Easter promise: the patisserie built on a friendship that bridges Istanbul’s divide

A Greek bakery founded by Christians and now run by Muslims keeps the seasonal spirit alive

Fehmi Yldran remembers how, growing up in the Anatolian town of Bolu, every spring he and the other children used to boil eggs and dye them red using onion skins. He didn't find out what the tradition was about until 1952, when he turned 14 and packed his bags for Istanbul with dreams of becoming a chef.

On arriving in the metropolis, Yldran found himself captivated by life in the glamorous Christian neighbourhood of Beyolu, where Greeks, Armenians, Jews and Turks lived cheek by jowl. He was eventually taken under the wing of Yorgo Fotiadis, a Greek pastry maker, as his apprentice.