Turkey & Halal Food

[LondonSis86]

sorry to revive a old thread but im intending go to Turkey in a few months time inshallah. What areas of Istanbul are best to stay in? any hotel recommendations? Id like a hotel with a near by masjid but also not be too far away from the sightseeing locations. Intending to stay for about a week so its gonna be a relaxing break away with some sightseeing. Hotel/accomodation just needs to provide a nice breakfast as then we're intending to be out for the ret of the day.

If theres anything I need to know then please feel free to add.

If anyone has any contacts there, or even lives there, then could they possibly get in touch with my via email. Mods ahve permission to forward my email.

How about this hotel: http://www.basileushotel.com/ good reviews on trip advisor from what I read last and very close to Sultanahmet Camii aka Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace.

[junaid]

i was in turkey istanbul July last year. when i landed there i was kinda shocked seeing the people & was on fruits the whole day. later on that day i went to TJ markez, i met the zimmedar named Omar and mashAllah he could speak 4/5 languages. i asked about the percentage of Muslims & the food served, when i heard him saying 99% are muslims i was like "noway!!" then he asked me to avoid eating in big resturants and hotels.

turkey is a very good place to visit & the best thing is the Topkapi Palace Museum.

[tabliki]

i was in turkey istanbul July last year. when i landed there i was kinda shocked seeing the people & was on fruits the whole day. later on that day i went to TJ markez, i met the zimmedar named Omar and mashAllah he could speak 4/5 languages. i asked about the percentage of Muslims & the food served, when i heard him saying 99% are muslims i was like "noway!!" then he asked me to avoid eating in big resturants and hotels.

turkey is a very good place to visit & the best thing is the Topkapi Palace Museum.

So does that mean McDonald's etc?

[Hellokitty]

Best to go vegetarian 0.0 problem solved

[Jinn]

I've heard it's best to be cautious out there especially in places like Istanbul, if the food is not cooked in front of you then don't eat it as standards are usually quiet poor and often the food is mixed with mice droppings, I know disgusting, how true this is Allah knows best.

[junaid]

So does that mean McDonald's etc?

the best thing is go vegetarian, fishi-tarian, Frutarian. i stay in the gulf and we are advised to no eat the meat served outside specially the chicken.

[rasheedahmed]

Assalam O Alaikum

I was invited by GIMDES a Turkish Halal certifying organization to give speech on Halal certification in Non Muslim countries at their 5th International Conference on Halal and Healthy Foods August 31-September 2, 2012. This is my second trip to Istanbul . I found Turkish Muslims brothers are very good Hunafi Muslims and their hospitality is number one. All beef meat is zabiha hand slaughtered and most chicken are also hand slaughtered in Turkey. Any bread rolls made in Turkey are Halal.
I used Turkish Airline from Chicago to Istanbul and back. I requested seafood meal for my flight. They served non Halal non Kosher Tillamook cheese, Dessert is also not Halal. Olive Oil and lemon salad dressing is Halal. They buy all food products from USA for Istanbul bound flights but they used all foods made in Turkey for flights to USA. They use partially baked rolls and reheat them in the plane.
The sea food consists of mostly broiled fish, no crab and no fried fish are served. They also provide salmon as a appetizer, they also provide shrimp with noodles.
My advice is to order only sea food for your flight.

[tabliki]

Assalam O Alaikum

I was invited by GIMDES a Turkish Halal certifying organization to give speech on Halal certification in Non Muslim countries at their 5th International Conference on Halal and Healthy Foods August 31-September 2, 2012. This is my second trip to Istanbul . I found Turkish Muslims brothers are very good Hunafi Muslims and their hospitality is number one. All beef meat is zabiha hand slaughtered and most chicken are also hand slaughtered in Turkey. Any bread rolls made in Turkey are Halal.
I used Turkish Airline from Chicago to Istanbul and back. I requested seafood meal for my flight. They served non Halal non Kosher Tillamook cheese, Dessert is also not Halal. Olive Oil and lemon salad dressing is Halal. They buy all food products from USA for Istanbul bound flights but they used all foods made in Turkey for flights to USA. They use partially baked rolls and reheat them in the plane.
The sea food consists of mostly broiled fish, no crab and no fried fish are served. They also provide salmon as a appetizer, they also provide shrimp with noodles.
My advice is to order only sea food for your flight.

Assalamu'Alaykum. JazakAllah for the post. Are u sure chicken is hand slaughtered? As far as I'm aware someone fom this halal certifying company said that 90% of chicken in turkey is mechanical slaughter.

On what basis did you conclude that chicken is hand slaughtered brother? Also so places like McDonald's should be ok to eat beef burgers?

[rasheedahmed]

Assalam O Alaikum

I did not said all chicken are hand slaughtered but said most because they provided me the following list of chicken white meat companies who use hand to slaughtered chicken. They are:
Tad, Koytur, Aytac, Erpilic, Alphin, Oznesil, Islek Gida Afyon, Keskinoglu, Lezita, Geclick, Tat Tavuk Sakaraya, Seher Tavukculuck-Malatya, Bakpi, Aytur, Egetav-Izmir, Bahar Group, Kandazlar, Beyza pilic Adana, Toro, Nar Pilic, Hiraogulari, Mudurnu and Bolca. I did not ask about McDonald. They took us to 4 different restaurants including boat restaurant on Bosporus which all served hand slaughtered Halal meat.

On other hand when Saudi Arabia Food Drug Administer has invited me to speak at First International Halal Food Control Conference in Riyadh Feb. 2012 on Hidden food Ingredients in food and ingredients, I found out almost all Saudi poultries used machine to slaughter chicken and I have avoided eating chicken over there. I also find out all Qurbani lamb or goat during Hajj are machine slaughtered and the meat is send to poor Islamic countries.

[tabliki]

Assalam O Alaikum

I did not said all chicken are hand slaughtered but said most because they provided me the following list of chicken white meat companies who use hand to slaughtered chicken. They are:
Tad, Koytur, Aytac, Erpilic, Alphin, Oznesil, Islek Gida Afyon, Keskinoglu, Lezita, Geclick, Tat Tavuk Sakaraya, Seher Tavukculuck-Malatya, Bakpi, Aytur, Egetav-Izmir, Bahar Group, Kandazlar, Beyza pilic Adana, Toro, Nar Pilic, Hiraogulari, Mudurnu and Bolca. I did not ask about McDonald. They took us to 4 different restaurants including boat restaurant on Bosporus which all served hand slaughtered Halal meat.

On other hand when Saudi Arabia Food Drug Administer has invited me to speak at First International Halal Food Control Conference in Riyadh Feb. 2012 on Hidden food Ingredients in food and ingredients, I found out almost all Saudi poultries used machine to slaughter chicken and I have avoided eating chicken over there. I also find out all Qurbani lamb or goat during Hajj are machine slaughtered and the meat is send to poor Islamic countries.

JazakAllah bro.

Ok what were the other restaurants that you visited? I have a brother goin Istanbul do wanted to give him places to eat.