From the time of its founding during the Ottoman Empire, the name Haci Bekir has become a legend in Ottoman and Turkish confectionery and a leading symbol of this art.

The Haci Bekir story began in 1777 when Bekir Effendi moved from Araç in Kastamonu, a province bordering the Black Sea coast of modern Turkey, to Istanbul. Here, he opened a small shop in the Bahcekapi district of what we now call the Old City, in which he began to produce and sell varieties of lokum, or Turkish delight and akide, the boiled sweets much loved by Turks. On fulfilment of his religious obligation to make pilgrimage to the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Bekir Effendi became known as Haci Bekir, a title of respect granted to those who have completed the hac, or pilgrimage.

Today, Haci Bekir's tradition is being carried on by the family as Ali Muhiddin Haci Bekir Confectioners, and the company can proudly say that this first shop represents the only business in Istanbul which has operated from the same premises for a period of more than two hundred years.

The production of confectionery in Istanbul dates back to the 16th century, when honey and molasses were used as sweeteners, and water and flour were the binding agents. Towards the end of the 18th century sugar produced in refineries in Europe began to appear in Turkey. This new sugar was called 'kelle şekeri' since it was sold in cone-shaped blocks, and it was this sugar which Haci Bekir favoured in his production of akide, granulating, melting and boiling it with the addition of natural flavours and colourings such as rose and cinnamon. With the discovery of starch by a German scientist in 1811, Haci Bekir began using this instead of flour. This combination of the new ingredients of starch and sugar led to the production of the choicest of lokum, and constituted the beginning of a Haci Bekir tradition which continues to this day.

At some point in the early 19th century, Haci Bekir's lokum, which he was still personally producing at the time, became known in Europe as 'Turkish delight' when an English tourist visited the shop and took some lokum home to England. Thus, this traditional Turkish sweet entered the English language and became known as 'lokoum' throughout France and the Balkan countries.

Another tradition which also brought fame to Haci Bekir was his creation of various almond pastes. These were made by peeling boiled almonds and creating a paste to which was added sugar or sugar sherbet and other ingredients. This was then formed into different shaped sweets. As a result of his many successes, Haci Bekir was awarded the Nişan-ı Ali Osman, a first degree medal of honour granted by the Sultan, who also decided that Haci Bekir should be made Chief Confectioner to the palace.

This honorary title remained within the family as, in turn, Haci Bekier's son, Mehmet Muhiddin Effendi, and grandson, Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, took over the business and dedicated themselves to maintaining the distinguished Haci Bekir name.

The years of Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir's management witnessed great expansion for the company as branches were opened in Karaköy, Galata, Tepebaşı, Pangaltı, Çarşıkapı, Beyoğlu, Parmakkapı and Kadıköy. Also at this time, trained confectionery masters and personnel sent from the company to Egypt opened branches in Cairo and Alexandria. These were also awarded the title of Chief Confectioner to the palace by the Egyptian Khedive.

Hacı Bekir Confectioners continues its work today, and is known to be the oldest company in Turkey operating out of its original premises. With such pride of place in Ottoman-Turkish culture and tradition Hacı Bekir has also made appearances in novels and other art forms portraying the life and times of Istanbul. Many foreigners and Levantines had their place in the mosaic that was Istanbul in the 19th and 20th centuries, and Haci Bekir has featured in writings and paintings from that time. Indeed, thanks to the Maltese artist, Preziosi, we have a pictorial record of Haci Bekir working in his shop, in a watercolour measuring 43x58cm. The painting now hangs in the Louvre Museum, but there is a lithographic print (no. 214) in Topkapı Palace.

Following the death of Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, the family decided to create two joint-stock companies, namely Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir Confectionery and Hacı Bekir Industries. These are the two companies which carry on the family confectionery business today and, with representative companies in America, Japan, South Africa, Egypt, England and France, continue to produce and sell, in both the retail and wholesale sectors at home and abroad, all the products linked so closely with the name of Haci Bekir.

Now in its fifth generation, the Haci Bekir family and company and all its employees feel and proud and fortunate that from generation to generation they have provided, and continue to provide, their customers at home and abroad with delicious tastes in the finest tradition of confectionery.