Dishes you should try in Yüksekova: Yüksekova Çirek Cheese, Yüksekova Kebabı (charcoal-grilled spiced lamb), Çeçil Peyniri (string cheese) and Tandır Ekmeği (clay oven bread). This guide also covers the local products to buy and what Yüksekova is famous for.
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Yüksekova Çirek Cheese was registered as a protected geographical indication on 18 April 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1086). Product group: cheeses. Registered by: Yüksekova Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
A regional kebab made by preparing lamb with special spices and cooking it over charcoal. It is the traditional dish of Yüksekova.
Made from fresh milk and separated into strands, çeçil cheese is Yüksekova's best-known dairy product.
Traditional bread baked in a clay tandır oven, a basic staple of Yüksekova's daily cuisine.
These dishes are known throughout Hakkari province; see the provincial food guide for details.
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
A yoghurt-based soup with a registered geographical indication.
A local dish with a registered geographical indication.
A dessert with a registered geographical indication.
Located at the foot of the Cilo Mountains, Yüksekova is one of Türkiye's most important mountaineering centres. The annual Cilo Mountain Festival hosts mountaineering and outdoor sports events.
For centuries the people of Yüksekova have migrated to the plateaus in the summer months. Traditional plateau houses, livestock farming and dairy production are living examples of this culture.
Yüksekova is known for 4 local dishes, above all Yüksekova Çirek Cheese, Yüksekova Kebabı (charcoal-grilled spiced lamb), Çeçil Peyniri (string cheese) and Tandır Ekmeği (clay oven bread). Yüksekova Çirek Cheese was registered as a protected geographical indication on 18 April 2022 (TÜRKPATENT registration no. 1086). Product group: cheeses. Registered by: Yüksekova Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Yüksekova is known for Yüksekova Çirek Cheese, Yüksekova Honey and Mountaineering Culture. Its best-known sights include Ters Laleler (Ters tulips) and Mount Cilo and Reşko Peak.
Local products and souvenirs to buy in Yüksekova include Yüksekova Honey and Çeçil Cheese.