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Flavors · Siirt

Siirt büryan kebabı

Young lamb steamed, hung inside a pit-oven about 3 meters deep, served early at dawn: büryan is Siirt's breakfast.

Traditional dish from Siirt

Also known as: büryan, büryan kebabı, perive, Siirt buryan kebabi

Updated October 2026

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Siirt büryan kebabı — Siirt, Turkey — Siirt büryan kebabı

Siirt büryan kebabı — Siirt, Turkey

Büryan is the dish that makes Siirt wake up early. The meat comes from recently weaned lambs raised on the plateaus. The masters begin work in the pre-dawn hours: the lambs, halved, are hung inside a pit-shaped oven about 3 meters deep and 1 meter in diameter, heated with firewood. The opening of the pit is sealed, and the meat cooks in steam and heat for about two and a half hours.

Büryan comes out ready at dawn, after the day's first prayer, and is served for breakfast. That is why the city calls it “the flavor that makes you give up sleep.” The meat is tender, falls off the bone, is served with thin bread, and usually runs out by mid-morning. In the region the dish is also known as “perive” or “parev.”

The name “Siirt Büryan Kebabı” was registered as a geographical indication in 2005 at the request of Siirt provincial administration. Bitlis, the neighboring province, has its büryan registered since 2021, made with goat meat and only rock salt.

The two provinces dispute the dish. Siirt was a district of Bitlis until 1919, and a professor interviewed by the press recalls that the Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi, in the 17th century, attributed büryan to Bitlis. The Siirt version described here uses lamb, but the registration also allows caprine meat; Bitlis’s büryan has its own registration.

Where it comes from

Siirt
Siirt’s breakfast, cooked in a pit-oven; registered by the provincial administration in 2005.

Ingredients

Young lamb raised on the plateaus; salt. The registration also allows caprine meat. Served with thin bread.

How it is eaten

At breakfast, with thin bread; the meat is pulled from the bone by hand or with the bread.

When it is eaten

All year round; served early in the morning at dawn, until it runs out.

Your questions

Questions about Siirt büryan kebabı

Why is büryan eaten for breakfast?

Because the masters roast it in the pre-dawn hours, and büryan comes out of the oven at dawn. It is served very early and usually runs out by mid-morning. Check before you go.

What is the büryan oven like?

It is a pit about 3 meters deep and 1 meter in diameter, heated with firewood. The lamb is hung inside, the opening sealed, and it cooks in steam.

What is the difference between Siirt büryan and Bitlis büryan?

The Siirt version described here uses lamb, but the registration also allows caprine meat; Bitlis’s uses goat meat and rock salt. Both provinces have their own registrations and dispute the dish.

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