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Flavors · Diyarbakır

Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı

Skewers of lamb liver alternated with tail fat, seasoned with pepper, thyme, coriander and sumac and grilled over coals, served on lavash: in Diyarbakır people even eat it for breakfast.

Traditional dish from Diyarbakır, Diyarbakır

Also known as: ciğer kebabı, Diyarbakir ciger kebabi

Updated October 2026

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Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı — Diyarbakır, Turkey — Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı

Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı — Diyarbakır, Turkey

Ciğer kebabı is the dish that the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry presents as the city's most important, the city of basalt walls on the banks of the Tigris. The liver comes from lambs up to one year old. On skewers about 60 centimetres long, pieces of liver alternate with pieces of tail fat in a fixed order, and only after assembly are they seasoned: red pepper powder, salt, dried thyme, coriander and sumac.

The skewers are grilled over a smokeless fire, turned from one side to the other. The guidance warns that the doneness should be short: overcooked liver becomes dry. The kebab is brought to the table still on the skewer, resting on three or four pieces of lavaş, the thin bread that retain heat and absorb the fat. Grilled tomato and pepper may accompany it, as well as onion with parsley.

In Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı is eaten at any time, including for breakfast. The city also has the "perdeli" version, in which the liver is wrapped in the thin film of fat (the "veil") before going to the grill, with its own registration.

The name "Diyarbakır Ciğer Kebabı" has had a geographical indication registration since 2022 (No. 1130). Oversight is carried out by the chamber of commerce, the provincial directorate of agriculture and the culinary course of Dicle University.

Where it comes from

Diyarbakır , Diyarbakır
The Diyarbakır chamber of commerce presents it as the city's most important product.

Ingredients

Lamb liver from animals up to one year old, tail fat, red pepper powder, salt, dried thyme, coriander and sumac.

How it is eaten

On the skewer, placed on pieces of lavaş; the liver is eaten with the bread. Grilled tomato and pepper and onion with parsley accompany it.

When it is eaten

All year round and at any time, including for breakfast.

Your questions

Questions about Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı

What is Diyarbakır ciğer kebabı made of?

From lamb liver of up to one year old, alternated on the skewer with tail fat and seasoned with pepper, salt, thyme, coriander and sumac. It is grilled over coals and served on lavash.

Is it true that in Diyarbakır people eat liver for breakfast?

Yes, ciğer kebabı is eaten at any time, and many people have it in the morning. Check the opening hours of each place before you go.

What is ciğer "perdeli"?

It is the version in which the liver is grilled wrapped in the lamb's thin layer of fat, like a veil (perde in Turkish). Diyarbakır has its own registration for it.

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