The pizza made by Assyrians in Mardin, especially in Midyat district, is one of the most popular pizzas after Italian pizza. With the return of Assyrians who lived in European countries for years, pizza restaurants have started to proliferate in the district; the number of restaurants has increased from three until last year to seven and they attract great interest.
Mardin’s Midyat district is a candidate to become one of the most popular pizza destinations after Italy. With the return of Assyrians who lived in European countries for years, pizza restaurants have started to proliferate in the district; the number of restaurants has increased from three until last year to seven.
One of these is Izla Pizzeria in Üçköy (formerly Arkah in Syriac) at the foot of the Bagok Mountains between Midyat and Nusaybin.
The owner of the restaurant is Moris Dal, who returned after 43 years from Germany, where he immigrated in 1979. Dal, who ran his own restaurant in Germany for 24 years, decided to return to his village with his cousin Gabriel and open a pizzeria in the land of his birth. The restaurant, which opened two years ago, has become a center of attention even though it is in a secluded location.
The restaurant is especially crowded on holidays. Customers sometimes have to wait a long time for a pizza.
According to VOA Turkish, the opening of pizza restaurants in the region has brought a breath of fresh air to Midyat’s tourism wealth. Both locals and those who come to the region for vacation do not leave without stopping by the pizza restaurants.
It is possible to eat both classic pizza and pizza made with local products.
When the Ablak family living in Germany came to Batman to visit their relatives, they traveled many kilometers and stopped by the pizza restaurant they had heard of before. Ablak family members said they were amazed not only by the pizza but also by the nature.
Hanna Bartuma, who is also Assyrian, lives in Switzerland. Bartuma, who came to Midyat for vacation, said that she especially came to see the nature. Explaining that the satisfaction of those who come to the region to eat pizza increases the interest, Bartuma said, “This makes us happy, I am very happy. This also attracts Assyrians more.”
“I do not regret returning”
In an interview with VOA Turkish, restaurateur Moris Dal said he does not regret returning to his homeland. “It was worth it,” Dal said, adding that he decided to return years after he emigrated from Turkey. Dal stated that he employs 15 people.
“Maybe in the future this street will be named ‘Pizzacılar Caddesi’”
Emphasizing that his customers prefer him for different reasons, Dal said, “Customers come to us from all over Turkey. Mostly from the west, but Diyarbakır, Batman, Nusaybin, Şırnak, Silopi, Mardin, Midyat are already our local people, they all come. They come to eat pizza, to see the view and sometimes to get to know the Assyrians. ‘Who are the Assyrians? Why did they leave, how did they come back?’ Hopefully the number of restaurants will increase and it will be more beautiful. Maybe in the future this street will be named ‘Pizzacılar Caddesi’,” he said.
Dal, who never leaves the kitchen of the restaurant, makes different pizzas using local products as well as classic varieties.
