Ankara Turkey - capitol city and home of the best baklava you'll ever taste

Ankara is the capitol city of Turkey. There is a wonderful restaurant you must scribble onto your “to eat at” list when you visit.  It’s known as Hacibaba. Roughly translated, “haci” indicates “one who has completed his pilgrim duty.” Baba is the Turkish word for father.  The Hacibaba is called “the House of Father.” My friend, Ozgür Solakoğlu, vigorously affirms, Hacibaba is his favorite restaurant in all of Ankara.  I’ll decide for myself.

In 1949, the Hacibaba opened its doors peddling their delectable desserts. The baklavaci bakery would become famous. 

Freshly baked each day, we tasted them all. Here is baklava with crushed pistachio topping.

After success as a bakery, Hacibaba expanded into a full scale restaurant. It is a hit.

Crisp, white linen tablecloths pair nicely with the soft, tufted leather, dark paneled walls, and marbled floors. A strong accent of brass railings gives the atmosphere a distinctly upscale, yet warm environ.

The day was decidedly winter. The waiter brought us a hot bowl of Ezo Gelin soup with bread. It quickly warmed us up, and put us in the mood for a relaxing lunch. We were meeting friends, the blue line of Turkey – two police captains.  Our lunch companions were graduates of the UNT program in Denton TX. Dr. Williams had served on the doctoral committee for Suat Cubukcu (aka “Swat”) like in Swat Team.  His comrade, Fatih Irmax specializes in international security. We certainly felt safe!

Left to right: Saba Ziyanak, Fatih Irmax, Dr. Williams, and “Swat” Suat Cubukcu at the Hacibaba restaurant in Ankara Turkey.

It’s a small world after all. Just as we were leaving the restaurant, we were lucky enough to (again) run into The Haci Baba(father) of the namesake restaurant, Mr. Omer! We had just run into him in Dallas this past December. What are the chances of that? He was gracious, and agreed to pose for a photograph for our memory book.

Hacibaba Omer and Saba

Yep, scribble that restaurant on your list, Hacibaba. My friend is right. I give it a 5 out 5 star rating! 

Sakip Sabanci - ambassador to Turkey

Sakip Sabanci was the self-appointed Ambassador for Turkey. He relished the role, and enthusiastically promoted all things Turkey. I'm not sure I even knew where Turkey was (more geography later). He was a customer at a DuPont joint venture company I worked at. He and I always enjoyed our phone conversations, and he said he was "practicing his English." He was really practicing his selling me on Turkey. We did a little sales business, then we began chatting about business practices. We discussed why it was important to support rural areas,even at the expense of higher profits. We chatted about family. His daughter was about my age. We talked about culture. We were both raised by hardworking parents in a rural area. He assured me I would need to not only visit Istanbul, but also Adana. Not everybody would appreciate the small town charms of Adana, but he was confident it was the right place for me.  I think when his company moved from Adana to Istanbul, a little bit of his heart stayed in Adana. We discussed all kinds of things, and I always looked forward to his sales calls. He spoke so lovingly of his homeland, Turkey. He insisted I must come visit, and I would stay at his home. "Everybody stays at my home when they visit."  He enthusiastically told me his home was very nice, and just like a museum. He collected many beautiful artworks, displayed throughout the home. I learned later, the home really has been turned into a museum Sabanci home to "Horse Museum".

One day, he decided to come visit! Yes, in rural Oklahoma. He came to see our manufacturing plant. He brought several of his associates with him, maybe his brothers or managers. I am not sure. He gave me his autobiography, and signed it. I have read it many times.  He has been an inspiration for my own business practices. See all the sticky tabs in the book? Those are important things worth remembering. The book is a bit tattered, as I lent it out to anybody that ever mentioned Turkey. I'd make them read it.

I still always dreamed of visiting the Turkey that Mr Sabanci so wanted me to see. He was as proud of his home, as I am of my country.

Fast forward twenty years. I was in a class, and struck up a conversation with a student I did not know. What are the chances? This person was from Turkey! What in the world could I think to talk about? What could we possibly have in common? So I say, "I know someone from Turkey. Do you know Sakip Sabanci?"

Incredulously, he looks at me. "Of course I know of Sakip Sabanci. How did you know him?" I tell the story of when he came to visit Oklahoma. I'm not sure the student believed me. A few days later, I showed him a letter Mr. Sabanci  had written me, and the signed book.

This student also encouraged me to visit Turkey. And now we are.

More later,
Dian