1) HACI BEKIR - Beyoğlu
The history of this really famous store goes back to 1777. Haci Bekir, founder of the first shop in Bahçekapı, made the sweets and delights himself and created new kinds. The concept "Turkish delight" was created in Europe when an English tourist visited this shop in Bahçekapı and took some samples with him to England. Haci Bekir was so hardworking and creative that he was always appreciated-even by a Sultan of Ottoman Empire.
The shop has its stores in Karaköy, Galata, Tepebaşı, Pangaltı, Çarşıkapı, Beyoğlu, Parmakkapı and Kadıköy. It also has representative stores in Japan, America, South Africa, Egypt, England and France.
2) KOSKA
The roots of this shop rests on Haci Emin Bey's opening a halwah shop in Denizli in 1900s. Then in 1930 his son opens this store in Koska city in Istanbul and becomes famous with the desserts and halwah he produced with his sons. All their sweets are delicious and fresh. Besides they have diabetic products. If you are really of having the best delight in Turkey, this shop is where you are looking for! No doubt that after tasting one, you will have lots of packages both for you and your friends waiting for Turkish delight.
You can find Koska anywhere especially along the line of Beyazıt, Çemberlitaş, Sultanahmet, Sirkeci, Eminönü and Karaköy and also in Taksim.
3) LOKUM ISTANBUL - Kuruçeşme & Beşiktaş
This really special shop offers you nice and original delight boxes or silver/silver-plated stuffs with their delights, sugar candies, scented candles. The packages are quite aesthetic. They also have a shop in London and an online shop webpage: http://shop.lokumistanbul.com/
4) ŞEKERCI CAFER EROL - Kadıköy
This shop has been open for nearly 200 years since 1807. All the products are hand-made here. The most important thing is certainly customer satisfaction for years. With its great variety of delights and other sweets the shop gives you the opportunity to taste any kind.
5) GÜLLÜOĞLU
From a small shop in Havyar Han in 1949, Güllüoğlu turned out to be a famous chain store of baklawa and delight. The outside world knew this brand with its shop in Spice Bazaar opened in 1985. Europe and America also knows it with the shops in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and London.
6) DEDEOĞLU - Beşiktaş
Ali Tüfekçi, founder of Dedeoğlu Baklavaları, began producing delights in 1952 in Ankara. After his demise, his sons opened the second shop in Nişantaşı, which is a decent city of Istanbul, and then reached the number of 8 shops in Istanbul. You can find any common delights and also some different kinds such as delight with gum mastic and with tropical fruits.
7) CEMİLZADE
They have shops a lot in number, so here is the link for the addresses
This shop was founded in 1883 and thus has a long history. It was really important for Kadıköy, where was the first shop, and so is for whole Istanbul now. It has been subject to newspapers nearly every year beginning from 1909. It is among the best 100 places for foods and drinks in Istanbul, as one newspaper suggests.
