Meet the Turkish chef infusing new life into ancient cuisines
In his latest project, Ulas Tekerkaya revived an 8,600-year-old bread recipe from the Neolithic Catalhoyuk settlement in the Anatolian heartland.

After exploring dishes from thousands of years ago, Tekerkaya is now preparing to dive into culinary traditions from the early years of the Turkish Republic. / Photo: AA
In 2009, Ulas Tekerkaya was working as a protocol chef at a NATO military base in Konya, Türkiye’s historical city where he was born and raised.
Nestled in the heart of Anatolia, Konya is the resting place of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, the 13th-century Islamic scholar and poet whose spiritual legacy draws tens of thousands of visitors every year.
One day, out of curiosity, the military base commander posed a question that would change the course of Tekerkaya’s life: “Did Mevlana only eat oven kebab?”
That innocuous question left Tekerkaya wondering if it was actually possible to figure out what sort of dishes were the norm in Mevlana Rumi’s days.
Tekerkaya immersed himself in Mevlana’s works, where he found bits and pieces of information about that era’s recipes. The chef then felt inspired to revive those flavours.
“The greatest challenge is that sources often indicate the ingredients but not the entire recipe. There is usually no information on the ratio of ingredients or any direction on how to cook it. But I would say I can capture 95 percent of the original recipes,” Tekerkaya tells TRT World.
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In 2022, Tekerkaya won a prestigious A06 Special Award at the Gourmand Cookbook Awards.
In one example, Mevlana says, “Kneaded with almonds and walnuts, almond halva sweetens my tongue and brings light to my eyes. Take some butter, almonds, and flour, and make an almond halva,” Tekerkaya explains.
“He tells us that almonds, flour and butter are in it, but he does not give the measurements. So, I figure out the proportions by experimenting.”
Tekerkaya has since established himself as sort of a cuisine archaeologist. He digs into archives and old manuscripts, sniffing for details about the dishes that our ancestors made. He recently wowed food enthusiasts by recreating an 8,600-year-old Neolithic bread.
But how did Tekerkaya, now 46, get to searching for recipes from the Stone Age?
Somatci Fihi Ma Fih
Tekerkaya was still cooking for the soldiers at the NATO command centre when he began experimenting with the dishes Mevlana had described in his writings.
Through trial and error, he rediscovered how the old dishes were prepared, all while staying true to the original recipes as written by Mevlana in his works such as Masnavi, Divan-i Kabir and Fihi Ma Fih.
Beyond the Mevlevi order, some of his recipes are also based on the period’s Seljuk cuisine. The Seljuks, a powerful Turkic dynasty that ruled much of Anatolia in the 11th to 13th centuries, were instrumental in shaping the region's cultural and culinary heritage, blending Persian, Arab, and Turkic influences into their cuisine.
Since beginning his research, Tekerkaya has developed 45 recipes based on Mevlevi and Seljuk cuisine, including main dishes, desserts, and beverages, such as Hassaten Lokma, Stuffed Figs, and Rose Sherbet.
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From left to right, Tekerkaya's Meat with Figs, Sirkencubin, Hassaten Lokma, and Stuffed Figs dishes.
As his dishes became popular, Tekerkaya quit his job at the military base in 2011 to open Somatci Fihi Ma Fih, the world’s first restaurant serving Mevlevi and Seljuk-era cuisine.
The restaurant's name came from the Mevlevi tradition. “Somat” means table, and “somatci” means someone who sets and cleans the table. “Fihi Ma Fih” roughly translates to “it is what it is”.
Through his initiative, the chef also hopes to inform his patrons about Mevlevi culture and pass his knowledge to future generations. To that end, he published a Turkish/English recipe book in 2019 called Somat’a Sala (Invitation to Dinner), featuring verses from the Quran and Mevlana’s works.
The dishes he serves are nothing compared to what’s sold in regular restaurants.
Ingredients from the Silk Road
Tekerkaya’s dishes do not include some of today’s cooking essentials, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, or oil, since none of these ingredients were used then. Instead, he suggests products that were carried in the caravans of the Silk Road.
His dishes are flavoured with spices such as cumin, cinnamon, salt, or sauces and made with plant roots. They also contain plenty of almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, and dried fruits. One of the main dishes is meat cooked with dried figs, garlic, black pepper, and cumin. On his menu, you’ll find it simply as Meat with Figs.
Take another example: the Sirkencubin sherbet, a drink made from honey and vinegar. In his writings, Mevlana described the beverage in these words: “Suffering is vinegar, grace is like honey; these two are the basis of Sirkencubin.”
Tekerkaya figured out that Sirkencubin requires combining one cup of honey, one cup of vinegar, and two cups of water. He also realised that while hot water can be used for mixing, the drink is best served cool.
“Mevlana teaches us that opposites can exist together and at the same time be a source of healing for people.”
