“Are we sure we’re not entering a shopping street in downtown Aleppo or Amman?”
This was my initial reaction as we stepped into the Yusufpaşa neighborhood in Istanbul’s Fatih, which stands out from the rest of the city with its majority of Arabic-named shops and restaurants.
What drew my attention was the aromatic coffee with cardamom that I had recently discovered. This specialty, Middle Eastern and Levantine coffee captured my interest in the newly emerging Middle Eastern culinary hub of the metropolis, where I wandered during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
As a lifelong Istanbul resident, I avoided those parts of the city, particularly while studying near the neighborhood during my university years.
I was a student at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Letters in Laleli and would often hop on the tram with my friends to Sultanahmet or Karaköy, popular tourist destinations. Yet we never ventured beyond the familiar stops on the tramline, never considering Yusufpaşa or nearby Aksaray destinations worth exploring.
My prejudices toward the neighborhood faded away when I experienced the vibrant atmosphere and culinary delights of the area, particularly the warmth and flavor of Syrian cuisine.
The Fatih district, encompassing the historic peninsula of old Constantinople and was one of the most populous Turkish neighborhoods since the early Ottoman era. It has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, with an influx of Syrian refugees who have fled the now 12-year war.
The owner of Falafel & Tayba, a bakery and homemade food maker with two branches in Yusufpaşa, is one of them.
The enterprise was established five years ago by a Syrian man who had escaped Aleppo due to the war, according to Muhammed Rabi Elbay, the nephew of the shop’s owner. Elbay spoke to me in a hurry, just almost half an hour before iftar, when Muslims break their fast. Elbay was born in Aleppo to a Turkish-Syrian family and came to Türkiye after the war broke out.
“Yes, I was born there and came here. Look, I even got shot,” the 20-year-old man shows me the bullet scar on his arm, a testament to the violence he experienced before leaving his home country.
Elbay is the only worker at the enterprise who holds Turkish citizenship. The rest of the employees are Syrians, and the bakery mainly serves the Syrian community in the area. However, during Ramadan, they also see more Turkish customers who come to break their fast with the homemade dishes they serve.
When asked about the exceptional food Syrians make and sell this month, Elbay introduced us to Ma’arouk, a sweet bread made with mahaleb, which comes in various types, including those cheese, chocolate, dates, coconut, and tahina.
This bread, or the Syrian Ramadan pita, is sold with a fresh oil spread on it in almost every corner of Yusufpaşa and beyond in the Fatih district, where one can follow the savory smell of mahaleb.
At Falafel & Tayba, Mohamed Al Mansour, another employee, introduced us to the drinks, or sherbets, they specialize in selling during Ramadan. These come in a range of types, including ones made with dates, lemons, strawberries, tamarind and sweetroot.
Originally from Aleppo, the 23-year-old man briefly shares his story of leaving his country and living in several cities in Türkiye, including southern Hatay and western Izmir, before settling in Istanbul, where he now works.
We choose a black mulberry sherbet and continue our neighborhood tour, where shops, restaurants, and cafes are adorned with decorations celebrating the holy month of Ramadan.
Our next stop was a confectionery store, and the district had no shortage of options. Popular choices included Senyora Tatlıları or chain stores like Zaitoune Sweets. A helpful tip for visitors is to remember that employees in these shops often offer treats, whether it’s a fancy establishment or a small local shop. It is best if you plan your visit during Ramadan.
Besides the well-known Middle Eastern desserts such as basbousa, namoura, kunafeh and baklava, some desserts are trendy during Ramadan.
If you have a sweet tooth, you must try one of those specialties, the Qatayef Asafiri – a pancake filled with fragrant, rose and orange blossom-infused ashta cream, whipped cream, or ‘creme de le creme’ of the Middle East.
Another personal favorite of mine is Halawat el Jibn. It’s a cheese dessert made by rolling a thin layer of phyllo pastry with cheese and a custard-like heavy cream. It’s then drizzled with either rose water or sweet simple syrup, creating a delightful combination of flavors and textures.
Some cookies, such as kahk, ghorayeba, and mamool are commonly eaten during Ramadan. However, I haven’t been able to taste them myself as they were all sold out whenever I asked for them, proving their popularity during this time of the year.
Kahk is a pastry that is circular and thick, and it’s usually covered with powdered sugar. Ghorayeba is more commonly called butter cookies that seem to melt in your mouth upon consumption. Some cookies include fillings like cream, custard, or sweetened date pudding. As for Maamool, it typically has a filling made of date pudding.
Indulging in various sweets inevitably calls for a cup of coffee, and we found ourselves stopping by a renowned coffee shop, Haci Olabi.
Transforming coffee beans and aromatic plants like cardamom into exquisite delights served in traditional Arabic coffee pots called dallah, Haci Olabi was founded initially as ‘Olabi Sons’ by a Syrian family in Kuwait back in 1952.
The brand’s international journey began in 1960, starting in Saudi Arabia and then expanding to its homeland Syria and various Arab and foreign countries. In 2012, the company debuted in Türkiye under Haci Olabi.
Haci Olabi’sfocus is coffee, and the brand prides itself on working with over 30 varieties of coffee beans from Colombia, Brazil, India and Yemen. However, what sets the brand apart from traditional Turkish coffee shops is the unique blend of spices and aromatic plants that they incorporate into their black and green coffee blends. While traditional Arab coffee is typically green and lighter in form than Turkish coffee or espresso, Haci Olabi also offers a variety of Turkish coffee blends infused with spices.
As an experimental coffee drinker, I opted to mix Haci Olabi’s Arabic coffee with cardamom and a small amount of ground coffee through a moka pot. Although I’m doubtful if this is considered offensive to coffee purists, I can’t help but savor the unique flavors of this blended beverage as I pen this article.
If you’re already fed up with coffee and want to explore the off-the-beaten-track culinary experiences in the neighborhood outside of Ramadan, several must-visit restaurants await you. Tarbuş, Buuzcedi, Bludan and Mazaj are just a few of the many restaurants that serve authentic Syrian or Middle Eastern cuisine, ranging from crispy salads like Fattoush to savory dishes like falafel, shwarma and mansaf.
Despite the emergence of the new culinary culture, it remains unclear whether it will gain acceptance among the district’s long-standing Turkish community, as Turkish and Syrian communities have shown little interest in branching out from their own culture and cuisines.
Nevertheless, one place stands out during the holy month of Ramadan, offering a unique experience that cannot be found elsewhere in the district.
That place is the Fatih Mosque, named after Ottoman emperor Fatih Sultan Mehmed, who conquered Constantinople.
Today, the mosque serves as a gathering place for Turkish and Syrian communities in one of Istanbul’s most cosmopolitan neighborhoods, who come together to perform Tarawih prayers, knitting together the two separate parts of Yusufpaşa and beyond.
