The Midyat table: mırra, çiğköfte and Syriac pastry

The cuisine of Midyat belongs to no single tradition. Syriac, Kurdish, Arab and Turkish kitchens have met at the same table here for centuries, and some recipes no longer declare where they came from.

Mırra

Coffee boiled long and strained, taken without sugar and very bitter. It is served in small handleless cups, one sip each. You hand the cup back to the person who gave it to you; leaving it on the table is not done. Offering mırra is the local way of saying: sit, we are in no hurry.

Çiğköfte

Here çiğköfte is not a snack but a way of setting a table. Fine bulgur is kneaded at length with pepper and spices; the masters say you feel the right consistency in your hands. It is served with lettuce leaves, lemon and mint, and it is the constant of every sıra gecesi.

Syriac pastry

A lightly salted dough with black cumin and sesame on top. Bakeries in Midyat have it all day; it goes well with tea and travels well too.

Breakfast

The regional breakfast revolves around cheese: braided cheese, curd cheese and herbed varieties, alongside honey, clotted cream, olives, tomatoes and bread straight from the oven. A Midyat breakfast is not a quick meal — set aside an hour at least.

Our café-restaurant occupies the upper level of the courtyard and is open to day visitors as well.