Hidden away in a neat alcove overlooking the hustle-bustle of downtown city life, Ilhan Kurtulmush’s shawarma store is simultaneously everything and nothing one would imagine it to be.
Where the unforgiving heat of a döner (vertical rotisserie) would successfully push most people away, students from the neighbouring Tbilisi State Medical University have made it one of their favourite spots.
Ilhan Kurtulmush
At 61, Ilhan Kurtulmush and his wife live the opposite of the quiet, resigned life that people their age dream of. He recollects with a smile the pleasure it brings them when students treat their store as their own home. Perhaps it can be attributed to their always smiling and humble, welcoming nature or their reluctance to admit to being any different from others.
“If they want a bottle of Cola, they open the fridge and take it by themselves or if they want Black tea, they serve themselves... truly, my decision to open this shop is what makes me the happiest.”
12 Years ago, Ilhan and his wife yielded to the beckoning of Georgia in hopes of fulfilling their children’s dream of pursuing medicine.
Ilhan says that, although establishing the store as a means of financing their 2 sons’ medical education, it soon became apparent to them that they’d overstay their tenure by much longer than intended.
With their eldest son married and settled comfortably in their hometown in Turkey, Ilhan states that they hardly require the income from the store these days for their children’s education.
However, giving up a prestigious position as a chef in a restaurant and opening a bistro in a different country never comes easy. With 12 years and counting of experience at the döner, another compelling reason has pursued them to stay. Ilhan says:
“There are a lot of Muslim students in the Medical University here from many different countries. There is always an issue with finding good, Halal food to eat. It was primarily this circumstance that birthed the idea of opening of a Shawarma store – the desire to satiate this need.”
Ilhan smiles ruefully when asked about their favourite pastimes and places to visit. He confesses that they barely avail any ‘free time’ to accommodate hobbies.
Regardless, Ilhan’s wife piped in that outside of Tbilisi, Borjomi’s incredible, picturesque landscapes exhilarated them, and Mtatsminda Park becomes their little escape from reality during leisure time.
To cope with the expected throngs of people frequenting their store, the couple has set themselves a convenient routine – starting off with morning prayers at the early hour of 6, they then work like clockwork through the chores of the day. From cleaning the store and starting work to closing down and prepping for the next day; rush hours aren’t the only time they’re kept on their toes.
“The busiest time is undoubtedly between 10 am to 2 pm, as this is when University students have lunch hour, and then again in the evenings around 8 pm. However, we have to prepare for the next day – add the spice to the chicken and let it marinate overnight. Even on Sundays, when we are closed, we are preparing for the upcoming week.”
With Halal, frozen chicken being shipped in from Turkey, and a myriad of fresh produce scheduled to reach the store by 10 pm every night for the next day, it is then no wonder that the couple lives by the watch’s tick to ensure the chicken is on the rotisserie in time for the crowds.
Despite the usual, cheerful ambience of the bistro, there remains an unspoken loss shared by the couple and university students alike. Brother to Ilhan’s wife and a friend to everyone who frequented their store, Mohammad’s demise shifted their world on its axis.
Ilhan expresses his helplessness at the recollection of the unfortunate incident. He divulges that having been present at the site of the accident, with his brother-in-law struggling with his last breaths, feelings of incapability overpowered him, and all he could do was watch as he passed away. He states that the memory is easily the worst he has, in relation to Georgia.
They also proudly exclaim that anyone and everyone coming from Turkey, including the professors at the university, know of and visit their store. Renowned for its delicious, affordable, and fulfilling Shawarma, their little bistro has seen the likes of Iraqi and Iranian embassy members as well as American physiotherapy professors. The couple boasts rightfully of the cherished esteem built by years of tireless work.
No matter the sentiments reaped, every colourful story with its modest, hard-working characters must come to an end. Ilhan confesses that they are simply awaiting the end of their children’s residency to return home.
The couple has laboured for years on end, but now dreams of selling away their precious nook and retreating to the peaceful lifestyle of a resigned couple in Turkey.
To them, their entire family being together, in the same place, is what matters the most. So, for as long as they can while away evenings with idle talk, surrounded by family, the couple is content with the life they lead, regardless of the place.
Special Thanks to Hayam Hany for supporting us with the translation.
With love, From People of Tbilisi Team, at The Exclusive.
Sarah Fathima, Nino Khelidze, Karthik Kumar, and Arun Venkiteswaran.
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