Mediterranean — Akdeniz

History & landscape

Ancient Lycia offers one entry into the region’s history. Xanthos and Letoon preserve inscriptions and monuments that show contact between local Anatolian traditions and the Greek world. Their later Roman and Byzantine layers remind us that the Mediterranean coast has a sequence of histories, not one timeless identity. The archaeological record does not establish the age of a modern recipe.

Living culture

This guide uses Akdeniz as a broad culinary grouping. It is not interchangeable with Antalya city, nor does it make the Turkish Riviera a precise administrative boundary. GoTürkiye’s regional food account places Antalya’s piyaz alongside Hatay’s kebabs and künefe: useful examples of how much changes as one travels along the coast.

Food & ingredients

Vegetables, pulses, grains, olive oil and herbs are prominent in the regional account, alongside seafood and meat dishes. Antalya’s citrus and goat-milk cheeses add local detail. Tahini appears in its bean dish and pumpkin dessert. These foods are a starting point for exploring the region; they do not imply that Mediterranean cooking is exclusively vegetarian or seafood-based.

How our recipes connect

The Antalya-style piyaz below appears here through Antalya’s existing Mediterranean association. We keep that city-level detail visible rather than relabelling it as a recipe originating everywhere in Akdeniz. Other cities will receive their own sourced guides as the collection grows.

Sources & further reading

• GoTürkiye: Mediterranean food traditions

  Vegetables, legumes, olive oil, Antalya citrus and regional differences along the Mediterranean coast.

• UNESCO: Xanthos–Letoon

  Lycian heritage across Antalya and Muğla; inscriptions, funerary architecture and successive cultural influences.

• Ministry of Culture: Antalya Piyazı

  Antalya’s tahini-tarator bean dish, local serving customs and differences between preparations.