Registered Famous Harput Meatballs, Sour Cherry Tiridi and Historical Grand Bazaar Taste Route

History and General Information / Local Legends and Folklore The registered Harput Meatballs, which are the living taste memory of the thousands of years old Harput civilization, are one of the most masterful traditional dishes of Turkish cuisine. It is prepared by kneading lean beef mince, fine bulgur, basil, chili peppers and special spice mixture, which Harput ladies pound in stone mortars, for hours until it reaches the consistency of gum. Meatballs, which are rolled into hazelnut-sized balls and shaped by hollowing them out, are cooked in a special sauce of butter, tomato paste and mountain basil. Evliya Çelebi's praise of the rich cellars and meat tirit tables in Harput mansions in his Travelogue documents the centuries-old roots of this gastronomy culture. The Historical Grand Bazaar, which has been the heart of commerce in Elazığ city center since 1928, and the adjacent Bakırcılar Bazaar are a taste museum alive with the smells of orcik (walnut sausage), sour cherry ice cream, Ağırn roasted chickpea and Harput meatballs cooked in copper pans. Geographical Structure, Altitude and Natural Features It is located in the city center of Elazığ, at an altitude of 1,067 meters in the plain at the foot of Harput Castle. The vaulted historical corridors of the Grand Bazaar and the shops of Sarayatik District offer an authentic bazaar architecture, sheltered from the climate conditions of all four seasons. Visiting Hours, Days and Entrance Fees