A-Z Guidebook: Zeugma Museum in Southeast Turkey

Z is for Zeugma Museum

For my final contribution to the A-Z Guidebook posts, I’ve dug back into my photo archives from five years ago when we visited the Zeugma Museum located in Gaziantep, southeast Turkey.

In 2012, the museum, less than a year old then, was fascinating because it is the world’s largest mosaic museum – containing 1700m2 of priceless mosaics from the ancient Roman town of Zeugma, which means “bridge” or “crossing” in ancient Greek. 

Wandering through partly reconstructed ancient Roman villas, excavated on-site around the Euphrates river, one can almost travel back in time to nearly 2,000 years ago when Zeugma was a popular trading center along the Silk Road route to China. Zeugma was founded along the river in 300 BC by one of the generals of Alexander the Great and reach its peak in the 3^rd century AD before being abandoned due to raids and earthquakes.

Today, much of the ancient town and its modern counterpart of Belkıs lie under the reservoir created by the construction of one of Turkey's largest dams in 2000. The massive Birecik Dam is located less than a mile from the site. 

Fortunately, international archaeologists were able to save many artifacts and these impressive mosaics before the dam flooded the area. The Zeugma Museum attempts to recreate the atmosphere that once prevailed in this prosperous Roman town. Though you’ll find plenty of Greek and Roman gods preserved in the mosaics, my favorite is the Gypsy Girl, known for her emotive eyes that seem to follow you wherever you go in the dark room where she now lives.

Looking back now, we were very lucky to travel through southeast Turkey when we did. The people we met were wonderful, the food was delicious and the historical sites were memorable. And that is what travel is all about for me!

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures, who has kindly hosted this link-up for the past 26 months! Thank you! Each month featured a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “Z.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more A-Z travel stories or feel free to link up your own!

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Heirloom Tomatoes in Turkish Gavurdağı Salatası

When you find really tasty tomatoes, especially heirloom varieties, you want to keep the flavors fresh and simple.

That’s why I fell in love with Turkish cooking because it emphasizes fresh ingredients such as tomatoes and herbs.

Heirloom tomatoes and fresh summery greens at home in Warsaw.

Last week, hubby asked if I could make Turkish kebabs and mezes one night. I said, tabii ki (of course)! So on Wednesday, I went to the BioBazar here in Warsaw and discovered a stall selling the BEST heirloom tomatoes I’ve seen outside of the U.S. The Polish farmer, who spoke excellent English, told me he specializes in unique products like the heirloom tomatoes, herbs and greens (Swiss chard, Italian lettuces and more) and sells many of his organic products to local restaurants.

The BioBazar is open open on Wednesdays and Saturdays in these old pre-WWII factory buildings.

I knew exactly which Turkish dish I would use these heirloom tomatoes in – a Gavurdağı Salatası – a sweet, tangy and slightly spicy tomato-parsley-pomegranate salad that is utterly delicious! This salad is named after the Gavur mountain, part of the Tarsus mountains in Southeast Turkey. It’s one we tried for the first time when we visited Gaziantep, a city in SE Turkey, two years ago.

In Gaziantep, we tried Gavurdağı Salatası at both Imam Cağdaş and Kebapci Halil Usta. The tangy spice, sumac, also was used in these versions.

Some versions of Gavurdağı Salatası add sumac or freshly chopped mint leaves. Other recipes like this one by my friend, Claudia of A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, include green peppers and more onions than what I like. As salads go, simply taste yours and see what you would like to add or modify.

My version of Gavurdağı Salatası was the perfect summery complement to an evening at home with Turkish kebabs and mezes. Turkish raki included, of course! I hope you’ll enjoy this salad as much as we did!

Afiyet olsun!

Gavurdağı Salatası (Tomato, Parsley and Pomegranate Salad)

Serves: 2-4 people

Ingredients:

4-5                              medium heirloom or regular tomatoes, deseeded and chopped small
¼                                 large white onion, chopped small

1          cup                  flat parsley, roughly chopped

1          teaspoon          ground cumin

1          teaspoon          dried mint

1          teaspoon          ground black pepper

Pinch                           crushed red pepper flakes (Turkish pul biber)

To taste                       salt

2          Tablespoons    walnuts, chopped

Dressing:

2          Tablespoons    Turkish olive oil

1          Tablespoon      pomegranate molasses (nar ekşisi)

Juice                            from ½ a lemon

1          ea.                    garlic clove crushed with salt in a mortar and pestle

Preparation:

Chop the tomatoes, onions and parsley into small pieces and place in a bowl.

Discard the tomato seeds and extra juice so you don't make your salad too "wet."

Sprinkle the spices on top.

In a small glass jar, add the dressing ingredients and shake to mix well. Pour over the salad when ready to serve. Alternatively, mix the ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk.

Garnish the salad with the chopped walnuts.

Serve the salad with fresh bread or pita so you can enjoy the delicious, spicy juices at the bottom of the bowl.

NOTE: We had about 1 cup of salad left that we finished off the next morning as part of a Turkish breakfast at home. Simply serve with cheese, hardboiled eggs and fresh bread.

I love Turkish mezes like these!

