Baklava, kumpir, roasted nuts, water pipes, oriental markets and mosques: you can find and enjoy a little Turkish holiday feeling everywhere in Berlin. After all, six per cent of all Berliners have Turkish roots. This makes Berlin home to the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey. Most Turkish people live in Wedding, Kreuzberg or Neukölln, which is 65 square kilometres, the equivalent of 9,000 football pitches.
We'll tell you exactly where you can find the most beautiful places with a Turkish influence here. We wish the team from Turkey the best of luck at UEFA EURO 2024.
Tip 1: Buy fresh fruit at the Turkish market on Maybachufer
From Weekly market on Maybachufer to Oriental market, the colourful market has many names. The offer is just as varied. Here you can find freshly harvested fruit and vegetables, from faraway countries as well as organic farmers from Brandenburg. Try Turkish specialities and stock up on beautiful fabrics, ribbons and braids. You will also find many flea market stalls and lots of hip clothes.
When: Tuesday and Friday 11am - 18.30 h
Where: Maybachufer 1-13, Neukölln
Tip 2: Discover Kreuzberg's hip-hop and graffiti culture
In the late 1980s and the 1990s, Kreuzberg became a stronghold for credible rap from Berlin. Many immigrant families settled here in the shadow of the Wall. And the kids quickly identified with the breakdance and graffiti wave spilling over from New York. You can get a first insight into the wild days of rap battles and subculture in the Berlin Global Exhibition at the Humboldt Forum.
You can also find out more about the street art scene in our ABOUT BERLIN App
There's a lot to tell. ABOUT BERLIN.
Tip 3: Olives, cheese and pita picnic from the Turkish supermarket
Over the decades, several Turkish supermarket chains have established themselves in Berlin. And we don't want to miss them. Whether it's Eurogida, NG-Markt, Özgida or one of the many small markets, you can get fresh fruit and vegetables at reasonable prices, cans of olives or white cheese, all kinds of delicious pastes and pickles, large bunches of green coriander or parsley and fresh pita bread. Perfect for a picnic in the nearest park. If you prefer a proper meal, we recommend the Anatolian cuisine of the Osman's Daughters restaurant.
When: depending on the branch
Where: anywhere in the city
Tip 4: Get your beard styled by Barber Burak
Here, the beard is still traditionally soaked for several minutes before being trimmed to perfection with a sharp knife. A well-groomed beard is a must for Turkish men and has become a real fashion icon. In Berlin, you will find many Turkish barbers who shave in the traditional way. One of the best known is the hair artist "The Barber Burak". Sido, Daniel Brühl and Michael Michalsky have all sat in the barber's chair here. We've also put together a few other beauty oases for you here
When: Appointment by appointment only by WhatsApp on +49 176 74659916
Where: Charlottenstraße 35, Mitte
More hairdressers and wellness in Berlin
Tip 5: Lying in each other's arms at a Turkish circle dance
An exciting example of how Turkish culture and Berlin life merge is the Gayhane party at SO36. Queer young people with Turkish and Arab roots have found a home here for over 15 years. Oriental pop is played, sometimes with Greek or Hebrew songs. The audience is just as colourful as the music. And during the Turkish circle dance Halay, the midnight highlight of the evening, everyone lies blissfully in each other's arms.
When: last Saturday of the month from 10 pm
Where: SO36, Oranienstraße 190, Kreuzberg
Tip 6: Learn Turkish at the Yunus Emre Enstitüsü cultural centre
Film, literature, music and language: if you're interested in Turkish culture, the Yunus Emre Enstitüsü is the place to be. Since 2015, the Turkish cultural centre in Berlin's city centre has been offering an extensive programme. You can learn Turkish here, browse through the library and attend readings, exhibitions and concerts. There is even a small cinema on site.
When: depending on the event
Where: Kronenstraße 1, Mitte
Tip 7: Learn to play traditional Turkish instruments
Founded in 1988, the Berlin Ensemble for Classical Turkish Music is one of the oldest and largest Turkish choirs in Germany and Europe, bringing together many generations and professional groups. The aim is to perform traditional Turkish classical music. In addition to regular rehearsals and workshops, the association also regularly organises concerts in Berlin and other cities.
