Turkey
One of my family’s favorite places to visit is Turkey. Up until December 8, 2024, my family could not return to Syria due to political exile. So, Turkey became our home away from home over the years. The culinary genius of the Turkish kitchen reminds me so much of the traditional Syrian cuisine, but it is also so different and unique in its own ways. Some of my favorite foods are manti, a mini-dumpling stuffed with ground beef in yogurt, as well as iskender kebab, thinly sliced meat over a bed of fluffy bread topped with yogurt and drizzle of hot ghee. The pictures below are collected from my visits over the years to Turkey’s capital, Istanbul, as well as Bodrum and Izmir.
Istanbul
Bodrum (home of some of the best manti I’ve ever had)
Izmir (located on the coast of the Aegean Sea, the fish and views are unparalleled)
Bursa
