Recipes    

Turkish cuisine provides healthy, hearty, delicious food for family and friends.
Find out more

Cookery Classes

I teach Turkish cooking classes in England,Turkey & USA, hope you can join us!,
Find Out More

Fascinating Antioch (Antakya); Mozaic Museum and Long Market (Uzun Carsi)

I have been lucky enough to go back to Antioch,(Antakya), my hometown, with 11 enthusiastic travellers. It is the place I spent many childhood holidays at my grandmother’s almost 500 year old house, shopped in its ancient Long Market and enjoyed endless hammam rituals. It is so wonderful to be back and share this wonderful city with you all.



And here we are in the Antakya Museum of Archaeology (Mosaic Museum), which has the 2nd richest collection of ancient mosaics in the world. The size and the quality of the mosaics are simply breathtaking. This is the Soteria Mosaic (awakening).



And this is one of my favorite mosaics, Oceanus. Lovely details of cupids fishing and all the fish mosaics around.



The Mosaic Museum also hosts a section featuring the medieval pottery excavated in the region. Here are some examples of their beautiful pottery.



We left the Mosaic Museum and started walking towards the ancient Long Market (Uzun Carsi). Along the way, we came across a street stall, selling fresh pistachios, in their vibrant cherry coloured soft shells!:) They are a real delicacy at this part of Turkey, packed with flavor. Southeast part of Turkey, especially Gaziantep region is famous with their pistachios and Turkey is one of the biggest producers in the world. Next to the pistachios are the hazelnuts. Of course we had to get a small pack and taste them on our way to the market:)



And here we are in the Long Market, Uzun Carsi. It is the place where locals shop for their spices, red pepper paste, cheese, bread, kunefe (tel kadayif, shredded pastry strands for the dessert kadayifi), clothing and many more. Dried eggplants and peppers decorate almost every shop and it is delightful even to stroll around.



You see drink stalls all around the Long Market. This is my freshly squeezed orange, lemon and red mulberry juice with crushed ice; great colours, isn’t it? Very refreshing too!



Spices are being used artfully in Antioch; I can’t think of the cuisine without cumin, red pepper flakes, dried mint, sumac and many more. Long Market is the place where you find them all. There is also a great variety of herbal teas, henna (for coloring the hair and hands, especially at festive times and weddings), tahini, sesame seeds and pomegranate molasses; this place is a real foodie heaven.



Another delightful spot at the Long Market, a shop selling wooden spoons. This spoon is especially used for making region’s sweet pastry called kombe; locals shape the pastry using this spoon and its pattern.



I was watching this little boy getting his pide (flat bread, especially made during the month of Ramadan)from the local bakery in Long Market. I used to do – and always willing to!- that when I was a child a lot. Bakeries in Antioch is not only used for bread, but also locals would bring their meat mixture for kebabs and the bakeries would bake them. The tray kebab (which you can find the recipe in the blog, under Regional Signature dishes) cooked in the bakeries is to die for.



This is quite an interesting operation. Tel Kadayifi, fresh, vermicelli like pastry strands is the main ingredient of the world famous dessert Kunefe (or Kadayifi, as known abroad). The fresh pastry strands are cooked and sieved through a machine, that spirals through a round flat oven and baked there.



Once the pastry strands are ready, they are soaked in the melted butter and pressed flat on a greased oven tray. Then a generous layer of region’s unsalted cheese, specially produced for this dessert (similar to mozzarella)is spread evenly. Then another thin layer of butter soaked pastry strands is pressed over the top and baked. After baking it is cut in triangle slices and hot sugary syrup is poured all over. After a few minutes of soaking this syrup, the kunefe is ready to be served! It is worth coming to Antakya just for this dessert!:)

I hope you enjoyed strolling around Antioch, Antakya. This is a land of peace, tolerance, with rich history and culinary heritage. I can’t wait to come back again, and I hope you make it here sometime too.

Best wishes,

Ozlem

23 Responses to Fascinating Antioch (Antakya); Mozaic Museum and Long Market (Uzun Carsi)

  1. Dzoli August 10, 2011 at 4:47 am #

    I would give anything to walk on that market.Oh and that pastry looks fantastic;))

  2. Cuisine de Provence August 10, 2011 at 1:49 pm #

    Just post the details of your next culinary tour on your blog – that's all we (your by now positively salivating readers) ask for.

  3. Ozlem's Turkish Table August 11, 2011 at 12:13 am #

    Merhaba;
    So kind of you both; I ma glad you enjoyed the posts. It would be my pleasure to travel with you at this amazing land, I sure will let you know about the next culinary tour – many thanks again:)
    Best wishes,
    Ozlem

  4. fran39 August 11, 2011 at 3:40 am #

    What a fantastic post, and brings back memories of the wonderful bread I had in Turkey a few years back. Would love to hear more about the cheeses.