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Everyone Eats at Çiya in Istanbul

When we lived in Istanbul, I loved taking our visitors from the European side to the Anatolian part of the city.

Not only could our friends enjoy a vapur ride on the Bosphorus, but they also could say they had been to “Asia.” I would even time our visit so we could eat at one of my favorite and one-of-a-kind places in the city – Çiya located in the Kadıköy neighborhood.

In the last few years, Çiya has earned the recognition as one of the city’s foodie hotspots, as mentioned by IstanbulEats, DeliciousIstanbul and Parla Food. Çiya's owner/chef, Musa Dağdeviren, from Gaziantep in southern Turkey, has travelled all over Turkey as well as the Balkans and neighboring countries collecting his recipes. The result is some of the most distinctive dishes you’ll find in Istanbul such as candied vegetables, meats cooked with seasonal fruits and wild herbs and greens. Dağdeviren’s menu is always changing at his three locations located on the same pedestrian-only street in Kadıköy.

On my initial visit to Çiya with Selin of Turkish Flavours in 2011, Dağdeviren was making Turkish pide and kindly hung out with our group for a bit. Of course, I had to ask if I could get my photo taken with the chef, and he obliged.

As soon as you walk into Çiya, you’ll notice its fantastic salad bar that’s always filled with unique wild herbs and greens, hummus and other seasonal nibbles. This is where I start. Grab a plate, select your favorite dishes and then be sure to get your plate weighed by the helpful staff. You could make a meal just out of this salad bar!

The main dishes always change, depending on the season, but you’ll usually find a few soups as well as several meat-based dishes such as kuzu etli ayva dolması (lamb cooked with quince), celeriac stuffed with rice and ground beef, vişneli köfte (meatballs cooked in a tangy sour cherry sauce) or a tasty meat stew with baby okra. I find it difficult not to order one of everything especially if it’s a dish I haven’t tried before. These dishes aren't fancy, just honest, homecooked food, and the flavors are outstanding.

One of my favorite dishes when it's in season - kuzu etli ayva dolması.

Conclude your delightful meal with a refreshing şerbet, a sweet, fruit-based beverage popular during the Ottoman era.

For dessert, I always have a hard time deciding between künefe or katmer, both desserts hail from southeast Turkey. However, if you would like a unique dessert, order Çiya’s plate of candied fruits and vegetables. Who knew candied olives could be so tasty?

Dessert time at Çiya.

During my next visit to Istanbul this spring, I might have to include a stop at Çiya as well!

Location:

Çiya Sofrası and Çiya Kebab (right across the street from each other)

Güneşlibahçe Sokak 43

Kadıköy, Istanbul

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Gaziantep: Indulging in Sweet Katmer

Seems only fitting for my 300^th blog post today that I write about something sweet.

During our recent trip to Mount Nemrut, we stayed overnight in Gaziantep – a foodie destination in southeast Turkey that should be on every traveler’s list.

My expat friend in Istanbul had told me about this special Gaziantep breakfast pastry that I MUST try. “You will love it! It’s my favorite,” exclaimed my friend, who also happens to have a Turkish boyfriend from Gaziantep.

In the morning, we walked from our hotel, heading to the winding streets near the Bakırcılar Çarşısı (Coppersmith’s Bazaar) in Gaziantep.

Trying to find this renowned katmerci proved to be challenging. We both had our phones out and even a paper map looking for this place. We turned down a pedestrian-only side street and just when we thought nothing was even open, we found Katmerci Zekeriya Usta on the right-hand side.

Several picnic tables decked out with red and white tablecloths lined the walkway in front of the katmerci. There is no menu. You order katmer and katmer only plus çay (Turkish tea) to drink. A man with a tray brings fresh çay around as fast as you can drink it.

Katmer is a like a sweetened version of my beloved gözleme. It’s a breakfast pastry made out from sheets of phyllo dough wrapped around kaymak (Turkish clotted cream) and studded with chopped local pistachios. For my American readers, picture a sweetened quesadilla…something along those lines.

A bundle of katmer love in Gaziantep!

And the katmer was superb!

It’s like someone took some of favorite Turkish ingredients and wrapped them in one perfect bundle just for me.

The hot pastry is flaky and sweet. I tried to pick out the pieces with the most kaymak in them while my husband preferred the crispier edges.

Hubby and me before we devoured the katmer.

We almost finished the whole katmer. I love sweets, but by the end I just couldn’t eat another bite. My husband doesn’t like sweets for breakfast so I ate part of his portion too.

Eating katmer with several locals on the street in Gaziantep was the ideal way to start our day. Thank goodness we walked off some of the calories later!

Katmerci Zekeriya Usta - Open only 6-11:00 am.
Address: Çukur mh. Körükçü Sok. B., Hilmi Geçidi No: 16/C-D, Gaziantep
Telephone: 0342-230-0971 or 0534 7607454

You can also read Katie Parla's blog post about Katmerci Zekeriya Usta and see step-by-step how it's made here.

Also recommended:

Orkide Pastanesi

Address: Şehitkamil, Gazi Muhtar Paşa Bulv. 17, Gaziantep

Telephone: 0342-215-1500

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