All of Human History, Civilization, and Culture Converge in One Place: Turkish Food

History Unplugged Podcast · Mar 9, 2021 · 55m

Napoleon once commented that if the Earth were a single state, Istanbul (nee Constantinople) would be its capital. The general clearly knew his geography: Istanbul is the meeting point of Europe and Asia to the East and West, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean to the North and South, the convergence of the Silk and Spice Roads, and the pit stop for pilgrims going to Mecca or Jerusalem. The point is that in the pre-modern period, any soldier, merchant, or pious person had to pass through the city.

And with that much cultural interaction going on, it's no surprise that Turkish food is the…