nilüfer River, offers a peaceful retreat where one can unwind and reconnect with nature.

Must-see attractions in Misi

Misi is home to several unique attractions that showcase its rich cultural heritage and natural beauty:

• Misi Silk House: This attraction showcases the village’s local silk products, offering a glimpse into the region’s traditional craftsmanship.

• Misi Women Culture and Solidarity Club: Here, visitors can explore handcrafted items and local goods, gaining insight into village life and supporting the local economy.

• Mysia Photography Museum: Despite its small size, this museum is a treasure trove for photography enthusiasts, featuring historical cameras, photographs, and photography workshops.

• The Literature Museum: This museum celebrates literary heritage and offers visitors a cultural journey through the written word.

• Misi Children’s Library: Dedicated to encouraging reading among local children, this library offers a variety of books and educational materials.

• Tea Gardens and Restaurants: Located by the river, these establishments offer the perfect setting to enjoy local cuisine and relax in a serene environment.

Strolling through history

A leisurely stroll through Misi’s historic streets feels like walking through an open-air museum. The village’s beautiful Ottoman mansions, with their wooden bay windows, spacious courtyards, and stone walls, are a photographer’s delight. Many of these well-preserved structures now operate as hotels, cafes, or restaurants, where visitors can enjoy a meal or drink while soaking in the village’s timeless charm.

The Nilüfer River, which meanders through Misi, is the lifeblood of the village. Its serene flow, coupled with the surrounding greenery, creates a picturesque and calming setting. The old watermills by the river add to the village’s nostalgic charm, offering a glimpse into the past. A walk along the river provides a perfect opportunity to embrace nature and unwind in the peaceful environment.

For those who venture slightly outside Misi, the Aksu Stream and its surroundings offer a nature lover’s paradise. The walking trails alongside the stream provide a tranquil experience amid the forest, where the sounds of birds and the fresh forest air enhance the sense of serenity and connection with nature.

A celebration of local culture

One of Misi’s cultural highlights is the Women’s Association, where local women display their handmade crafts. This association not only supports the village economy but also offers visitors a chance to experience local culture firsthand. Handcrafted jewelry, knitted goods, regional foods, and souvenirs are all available, and engaging with the warm-hearted villagers is a memorable experience.

Preserving the past: Misi Ethnography Museum

Misi is also home to Bursa’s only ethnography museum, established by local cultural researcher Şinası Çelikkol. The museum showcases traditional clothing, handicrafts, and other cultural elements of the Bursa region. During Ramadan, visitors might also enjoy traditional Karagöz and Hacivat shadow puppet performances, adding to the cultural richness of the village.

Misi, with its rich blend of history, nature, and art, is a hidden gem that offers something for everyone. Whether you’re a history buff, a nature lover, or simply in search of a peaceful retreat, Misi is sure to captivate your heart. If you find yourself in Bursa, don’t miss the opportunity to explore this enchanting village and experience its timeless charm firsthand.

Source: Daily Sabah

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Palaces, bridges, fountains, tombs and kervansarays (traveller’s inns) are also amongst the fine buildings which remain to the present day. The Ottomans were fond of hunting and of spending time outdoors, often with lavish picnics, and you will find wooden köşks (pavilions or summer houses) in many parks and woodlands.

Private houses, amongst which are the konak (mansion) and yalı (summer house, especially those on the shores of the Bosphorus) were traditionally built of wood, with the ground floor and foundations only being built of stone. Some have survived to the present day, despite the fire hazard that their wooden structure posed. Recently, great interest has been shown in their preservation and many of them have been renovated and some converted to hotels and pensions. Typically the upper floors jut out over the street and the windows are obscured by wooden latticework, intended so that the women of the house could look out without being observed.

The houses were planned around a central gallery room, known as a hayat, off which the other rooms opened. The quarters were divided into the harem (the private part of the house only visited by the family and female guests). In grander houses, these two areas would have separate courtyards, sometimes with fountains and ornamental pools.

If you’re a lover of architecture and are planning a visit to Turkey, here’s a quick look at ten unmissable sights to whet your appetite.

Ten unmissable Ottoman sights

Yeşil Cami and Yeşil Türbe (Green Mosque and tombs) – Bursa

Commissioned by Mehmet I in 1412, the Green Mosque is the most significant monument in Bursa and was the first Ottoman mosque where tiles were used extensively as interior decoration, setting an important precedent. The Green Tomb is the tomb of Mehmet I.

Koza Han (Silk Market) – Bursa

Built in 1491 by Beyazit II as part of the market and covered bazaar area, Koza Han has been central to Bursa’s famous silk trade since that time, trading in silk cocoons as well as the finished product.

