Turkish Delight Workshop / Cooking Class in Old City

It was amazing! The ‘Captain’ with his mother was so nice and welcoming, we felt really loved :)

Wow, I can’t tell you enough of how beautiful this was put together. Very hospitable and sweet people run this. It was a little hard to find but in the mosque courtyard to the right. Loved it and would highly recommend!!

Absolutely amazing experience. We felt welcomed straight away and loved hearing about the history of the hosts and the making of Turkish delight was really interesting. I would do this experience again!

You will meet the "Captain" and his mom, two lovely people who want to do well and make you happy in this great activity with them. Beautiful place, excellent loukoums, a visit from little Sophie, and you will leave there with your arms full of gifts. Thank you both!

This was a fabulous experience. Our host Bura (sp?) and his mom were so hospitiable. He shared some a brief overview of the history of Istanbul and the history of Turkish Delight while we experienced the hands-on steps of making the delicious treat. He made the experience special by telling us all about the Little Hagia Sophia centre and it's background of housing artisans. At the same time he shared his own story and personal anecdotes. The experience was among the most rewarding that we had in this city. We went away with lovely gifts, knowledge and memories from our warm and generous hosts. We highly recommend this workshop.

The ‘Captain’ is a fascinating man and his mother is lovely. Learning the traditional method for making Turkish Delight was interesting but his wealth of knowledge on Istanbul is great. An impromptu tour of Little Hagia Sophia was excellent. Barely a tourist in sight. It’s supposedly one of Istanbuls oldest buildings and the Orient Express used to pass a few metres away. One of my memorable moments in Istanbul.

A very welcoming and hospitable mother-and-son duo who immediately make you feel at home. The workshop lasts approximately one hour, during which the mother cooks while guests observe, learn, and lightly participate in the process. During the wait, Captain Bura went above and beyond sharing stories from his life as a businessman, teaching us about aromatherapy, and even offering to guide us around the Little Hagia Sophia. It truly felt like more than just a workshop, but a warm cultural experience spent in wonderful company. The only small downside was that the shared public bathroom was not of the highest quality. Otherwise, it was a beautifully spent afternoon.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Turkish delight workshop. Our hosts were so welcoming and enthusiastic. We learned how to make Turkish delight the traditional way, but also enjoyed the wonderful location and relaxing atmosphere. Our hosts took the time to tell us the history of the mosque and gave us a tour after our workshop had finished. We were also given some lovely gifts of lavender essential oil and hand made soaps. Would highly recommend this experience. The only thing that could improve the experience would be to provide a printed copy of the recipe with step by step instructions instead of the written ones which are not very detailed and you may not remember all the steps at a later date. Overall, we had a fabulous time.

This was definitely a great experience. Captain Bugra and his mom were so pleasant and genuinely good people. I highly recommend!

How do you make delicious Loukoum/ Turkish Delight? With a love, imagination and above all patience! We were instructed in this by our welcoming hosts in a homely cultural centre in the pretty gardens of Little Hagia Sophia mosque. A relaxing local experience, and such a contrast to the busy touristic sites just up the hill in Istanbul. We learnt a lot about this traditional regional treat and also the family stories and customs surrounding it. We came away not only more confident to try to make our own Loukoum at home, but also with some samples of our cooking that day and memories of a lovely afternoon.