Mosque lays out Anatolia’s greatest food

“Tastes of Anatolia” in Shoreditch was a success

A BAZAAR was held in one of London’s largest mosques over the weekend to raise funds for its students.

The event, known as a kermes in Turkish, was titled “Tastes of Anatolia” and saw a large range of home and restaurant cooking laid out for visitors.

Turkish ravioli, tantuni, pastries and böreks, doners and kebabs were among the dishes on offer at the British-Turkish Islam Culture Centre at Süleymaniye Mosque in Shoreditch. Home-made desserts were a particular focus of attention.

Süleymaniye Mosque coordinator Akif Çulhaoğlu and public relations representative Salih Boşça said there had organised the kermes to support its school, which operates under the Marathon brand, and to promote the mosque’s services to people from other ethnic groups.

Marathon Science School has since 2009 helped students enter some of London’s top colleges and sixth forms while offering them an opportunity to play sport and take part in tour visits.

For the families visiting the event, it was an opportunity to sample some of the best of Anatolian cuisine and simultaneously learn more about Süleymaniye Mosque, one of the largest in the country. Organisers said there were keen to answer any questions their visitors had not just about the Turkish Muslims communities, but Islam in general.