The village of Kafro, located in the Midyat district of Mardin, has a very different structure from the other villages in the region. The village, which has only 13 households, has a restaurant where the most famous and delicious pizzas in the region are made. The fact that the pizzerias make delicious pizzas that do not look like those of Italian chefs attracts the attention of everyone living in the region. So much so that tourists from surrounding cities and even countries flock to taste the pizzas in this small village.
The applications for the name of the village to be officially named “Pizza Village” have not been finalized yet. However, the people of the village make a great effort to give this name. It is thought that the naming of this name will have an important effect in terms of tourism. The people living in the village of Kafro are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, and the work of the pizzerias in the village becomes very busy with the tourists. Since there are not many other businesses in the region, the villagers concentrate on the pizza sector.
This small village in Mardin is famous for its delicious Italian pizzas and is referred to as Turkey’s pizza village. The delicious pizzas of the pizzerias in the village create a unifying effect in this village where different cultures coexist. The majority of the people living in the village are of Syriac origin. How Italian pizza became so famous has an interesting story.
The Story of the Pizza Village
Nail Demir, of Syriac origin, had to immigrate to Europe from his village in Midyat district in 1986 due to terrorist incidents. However, after 30 years, he returned to his village full of homesickness and opened a pizzeria. Many Assyrians, such as Nail Demir, live in the village of Elbegendi, on the slopes of Bagok Mountain. Located 20 kilometers from the city center, the village attracts the attention of local and foreign tourists with its delicious pizzas. The village began to be called “Pizza Village” because of the pizzas made by the Syriac family.
Villagers who built modern structures from Midyat Katori stone in the village, which was abandoned due to terrorist incidents and where all the houses were destroyed, are happy to be found again in the lands they have been longing for for years. Nail Demir, who lived in Germany for 30 years and then returned to his village, came to the village with his wife and two children. Although his children returned to Europe after graduating from high school, Nail Demir continues to make pizza in the village. On the weekends, there is a great interest and people from all over the village flock to the village. Nail Demir states that their village has a different atmosphere and the pizzas they make are also different. That’s why those who come to their villages discover their tastes with curiosity.
It is also confirmed by the customers that the pizzas made in the stone oven in the village are delicious. Customers say that they taste better than pizzas made in large restaurants or grocery stores and that they are made very cleanly, and that the portions are quite large. There are more than 15 houses and 13 families live in the village. There is also the Virgin Mary Church and a regular church in the village. Customers who come to the pizza shop serving in the village square, after eating their pizza, take a walk in the village and leave here. This makes it an excellent activity for visitors who both enjoy a delicious pizza experience and take a nice walk in the village.
