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
Armenians in Istanbul Armenians in Istanbul Armenians in Istanbul (; ) are a major part of the Turkish Armenian community and historically one of the largest ethnic minorities of Istanbul, Turkey. The city is often referred to as Bolis (Պոլիս) by Armenians, which is derived from the ending of the historical name of the city Constantinople. Today, most estimations put the number of Armenian-Turkish Citizens in Istanbul at 50,000, 60,000 or 70,000. At present, the Armenian community in Istanbul has 20 schools, 17 cultural and social organizations, three newspapers called "Agos", "Jamanak" and "Marmara", two sports clubs, named Şişlispor and Taksimspor, and two