The 2000-Year History of Baklava: From Assyrians to Ottoman Palaces

Baklava's origins do not have a single definite answer, because this dessert's story stretches back to the 8th century BCE, perhaps earlier. Clay tablets from the Assyrian civilization mention a sweet pastry made by baking nuts between thin layers of dough — the oldest known ancestor of baklava.

In ancient Greek and Roman cuisines, a pastry called "plakous" (Greek for "thin layer") existed. The poet Philoxenus, in the 4th century BCE, described this dessert as "food of the gods." During the Byzantine Empire, plakous became an indispensable treat in palaces and spread throughout Anatolia.

When the Seljuks came to Anatolia, they encountered this pastry and adapted it to their own cuisine. By the 13th century, in Konya at Mevlana's table, a baklava-like sweet was served. Gaziantep — known today as the birthplace of modern baklava — sat on a major trade route, and the region's pistachio orchards provided the essential ingredient.

However, baklava reached its perfect form in the Ottoman palace kitchens. The "Baklava Procession" tradition held every 15th day of Ramadan in Topkapi Palace shows how important this dessert was to the empire. Trays of baklava sent to Janissary regiments by the sultan symbolized respect for the army.

17th-century Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi, when visiting Gaziantep, wrote that "here the baklava masters roll the phyllo so thin that sunlight passes through it." This description summarizes the level of craftsmanship reached at the time. Antep masters, through generations, perfected both the art of rolling phyllo and the proper grinding of pistachios.

In 2013, "Antep Baklava" became the first Turkish food to receive Geographical Indication protection from the European Union. Today, in every tray we produce at Sultan's Patisserie Baklava in Utrecht, the heart of this 2000-year heritage beats on.