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As a child, Tekerkaya saw his mother grow vegetables and spices in the little garden of their Konya home, instilling in him the love for home-grown ingredients.
Ancient dishes brought to life
In 2015, Tekerkaya’s curiosity extended deeper into Konya’s history. He sought to revive culinary traditions from the region’s Neolithic settlements, Catalhoyuk and Boncuklu Hoyuk, which date back as early as 8,500 BC.
"By examining archaeological findings, I identified the ingredients people used at the time and developed 35 recipes based on inferences about what they consumed," Tekerkaya tells TRT World.
For example, many of his recipes are based on ancient salt shakers unearthed during excavations, which indicates the early use of salt in the region. Thus, Tekerkaya serves his dishes seasoned only with salt. But there is another challenge.
“We’re talking about recipes from 10,000 years ago. Some ingredients are now very rare or forgotten or have vanished from the soil,” such as varieties of tubers or wild figs and almonds, Tekerkaya explains.
Through hard work and persistence, he has managed to source the missing ingredients, planting and cultivating them himself in most cases.
“It took three years to grow wild mustard. For two years, it wouldn’t germinate at all. After many failed attempts, the earth finally provided the plant to us,” the chef says. The winter plant sprouts in autumn, cultivates seeds and dies once the weather begins to warm up in spring.
Tekerkaya compiled these recipes into another cookbook, blending culinary insights with historical knowledge. In 2022, the book won a prestigious A06 Special Award at the Gourmand Cookbook Awards.
“I even cooked hedgehog,” Tekerkaya recalls. “In Catalhoyuk excavations, the most gnawed and scraped bones belonged to hedgehogs and wild birds, indicating they were a common food source. I consulted religious authorities to ensure it was permissible in Islam and learned it isn’t forbidden, so I gave it a try.”
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Tekerkaya prepares his dishes with utensils that are true to the period they were inspired by.
8,600-year-old bread
Two years ago, archaeologists unearthed a charred, spongy object in Catalhoyuk that turned out to be leavened bread.
The discovery, which dates back to approximately 6,600 BC, was analysed for grain, revealing that it contained ingredients such as peas, barley, and wheat.
Once the analysis came through, Tekerkaya stepped in. He now had everything he needed to work his magic.
“But it wasn’t easy. Even though I had a complete list of components, some ingredients were very hard to find, and I once again didn’t know the measurements,” he says. The most challenging ingredients to find were an unfamiliar grain variety locals call “mudurluk” and pea flour.
Tekerkaya experimented for over a year before perfecting the recipe. He says the initial samples were very stiff and bitter, but the final product was perfect.
The utensils he uses are also true to the period.
Tekerkaya baked the ancient bread using handmade grinding stones, terracotta pots, and pitchers, replicating what people had available millennia ago. The same practice applies to all of his other historic dishes.
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In his latest project, Ulas Tekerkaya revived an 8,600-year-old bread recipe from the Neolithic Catalhoyuk settlement in the Anatolian heartland.
A cultural ambassador abroad
“I introduced Mevlevi and Catalhoyuk cuisine to my country, then thought, ‘Why not share it with the world?’ That’s how I ended up in the Netherlands,” Tekerkaya says.
For the past two and a half years, he has been living in Amsterdam, where he opened another branch of his restaurant, Somatci. In many ways, he has become a cultural ambassador for Konya’s rich historical legacy.
“I tell visitors about Turkish culture and history, and they’re always fascinated. They often say, ‘Is this really Turkish culture? We thought Turkish food was just about grills and kebabs.’,” he says.
His work abroad has been quite rewarding. “People not only leave with full stomachs but also a deeper understanding of our culture and history. Some of our guests have even travelled to Konya to explore Mevlana’s city and see Catalhoyuk after dining at our restaurant.”
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Tekerkaya experimented for over a year before perfecting the 8,600-year-old bread recipe.
Tekerkaya’s latest project shifts focus to Türkiye’s more recent history. He is collecting recipes passed down from the predecessors of people who lived a century ago, during the early years of the Turkish Republic. The new cookbook is set to be published in 2026.
“The stories behind these recipes are unbelievable. For example, we have a dish on what a groom would be served when he visited his mother-in-law on the morning after his wedding, and why that specific dish was chosen,” Tekerkaya says. The tradition is still practised in some parts of Anatolia.
The breakfast dish, Kaygana, is made with eggs, butter, and flour. Tekerkaya suggests its name is related to the Turkish word “kaynana”, which means mother-in-law.
“This book will highlight very specific yet deeply symbolic moments and the culinary traditions tied to them.”
Looking back on how far his journey has brought him, Tekerkaya reflects on a quote from Mevlana: “I knocked on one door, but door after door after door did not come to an end.”
For Tekerkaya, each door he’s opened has revealed not just recipes, but stories, memories, and a deep connection to a shared past. “We have such a rich history,” he says, “and there’s something new to discover every day.”