  5. Ozlem's Turkish Table August 11, 2011 at 6:27 am #

    Merhaba,
    Many thanks for the comment; as for the cheese; the unsalted cheese used in kunefe is very similar to mozzarella. Other than that, Antakya has the speciality "tuzlu yoghurt" cheese' a salty, strained yoghurt curd, that we dip with olive oil with crusty bread for breakfast- yummy:)
    best wishes,
    Ozlem

  6. sare August 29, 2011 at 2:38 pm #

    Merhaba,
    One of the cities I like in Türkiye is Antakya.I last saw it last May 20 years later,. I found it very different. It was beautiful and charming but now it is like a village.
    ı hope we won't lose it, your photos from there are very beautiful.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Tahini Bread Rolls with Sesame and Nigella Seeds; Tahinli Ekmek | Ozlem's Turkish Table - March 28, 2014

    […] tahini bread recipe is from the southern part of Turkey, Antakya (Antioch), where my roots are from. Tahini is widely used especially in southern and eastern parts of Turkey […]

  2. Stuffed Dried Eggplant and Pepper Dolma; Kuru Patlican Dolmasi | Ozlem's Turkish Table - April 1, 2014

    […] the dried eggplants and peppers beautifully, and the aromas take me right back to my hometown, Antakya. Bulgur can also be used instead of rice, as in Gaziantep cuisine and it is delicious. You can also […]

  3. Homemade Cezerye; Caramalised Carrot Paste Delight with Nuts | Ozlem's Turkish Table - April 28, 2014

    […] my roots going back to southern Turkey, Antakya, I grew up sampling the very best Cezerye from the nearby Mersin region. Such a delicious and […]

  4. Mevlubi; Cevirme Pilav -Upside down rice with meat and vegetables | Ozlem's Turkish Table - May 30, 2014

    […] signature dish, Mevlubi to enjoy with friends over the weekend. The recipe comes from Antakya, the Southern part of Turkey, where my roots are from. This special dish makes an appearance in […]

  5. Antakya’s Kombe Cookie with Walnuts; three generations baking together | Ozlem's Turkish Table - June 24, 2014

    […] delicious Kombe cookies. The wooden molds are a treat; make sure you get some if you plan to go to Antakya, Uzun Carsi (Long Market). If not, you can still decorate your cookies with a […]

  6. Walnut & Red Pepper Paste Dip - Cevizli Biber | Ozlem's Turkish Table - July 13, 2014

    […] just can’t stop eating them. It is one of my mother’s recipes from her historic hometown Antakya (Antioch) and whenever I make it, I feel like I am […]

  7. Turkish Flat Breads with Spinach, Feta and Peppers; Peynirli Pide | Ozlem's Turkish Table - September 1, 2014

    […] popular snacks and our slow cooked “fast food” in Turkey. In Rural Anatolia and at my home town Antakya, locals would prepare the filling and take it to their local bakery, firin to be baked as these […]

  8. Wholesome Turkish Cuisine, use of spices and Hospitality above all | Ozlem's Turkish Table - September 29, 2014

    […] The flesh and seeds of the eggplants and pepper are taken out and left for drying at the regions of Antakya and Gaziantep. They will end up having a rich, concentrated flavor and delicious when stuffed with […]

  9. Crumbled White Cheese or Feta Salad with Spices; Cokelek Salatasi | Ozlem's Turkish Table - May 31, 2015

    […] humble Turkish white cheese (or if it’s not available, Greek feta cheese). In my hometown, Antakya (Antioch), this special crumbled white cheese mixed with cumin, red pepper flakes and oregano is called […]

  10. Home made Turkish Pide Bread; Pide Ekmek | Ozlem's Turkish Table - June 18, 2015

    […] the Ramadan period to break the fast. I have lots of fond childhood memories of strolling through Uzun Carsi, Long Market in Antakya to pick up the freshly baked bread and how delicious it was. Grandma would always order a spare one […]

  11. Ancient and Wholesome; Bulgur Pilaf with Freekeh, Eggplants and Meat | Ozlem's Turkish Table - June 29, 2015

    […] nutty taste, similar to pearl barley. Freekeh used to feature a lot at my grandmother’s table in Antakya, ancient Antioch, when I was a child. Cooked with bulgur and fresh butter, it always tasted so heavenly and the […]

  12. Baklava, Revani, Kunefe and More; Desserts for the End of Ramadan | Ozlem's Turkish Table - July 16, 2015

    […] cheese filled pastry strands, Kunefe, Kadayifi, is one of the signature dishes of my hometown, Antakya and it appears on our table in almost every special […]

  13. Rolled Cabbage Leaves with Bulgur filling; Bulgurlu Lahana Sarma | Ozlem's Turkish Table - November 9, 2015

    […] this delicious stuffed cabbage leaves with bulgur, onions and ground meat, Bulgurlu Lahana Sarmasi, Antakya style (“Dolma” is the term used for stuffed vegetables, as in peppers, aubergines, tomatoes and […]

  14. Homemade Oruk, version of Kibbeh or Baked Icli Kofte, from Antakya | Ozlem's Turkish Table - November 25, 2015

    […] bulgur balls with delicious ground meat and walnuts filling, is a very popular dish at my hometown, Antakya (Antioch). It is a very special dish that turns up at my mother’s table at every festive event and family […]

  15. Sautéed Carrots in Garlic Yoghurt Sarimsakli, Havuclu Yogurt | Ozlem's Turkish Table - May 23, 2018

    […] unconditional kindness, generosity from the heart that welcomes you at home. Like, while we were in Antakya,  these local children, a little shy, but also curious,  eagerly wanting to show us around and […]

  16. Tray Kebab, Antakya Style - Tepsi Kebabi | Ozlem's Turkish Table - June 9, 2018

    […] holds special memories for all of us. Having spent many happy childhood holidays at our hometown Antakya (Antioch), I still have vivid memories of watching my grandma and mum preparing this kebab on great big round […]

  17. Flatbreads with zahtar and red pepper paste; Biberli Ekmek | Ozlem's Turkish Table - May 22, 2019

    […] paste, biber salcasi, feta cheese and za’atar or zahtar spice blend is a specialty from the Antakya cuisine and brings special memories back. I remember my grandmother and mum preparing the delicious topping […]

Leave a Reply