Tandoor and Open Fire | A Legacy to the Modern Şanlıurfa Cuisine
- Havrani
- Jul 21
- 5 min read
Şanlıurfa, one of the world's oldest settlements, has hosted numerous civilizations throughout its history. Life in Urfa, a gateway between Mesopotamia and Anatolia, where ancient civilizations thrived, has been shaped by the cultures of these ancient civilizations. The modern city's cuisine bears the traces of this multilayered socio-cultural structure. Cooking over open fire and tandoori cooking are among the ancient practices inherited from the present day.
Ten Thousand Years of Culinary Heritage | From the Zero Point of Time to the 21st Century
The broader geographical region in which Şanlıurfa is located is the land where the first settlements began, where wild grains and legumes were domesticated. It witnessed the formation of social relations and the food culture that formed part of them, as well as their interaction with different civilizations.
Four stove-like structures, serving plates, and utensils found in Karahantepe, a settlement site dating back twelve thousand years, indicate that the kitchen was always a significant part of the settlement.
Urfa cuisine, drawing inspiration from the cultural richness of Anatolian and Mesopotamian civilizations, has a vibrant character. Traditional recipes include dozens of wild plants, wheat, spices, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Methods of cooking over open fire and tandoori cooking are among the key cornerstones of this cuisine.
In his Travelogue (Seyahatname), Evliya Çelebi makes the following note regarding the production and consumption habits of 17th century Urfa:
This city of Urfa, on the Harran side of the Halil River, is covered entirely with vineyards, gardens, and orchards, so its vegetables are abundant both in summer and winter. Mount Damlacık, at the nape of the inner castle, is entirely covered in vineyards and gardens. This Urfa pomegranate is famous throughout the Holy Land. Urfa pomegranate is admired throughout the world. Its pure, white lavash bread, its white flatbread baked on a griddle like a rose petal, its tandoori kebab, mulberry wine, and silk are all quite famous.
Tandoor Architecture
Common characteristics of traditional Urfa recipes include cooking over an open fire and in a tandoor oven, a continuation of the practices of ancient civilizations that lived in harmony with nature.
The tandoor, a symbol of agricultural societies and village life, is a key element of the architecture of historic ''hayatlı'' (with courtyard) Şanlıurfa houses. In fact, the kitchens in courtyard houses that have tandoors are called "tandırlık." Some houses have more than 10 stoves, each designed to accommodate various niches, cauldrons, and pans, suggesting that 8-10 different dishes were cooked simultaneously.
Tandoors, still used in many inhabited homes, are made from natural materials such as soil, clay, and straws. They require no electricity or metalworking. Their fuel is made from organic materials such as wood, vineyard pruning residue, and dung.
Due to its physical structure, the tandoor can stay hot for extended periods. This allows multiple dishes to be cooked over a long period with a small amount of fuel. As energy efficiency is becoming more vital every day, tandoor cooking offers an alternative to industrial production methods.
Tandoori dishes, prepared with seasonal local crops, wild herbs and pasture animals, are an important part of Havrani's kitchen.
A Cultural Heritage | Tandoori
The flavor profile of Şanlıurfa dishes cooked over an open fire or in a tandoor oven is enhanced by the effects of embers and smoke. Traditional recipes cooked slowly are also easier to digest.
Tandoori bread holds a special place in the regional diet. Baking tandoori bread, a staple of Urfa cuisine, requires a distinct level of mastery. The temperature of the tandoor, the consistency of the dough, and the baking time are all critical. This fine mastery is a skill passed down from generation to generation by master bakers, artisans, and women.
The habit of women gathering at the tandoori and sharing knowledge about cooking together makes tandoori more than just a cooking method, but also a symbol of cultural continuity.
Tandoori isn't just about cooking. Stories are told, experiences are shared, and solidarity is built. Tandoori is a social space.
Various tandoori dishes served at weddings, condolence dinners, or births create a social memory and a cultural legacy for future generations. Known to the people of Urfa as "real kebab" or "real bread," tandoori dishes demonstrate that this traditional heritage is now a part of Urfa's identity..
Many dishes cooked in the tandoor consist of seasonal vegetables and meats and are served with tandoori bread:
Tandoori kebab: Usually cooked using lamb. The meat is cooked in its own fat in the tandoor for long hours. It separates into fibers, resembling a delight.
Tandoori tray kebab: This dish, a mixture of vegetables and meat enriched with spices, is cooked over low heat in a tandoor.
Eggplant kebab: Meat and eggplants strung on skewers are slowly cooked over embers.
Tandoori dried: Vegetables dried by natural methods for long-term storage.
Liver tandoori: This dish is made especially in the morning. It is served with tandoori bread.
Tandoori bread: These are large, crispy, smoky-flavored flatbreads that are baked by sticking them to the inner wall of the tandoor.
We frequently feature tandoori dishes in Havrani's seasonal menus. Tandoori, produced from natural ingredients and contributing to the recycling of organic waste, is one of the traditions we strive to preserve.
Parting Words
Although tandoor use has declined today due to urbanization, the transformation of living spaces, the modernization of kitchenware, and the pressure of fast-paced consumption habits, it still retains its importance. Centuries-old recipes live on and continue to evolve in the tandoor ovens of the homes of historic Şanlıurfa.
Tandoori is prominent as a cultural heritage in cultural events, local markets, and women's cooperatives in Urfa. The tradition of cooking in tandoori significantly contributes to the city's culinary tourism and strengthens cultural belonging among its young residents.
At Havrani, we understand that cooking over an open fire is not just a technique; it's a fusion of a multilayered cultural heritage, a balanced ecosystem, and a shared space that fosters solidarity. We are preserving, protecting, and developing this tradition, a cornerstone of the ecological cuisine movement we aim to launch in Şanlıurfa.
We diligently maintain traditional production and consumption practices. We prioritize preserving environmental heritage as well as cultural heritage. We process seasonal produce sourced from our network of local producers, process them using traditional recipes. Located in a 650-year-old historic inn, Havrani features tandoori dishes in its seasonal menus.
References
Netchev, S. (2020, August 05). Map of the Fertile Crescent. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from
Peters, J., Schmidt, K., Dietrich, L., Dietrich, O., Pöllath, N., Kinzel, M., & Clare, L. (2019). Göbekli Tepe: Agriculture and Domestication. In C. Smith (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology: Living Edition Springer.
Peters, Joris & Schmidt, Klaus & Dietrich, Oliver & Pöllath, Nadja. (2014). Göbekli Tepe: Agriculture and Domestication. 10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2_2226.
Kabukcu, Ceren & Asouti, Eleni & Pöllath, Nadja & Peters, Joris & Karul, Necmi. (2021). Pathways to plant domestication in Southeast Anatolia based on new data from aceramic Neolithic Gusir Höyük. Scientific Reports. 11.
Fidan, Süleyman. (2022). HALK GASTRONOMİSİ.
