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
Mulla Effendi 1924 and June 1931, King Faisal I visited Mulla Effendi in his house in Badawa in Arbil and thanked him for his efforts and his calls for reconciliation and peace to the different groups in the region. King Faisal I was quoted as describing Mulla Effendi to his brother by saying: In the early 1920s, a few groups threatened to take over the lands of the indigenous Christian inhabitants of Ankawa. The Archbishop and town chiefs went to meet Mulla Effendi at the Great Mosque to explain the situation to him and make him aware of rising tensions in Ankawa.