Founded in 1988, the BTKM Conservatory for Turkish Music offers instrumental and vocal lessons, where you can learn traditional Turkish instruments such as the bağlama (long-necked lute), ney, oud or kanun as well as the piano, guitar and violin.
- Tip: The next BTKM concert is Anadolu'ya Büyülü Bir Yolculuk - A Magical Journey to Anatolia on 6 July from 8 pm in the ufufa. July from 8 pm at the ufaFabrik.
When: depending on the course
Where: Bergmannstraße 29 D, Kreuzberg
Tips 8: Nibble on roasted nuts and baklava
Çarik Kuruyemiş
The aroma of freshly roasted nuts wafts out into the street. These and many other Turkish delicacies are sold in bulk here. The selection is large and fills several rows of shelves with glazed wooden display cabinets, which add to the charm of the old-fashioned shop. Try classic roasted almonds, candied macademia nuts, dried fruit and much more. Of course, there is also Turkish coffee and tea, balklava - and in the restaurant-café in the back room, kumpir - jacket potatoes filled with saffron salad, quark, corn, olives or couscous.
Where: Müllerstraße 39, Wedding and Kottbusser Damm 73, Kreuzberg
When: daily 9 am - 10 pm
Nuts & Co
You can get even more nuts and delicious baked lava at Nuts & Co, which already has seven branches in Berlin. A real blessing for vegetarians, vegans and anyone who likes to buy their snacks without packaging. In addition to freshly roasted nuts and colourful, crunchy vegetable crisps, there is also an extensive range of dried fruit. Try sugared kumquats, cranberries with pineapple juice, figs, mango, apple rings, pears, banana chips, ginger or the colourful Paradise mix.
When: depending on the branch, usually daily from 10 am
Where: Tempelhofer Damm 152, Tempelhof; Hermannstraße 52, Neukölln; Warschauer Straße 38 & 67, Friedrichshain, Turmstraße 68, Mitte; Leonorenstraße 94, Lankwitz; Johannisthaler Chaussee 317, Neukölln
Tip 9: Bite into a juicy doner kebab
Of course, the doner kebab should not be missing from our list here. After all, this typical Turkish speciality began its triumphal march from Berlin through West Germany in the 1970s. There are now also numerous vegetarian and vegan alternatives to the flatbread filled with grilled meat. Incidentally, döner means "spinning" and kebab is the Turkish word for grilled or roasted meat. We have compiled a list of all the places in Berlin that serve this speciality:
Tip 10: Watch Turkish cinema in the original
Turkish football fans can feel right at home at Cineplex Neukölln Arkaden and at Cineplex Alhambra Wedding on non-match days. Turkish films are shown here in the original with subtitles. The Turkish horror film Siccin 7 with Serkan Atar, Gönül Ürer and Funda Eskioglu is currently showing. Of course, you can also see all the other current blockbusters here.
When: depending on the film
Where: Karl-Marx-Straße 66, Neukölln
Where: Seestraße 94, Wedding
Tip 11: Visit the Embassy of Turkey
The embassy building of the Republic of Turkey in Berlin has an eventful history, because as early as 1918, the then Ottoman Empire used the address on the corner of Tiergartenstraße and Hildebrandstraße as an embassy chancery, as did the Turkish ambassadors who were stationed in Berlin between 1929 and 1944. Towards the end of the Second World War, the building was destroyed in a bombing raid. After the war, the embassy first moved to Bonn and then - after reunification - back to Berlin. The original building was reopened in 2012. Here you will find support in all consular matters.
If you are planning a holiday trip to Turkey, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Department in the Europacenter, Tauentzienstraße 9 - 12, is the place to go.
When: Monday to Friday 8:45am - 12:45pm and 1:45pm - 5:45pm
Where: Tiergartenstraße 19-21, Tiergarten
