Kadir Usta in Gazientep – Part 1

This extract is from “Travel Tales from Exotic Places like Salford”

Alternate black and white stones line the windows of the Kurtulus Camii mosque in Gazientep. This was the most noticeable architectural feature I saw as I walked around the
outer wall. I eventually found an open gate and walked through. There was a good view of the minaret in the late evening sun and I took a couple of pictures. As I looked at some further possible images through the viewfinder I gradually became aware of someone watching me. A man wearing a woolly hat and yellow Wellington boots smiled at me and said some words while pointing at a set of keys. I shook my head as I didn’t want to go inside. The man smiled, as did his companion who had materialized from behind a door. They were very friendly, smiling and muttering pleasant sounding words as I waved them goodbye.

I walked 300 metres to a local café, ‘Kadir Usta’, which specialized in kebabs and lahmacon, the local thin baked pizza which is eaten rolled-up. The place was filling up
quickly with locals, always a good sign from my point of view. I walked in and held up one finger to the waiter to show I was on my own. He indicated all the available tables which were set for four people. I sat down and asked for a menu.

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