Selimiye Mosque – Edirne

The Selimiye Mosque was built between 1569 and 1575 by the great architect Mimar Sinan for Sultan Selim II, Sinan described it, and in particular, the dome, which is 31.5 metres in diameter, as his masterpiece.

Sultan Beyazid II Mosque – Edirne

Work began on this mosque in 1484. Designed by the architect Hayrettin, it has a single dome 21 metres in diameter over the prayer hall, and nearly a hundred smaller domes over the buildings of the complex.

Rüstem Paşa Kervansaray – Edirne

Rüstem Paşa Kervansaray is was commissioned by Ottoman statesman and grand vizier Rüstem Paşa and built by court architect Mimar Sinan in 1561. The building is used today as a hotel with 110 rooms after two years of redevelopment. 

Dolmabahçe Palace – Istanbul

One of the last great buildings of the Ottoman area, the extravagant Dolmabahçe Palace, which replaced Topkapı as the home of the sultans, was completed in 1856 on the orders of Sultan Abdül Mecit. It was designed by the most famous architects of the time, Karabet Balyan and his son Nikoğos. Some say it is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world.

Süleymaniye Mosque – Istanbul

Constructed in 1557 by legendary architect, Mimar Sinan, the Süleymaniye Mosque,came to symbolize the greatness of Süleyman the magnificent. It stands on top of the 3rd hill dominating the Golden Horn and contributing to the skyline of Istanbul. The mosque is the one of the largest mosques in Istanbul and is one of the most popular sights.

Topkapı Palace – Istanbul

Built between 1472 and 1478, Topkapı Palace was the home of the sultans and the centre of Ottoman power for 400 years, during which time it was a work in progress as successive sultans added new buildings and made alterations.

Surrounded on three sides by the Marmara Sea, the Bosporus, and the Golden Horn, Topkapı Palace is located on a hill atop Istanbul’s Old City. It’s spread over four courtyards and 400,000 square meters of gardens, buildings, gates, and fountains. 

Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) – Istanbul

Constructed between 1609 and 1616 for Sultan Ahmet I by the architect Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of the exquisite blue Iznik tiles which decorate its interior. It is also the only mosque to have six minarets.

İshak Paşa Palace – Doğubeyazıt

İshak Paşa Palace is an unexpectedly intricate pearl of architecture, contrasting its beauty with a mountainous, sometimes drab, landscape. Part of the unique character of this palace is its remote setting. It was constructed by an Ottoman governor on an important trading route and is a mixture of Ottoman, Persian and Seljuk styles. It was built between 1685 and 1784.

Source: Discover Turkey

Featured photo: Haydarpaşa Station, Istanbul.

This article was first published on 27 January 2018.

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There are 19 cultural heritage sites and 2 mixed heritage sites. Mixed heritage sites contain elements of both natural and cultural significance.

If you enjoy visiting cultural and historic sites, here’s part one of two articles that may help you to choose the ones for your next trip to Türkiye.

Sites on the World Heritage List (Cultural)

Afrodisias (Aphrodisias)

Located in Southwestern Türkiye, some two and a half hours’ drive inland from Kuşadaşı, the archaeological site at Afrodisias is one of Türkiye’s finest. Because of its isolated position, so much of the site still survives and you can get a very real sense of the grandeur and extent of the ancient city.

The temple of Aphrodite dates from the 3rd century BC and the city was built one century later. The wealth of Aphrodisias came from the marble quarries and the art produced by its sculptors. The city streets are arranged around several large civic structures, which include temples, a theatre, an agora and two bath complexes. Afrodisias was added to the World Heritage List on Sunday 9th July 2017.

Archaeological Site of Ani

Registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Ani archaeological site, also known as the “city of a thousand and one churches”, attracts tourists all year round. The ancient city, which houses Islamic architectural works of the 11th and 12th centuries, was added to the World Heritage List on July 15, 2016. 

Click on the link below to read our previous article about Ani.

Archaeological Site of Troy

One of the most important ancient settlements in the world, located at the top of Hisarlık hill about 30 kilometres south of Çanakkale, the history of Troy city dates back to five thousand years ago.

Homer’s work regarded as the origin of European literature was based on the city, which was included in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1998.

Arslantepe Mound

Arslantepe, an archaeological site in Malatya, Türkiye dating back to the 6th millennium BCE, boasts an adobe palace and the earliest swords in the world.

The archaeological mound in southeastern Türkiye was chosen for UNESCO’s World Heritage List on July 26, 2021. 

