Travel video guide
Where to Eat in Şahinbey, Gaziantep: Ali Nazik With Chicken
This guide turns Why Baklava Is So Hard To Make By Hand from Insider Food into a practical restaurant map with 1 saved spot around Şahinbey. The mapped places include a restaurant stop. Use it to understand the places, dishes, and trip context before saving the map in Varedelo.
What the creator captured
Insider Food explored the historic Imam Çağdaş restaurant in Gaziantep to see how traditional baklava is preserved against modern commercialization. The creator was particularly impressed by the labor-intensive process of stacking 40 layers of hand-rolled dough and the unique smoky flavor provided by wood-fired ovens. Despite the high cost of early-harvest pistachios and the 2023 earthquake, the restaurant remains a vital community pillar and global destination.
What this map is good for
- Planning a restaurant stop or short itinerary in Şahinbey.
- Comparing food stops from a creator or saved local map before you commit time in the city.
- Saving 1 mapped spot into Varedelo so the list stays usable on the ground.
- Using the original video as context, then turning it into a clean place-by-place map.
Featured spots on this map
- İmam Çağdaş Kebap Ve Baklava Salonu
Restaurant in Kale, Altı Uzun Çarşı No:49, 27400 Şahinbey/Gaziantep, Türkiye, Kale, Şahinbey, Gaziantep, Türkiye
Price level: High
Hours: Hours available
Food notes from the video
- Ali Nazik with chicken
- Classic pistachio baklava
Experiences captured
- Traveled to Gaziantep, Turkey
- Visited the historic Imam Çağdaş restaurant
- Observed masters rolling paper-thin baklava dough
- Learned about the 1887 history of the business
- Toured the restaurant's original Silk Road location
- Watched baklava being baked in wood-fired ovens
- Interviewed fourth-generation owner Burhan Çağdaş
- Heard the crunch of fresh traditional baklava
Planning notes for Şahinbey
Alaybey is a neighborhood located within the Şahinbey district of Gaziantep, Turkey. Its historical development is documented through records dating to the 16th century, specifically the Ayıntab Evkaf Register and Ottoman administrative logs. Historical Heritage and Architecture The district is characterized by Ottoman-era masonry. A central landmark is the Alaybey Mosque, constructed between 1557 and 1597 by Gami Bey.
Must-try foods nearby
- Beyran
The quintessential Gaziantep breakfast, this high-energy soup features slow-cooked lamb neck, rice, garlic, and a heavy dose of red pepper flakes and lamb fat. - Antep Fıstıklı Baklava
Widely considered the world's best, this iconic dessert consists of 40 layers of paper-thin phyllo dough filled with bright green 'early harvest' Antep pistachios and sweetened. - Ali Nazik Kebabı
A local favorite featuring a bed of smoky, fire-roasted eggplant purée mixed with strained yogurt and garlic. - Yuvalama
Traditionally served during Eid, this labor-intensive festive soup contains hundreds of tiny hand-rolled rice and meat pearls, chickpeas, and tender lamb in a warm. - Katmer
A decadent breakfast pastry made by folding clotted cream (kaymak), sugar, and ground pistachios into a very thin dough, which is then fried or baked until crispy and golden.
When to go: The best time to visit Alaybey in Şahinbey, Gaziantep, is during the spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) when temperatures are mild and pleasant for exploring the historic district. Summer months (July and August) can be intensely hot.
Local tips
- Dress modestly by covering your shoulders and knees to align with the conservative local culture of the Şahinbey district.
- Always remove your shoes before entering a local home or a mosque, as keeping them on is considered disrespectful.
- Accept offers of tea from shopkeepers as a polite gesture of hospitality, even if you only stay for a few minutes.
- Use your right hand for passing food or shaking hands, and avoid pointing at people with a single finger.
What travelers are noticing
- Le Trio Joubran performance at the Şahinbey Congress and Culture Center (March 2026)
- Viral Alaybey Semt Pazarı market tours for authentic local produce and street photography
- New cafe and bistro openings in the Alaybey district following recent commercial revitalizations
Extra place context
- İmam Çağdaş Kebap ve Baklava Salonu
Operating since 1887, this institution is the gold standard for Ali Nazik kebab and traditional Gaziantep baklava. Located near the historic Coppersmith Bazaar, it offers a grand, bustling atmosphere that perfectly captures the city's culinary heritage.
food
Planning questions
What is this video map?
It is a crawlable guide to the mapped places from Why Baklava Is So Hard To Make By Hand, with the creator video, a static map preview, and selected spots from the trip.
Can I save these spots?
Yes. Open the map in Varedelo to save the places, keep planning notes, and revisit the guide from your phone.
Does this replace watching the video?
No. The video remains the source, and the map makes the places easier to scan, compare, and save while planning.
Use it on your trip
Save this restaurant map before you go
Keep the mapped spots, creator context, food notes, and planning details together. Varedelo turns the page into a phone-friendly map you can revisit when you are choosing where to go.