Turkish delight is known to have been produced in Turkey as early as the late 1700s, hence its name. The exact origin of these sweets is yet to be definitively determined; however, the word "lokum" comes from the Arabic "al-halkum". In the Arab world, Turkish delights are called "rāḥat al-ḥulqūm" (رَاحَة الْحُلْقُوم) which means "throat comfort". According to the Hacı Bekir company, Bekir Efendi, named Hacı Bekir after performing the Hajj, moved to Istanbul from his hometown Kastamonu and opened his confectionery shop in the district of Bahçekapı in 1777. He produced various kinds of candies and "lokums", later including a unique
Bekir Sami Kunduh Bekir Sami Kunduh Bekir Sami Kunduh (; 1867 – January 16, 1933) was a Turkish politician of Ossetian origin. He served as the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey. He was in office during 1920–1921. Bekir Sami Kunduh was born in Saniba, Ossetia. He was a son of Musa Kunduh Pasha (Musa Kundukhov; (1818–1889)), a Tagaur Ossetian chieftain and major-general in the Russian Imperial Army, who then defected to the Ottoman Empire. He earned his Baccalaureate from Galatasaray High School and went to Paris to study political science. He worked at the Turkish embassy at St. Petersburg and then