Arslantepe Mound (meaning “Lion Hill” in Turkish), is a 30-metre-tall archaeological tell located in the Malatya plain, 12 km southwest of the Euphrates River. Archaeological evidence from the site testifies to its occupation from at least the 6th millennium BCE up until the late Roman period. 

Arslantepe Mound had been on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List since 2014, and it is one of Türkiye’s earliest religious and civil sites. The mound is thought to date back 8,000 years. Archaeological evidence from the site testifies to its occupation from at least the 6th millennium BCE up until the late Roman period.

The mound has been home to many civilisations over centuries. UNESCO details them as “The earliest layers of the Early Uruk period are characterized by adobe houses from the first half of the 4th millennium BCE. The most prominent and flourishing period of the site was in the Late Chalcolithic period, during which the so-called palace complex was constructed. 

Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire

Perched on the wooded northern slopes of Uludağ, Bursa was the first capital city of the Ottoman Empire and, in a real sense, the birthplace of modern Turkish culture.

The site illustrates the creation of an urban and rural system establishing the Ottoman Empire in the early 14th century. Cumalıkızık is a village in the Yıldırım district of Bursa Province, located 10 kilometres east of the city of Bursa, at the foot of Mount Uludağ. Its history goes back to the Ottoman Empire’s foundation period. Bursa and Cumalıkızk were added to the World Heritage List in 2014.

City of Safranbolu

Safranbolu is a town in the Black Sea region of northern Türkiye, once a stop on the trade route between Europe and the Orient.

Its Ottoman architecture includes the old Çarşı district, with hundreds of preserved, red-roofed Ottoman houses on cobblestone streets. Cinci Han is a 17th-century caravansary with rooftop views over the town. Nearby, Tarihi Cinci Hamam is a restored 17th-century bathhouse, still in operation. Safranbolu was added to the World Heritage List in 1994.

Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape

Located on an escarpment of the Upper Tigris River Basin that is part of the so-called Fertile Crescent, the fortified city of Diyarbakır and the landscape around has been an important centre since the Hellenistic period, through the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman times to the present.

The site encompasses the Inner castle, known as İçkale and including the Amida Mound, and the 5.8 km-long city walls of Diyarbakır with their numerous towers, gates, buttresses, and 63 inscriptions. The site also includes the Hevsel Gardens, a green link between the city and the Tigris that supplied the city with food and water, the Anzele water source and the Ten-Eyed Bridge. Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape were added to the World Heritage List in 2015.

Ephesus

Famous throughout history for its Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, this great and sacred city lay in ruins until the early 20th century.

Now it is one of the most extensive archaeological sites in the world. Ephesus was added to the World Heritage List in 2015.

Click on the link below to read our previous article about Ephesus.

Göbekli Tepe

Göbekli Tepe, which means Potbelly Hill in Turkish, dates back nearly 12,000 years and is considered one of the world’s oldest temples, featuring massive carved stones and T-shaped pillars that predate the invention of agriculture. 

Göbekli Tepe was added to the World Heritage List in 2018.

Gordion

The archaeological site of Gordion ranks as one of the most important historical centres in the ancient Near East. Gordion lies approximately ninety kilometres south-west of Ankara in central Türkiye, at the intersection of the great empires to the east (Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites) and the west (Greeks, Romans). Consequently, it occupied a strategic position on nearly all trade routes that linked the Aegean and Mediterranean seas with the Near East. Gordion is an outstanding archaeological site for understanding the Phrygian civilisation and its achievements. The buildings of its Early Phrygian citadel, and the burial mounds of the city’s rulers, constitute the exceptional exemplars of monumental architecture in the Iron Age Near East.

Gordion was added to the World Heritage List in 2023

Sources: UNESCO/Wikipedia/Featured image courtesy of National Geographic

This post was first published on 9 December 2021 and updated on 14 November 2023

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Much of this ancient spa’s prestige derives from the fact that it became the first Ottoman capital in 1326. Bursa has since developed as a vibrant commercial centre which today is made prosperous by automobiles, food and textiles, as it was by the silk trade in the 15th and 16th centuries. 

The beautiful and prestigious city of Bursa has been a provincial capital since 1841 and, despite its commercial centre, has retained its pious dignity. No city in Türkiye has more mosques and tombs. 

The Romans also developed the potential of Bursa’s mineral springs, and there are estimated to be about 3,000 thermal baths in the city today. 

Want to know more? Take a break and read this article by Ernest Whitman Piper.

Eat, pray and love in Bursa: Former Ottoman capital keeps up with the modern

Forests. Silk. Peaches. History, comedy, a ski resort, and candied chestnuts. What foggy metropolis just a few hours south of Istanbul might I be thinking of? Is it that relaxing natural city on the Marmara Sea? That powerhouse of industry? The former and first Ottoman capital? Yes, that’s right, the Seattle of Türkiye – Bursa.

