Dishes you should try in Bitlis: Bitlis Büryan Kebabı (pit-roasted lamb), Bitlis Avşor Çorbası, Bitlis İçli Köftesi (stuffed bulgur shells) and Bitlis Katıklı Dolma. This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Bitlis is famous for.
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A lamb kebab with a registered geographical indication, hung and cooked in a well tandır oven.
A soup with a registered geographical indication.
Stuffed köfte (içli köfte) with a registered geographical indication.
Dolma with a registered geographical indication.
A Bitlis dish with a registered geographical indication.
Büryan kebabı, prepared by slow-cooking lamb in an earth oven, is Bitlis's most famous dish. The tenderness of the meat and its smoky aroma make this dish special.
Çiğ köfte, made by kneading fine bulgur with spices, is an essential delicacy at guest tables in Bitlis.
Rice enriched with chicken, almonds and currants, wrapped in yufka pastry and baked. It is the traditional dish at wedding tables in Bitlis.
A laborious dish, difficult to make, which Bitlis women find the most challenging to prepare.
Büryan kebabı, made by slow-cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven, is Adilcevaz's best-known dish.
Herb cheese made with wild herbs gathered on the plateaus is an indispensable part of Adilcevaz's breakfast tables.
The district is the place in Bitlis where walnut production is most intensive in both area and output. Its registered standard varieties are Adilcevaz-13 and Kazankaya.
Prepared by slow-cooking lamb in an earth tandır, büryan kebabı is Ahlat's best-known dish.
Made by kneading fine bulgur with spices, çiğ köfte is an indispensable dish on guest tables in Ahlat.
Made with wild herbs gathered from the highland pastures, otlu peynir is indispensable on Ahlat's breakfast tables. It is eaten after months of maturing.
Büryan kebabı, prepared by slow-cooking lamb in an earth oven, is Güroymak's best-known dish.
Çiğ köfte, made by kneading fine bulgur with spices, is an essential delicacy at guest tables in Güroymak.
Büryan kebab, prepared by slow-cooking lamb in a clay tandır oven, is Hizan's best-known delicacy.
Herbal cheese made with wild herbs gathered on the plateaus is an essential item on Hizan's breakfast tables.
Büryan kebabı, prepared by slow-cooking lamb in an earth oven, is Mutki's best-known dish.
Çiğ köfte, made by kneading fine bulgur with spices, is an essential delicacy at guest tables in Mutki.
Büryan kebab, prepared by slow-cooking lamb in an earth tandır oven, is Tatvan's most famous dish. Eaten even at breakfast, it is a symbol of the region.
The pearl mullet, an endemic fish of Lake Van, lives in the salty, soda-rich waters of the lake. It is served grilled or steamed in Tatvan.
Rice pilaf baked wrapped in sheets of yufka dough, the traditional dish at weddings in Tatvan.
A history completed in 1597 by Şeref Han, emir of Bitlis.
Held in Ahlat every August.
Bitlis is known for 5 local dishes, above all Bitlis Büryan Kebabı (pit-roasted lamb), Bitlis Avşor Çorbası, Bitlis İçli Köftesi (stuffed bulgur shells) and Bitlis Katıklı Dolma. A lamb kebab with a registered geographical indication, hung and cooked in a well tandır oven.
Bitlis is known for Bitlis Büryan Kebabı (pit-roasted lamb), Bitlis Balı (Bitlis honey) and Şerefname. Its best-known sights include Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery and Ahlat Ulu Kümbet (Great Tomb).
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Bitlis include Bitlis Balı (Bitlis honey), Ahlat Bastonu (Ahlat walking stick) and Adilcevaz Bastonu (Adilcevaz walking stick).