Reasons to visit Bursa

There are a few good reasons to visit “Burseattle.” It is green with overgrowth and life. All that mist promotes a healthy biosphere! Before the concrete sprawl choked the life out of Istanbul, I’m sure it too was a greenish region by the Marmara Sea like “Green Bursa” is today. Ironically, “Green Bursa” produces almost all of Türkiye’s automobiles, which in turn produce most of Türkiye’s smog. That’s how Bursa earned its other nickname, “Türkiye’s Detroit.”

Beyond the fantastic parks, Bursa’s got great old stuff left over by the Ottomans who wanted to make their city rival any other ancient capitals around. It’s packed with old-style houses, castles, and gorgeous mosques. It’s got natural hot springs for some of the oldest hamams in the old Ottoman Empire. Bursa’s two traditional products, silk and fruit, are still sold in its covered bazaars. Plus, a great comedy tradition was born in Bursa – shadow puppets.

Bursa’s speciality

But forget all that. Forget history, forget silk, forget peaches. As soon as you get off the boat at Mudanya from Yenikapı, you’re going to want to get on the bus to Bursa’s city centre and find the first İskender Kebab restaurant you set eyes on.

In the mid-1800s, İskender Usta was sitting next to his fire pit of Cağ Kebab – a bunch of greased-up garlicky lamb steaks run through the middle and roasted on a spit for hours.

He watched the tasty melted fat drip into the ashes and sizzle away to nothingness, and felt a great despair grip his heart. So much delicious gooey cholesterol was vanishing before his Usta’s eyes. He pondered: How could he wring every last drop of artery-plugging joy from those lamb steaks? İskender realized he could tilt the whole thing vertically and, as the meat cooked, the fat would baste itself. Then, because that was not nearly fatty enough, he decided to serve the thin slices of roasted lamb with hot liquid butter and whole milk yoghurt. Add some tomato sauce, some chopped-up old bread, and he had created it: A dish which can cause heart disease in otherwise healthy twentysomethings. İskender Kebab is a miracle.

Maybe you didn’t know that the whole idea of döner kebab was invented in Bursa, and even though it’s widely in use throughout Türkiye, Europe, and really the rest of the world, it attained heroic status in Bursa. You can go to several traditional İskender spots in downtown Bursa where they use all-lamb, top-quality-butter İskender, and feast like the inhuman monster you are. While it’s served with a roasted pepper or two as a symbolic nod to vegetables, you don’t actually have to eat them and can safely proceed to the glorious mouthwatering roasted meat. İskender Kebab is the perfect food.

A city filled with history

You’ll probably be exhilarated after stuffing yourself, so maybe take an idle walk through the city centre. Bursa was the capital for almost 200 years and holds some unbelievable architecture inside its walls. Yes, yes, it has actual walls, and it has actual tombs of the first Ottoman sultans. The Külliye – the social complex featuring a mosque, a school, a bath, and a marketplace – flourished here, and provided the rest of the empire with a ready model for its urban plans.

Downtown, the first obvious stops are the Ulu Camii (The Grand Mosque) and the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar).

The grand mosque of Bursa was built to overwhelm. Unlike the gigantic mosques in Istanbul, the Ulu Cami was built as a rumble of smaller domes and columns, its roof undulating in waves.

Outside your eyes will follow the swoop and bellow of every dome; inside you’ll see the many names of God in big block Arabic on every otherwise blank wall. It’s famous for its calligraphy, and the talent of the calligraphers comes forward in a barer style – fewer tiles or ornaments get in the way.

Outside your eyes will follow the swoop and bellow of every dome; inside you’ll see the many names of God in big block Arabic on every otherwise blank wall. It’s famous for its calligraphy, and the talent of the calligraphers comes forward in a barer style – fewer tiles or ornaments get in the way.

The koza (“cocoon” in Turkish) is where the silk comes from. A sericulturist will let the silkworms get just to the point of metamorphosis and then boil them alive. They catch a thread of silk from the cocoons in the bucket of water, and then thread them all through a hoop, and then spin the strands into thread. The Koza Han still displays a sheer variety of silk products – scarves, shirts, slippers, and pyjama trousers.

From the Koza Han, slip deeper into the covered bazaar until you find the Aynalı Carşı, the market with mirrors. This used to be a hamam until it got converted into shops and storehouses hundreds of years ago. It’s here that you can buy the best shadow puppets. During the construction of the Ulu Camii, two unbelievably lazy dudes started a comedy routine instead of working and drew a crowd. They got so unintentionally popular that nobody was working on the mosque, and, as the legend goes, the Sultan had them executed. Their names were probably not Karagöz and Hacivat, but those were the monikers given to the shadow puppets bearing their personalities. At the Karagöz Antikci in the Aynalı Çarşı, you’ll find a smiling shopkeeper ready to perform the same impromptu routines with jointed shadow puppets behind a sheet. But if you wanted to see a real show, you should head down to the Karagöz Museum in Çekirge on any Saturday at noon for a full-scale shadow play, and some detailed exhibits of puppets through the ages.

In the Hisar district, you can perambulate the streets to check out the old Ottoman-style noblemens’ houses. Two- or three-storey white plaster houses with brown trim give an appearance of order and cleanliness to the streets. Amid the houses be sure to visit some of the Külliyes for the dead sultans. The Muradiye complex is a must, as is the Emir Sultan Mosque.

More than history

You’re all historied out by now, and probably more than a little nauseous from walking around with a full stomach. The only sane choice is to get into a bath. How about a genuine straight-from-the-underworld hot spring? The Eski Kaplıca Hamam in Çekirge has your back – and your arms, and your legs, and the friendly hamam workers will scrape all the dying skin cells off all of them. This marble fortress of domes and glass gets its heat straight from the Horhor spring, which blasts out water at a frightening 90 degrees Fahrenheit. But hey, that means it’s extra healthy and mineral-y, and probably better for your skin, right?

If you’re not into being scalded and scraped, you can always punish your muscles with a hike. And you really should do this before you trudge back to the ferry and make your way back to gritty, smoggy Istanbul. Bursa still boasts a huge Botanical park and an expansive zoo, and of course, Uludağ – the great mountain.

Though it used to be worshipped as Olympus, home to the Greek gods, modern locals and visitors had the sacrilegious audacity to build a massive cable car up the side of the mountain and go skiing on it.

In the fall, you’re bound to get swamps of fog and the last green lushness of the season near the base, with alternating rains and freezes closer to the summit. But in the fullness of winter, you’ll probably run down Zeus as you ski down the slopes. Just don’t go skiing after eating an İskender Kebab – unless you’re planning on your friends rolling you down the mountain.

This article was first published in November 2017 and updated in 2022.

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It is easier than you think and most delicious…

Homestyle Iskender Kebab in tomato sauce, pita bread and yoghurt

Serves: 4- 6

Ingredients

For the meat marinate:

• 2 lbs. ribeye steak or lamb or beef tenderloin
• 2 large onions, grated
• 45 ml / 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 10 ml/ 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 10 ml/ 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the tomato sauce:

• 30 ml / 2 tbsp. concentrated tomato paste
• 15 ml/ 1 tbsp. red pepper paste (optional; you can use extra 1 tbsp. tomato paste and red pepper flakes to your taste instead too)
• 30 ml/ 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 16 fl oz. / 2 cups water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 2 green pointy or bell peppers, deseeded and sliced
• Thinly sliced pide ekmek or plain pita bread – 6 pieces, to serve
• 500 gr / 2 cups plain yoghurt to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
2. Prepare the meat marination a day ahead of time of cooking.
3. Grate the onions or place them in a food processor and process until liquid. Squeeze all the onion juice into a non-metallic bowl and discard any remaining onion pulp.
4. Slice the meat thinly (you can ask your butcher to this for you too) and then pound each slice with the back of a wooden spoon (or with a meat tenderizer). We aim to achieve slices about 5 cm (2”) x 4 cm (1.5”) in size.
5. Combine the onion juice, oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the meat slices and coat each piece with this marination. Cover the bowl with a cling film and marinate overnight in the fridge.
6. To make the tomato sauce, pour in the olive oil in a saucepan over the medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste, red pepper paste (if using) and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and combine well. Add the water then bring to the boil. Then gently simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Slice the pide or pita bread in 3 cm x 3 cm (about 1”) squares and place on a tray. Warm in the oven for 5 minutes.
8. Drizzle a little olive oil on a skillet and cook the meat slices on high heat; for about 2 minutes each side (take care not to overcook). Also sauté the sliced tomatoes and peppers on the other side of the skillet, until they start to charcoal at edges.
9. Once everything is cooked, plate your Iskender Kebab. Place the warm pide/pita bread slices on each plate. Spread the cooked slices of the meat over the pide bread and pour over the tomato sauce. Place the sautéed tomatoes and peppers at one side and a dollop of plain yoghurt at the other side. Serve immediately.

Afiyet Olsun

Recipe from Ozlem’s Turkish Table

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