Davut Selim

Mardin is what the ancient Greek historians called “Mesopotamia”, which means “the land between the rivers”, the land where culture was born, the cradle of civilization, Mesopotamia with its ancient history to which we owe our civilization, and the city of the tribes that have watched over this history for centuries. One of the legacies of these tribes is undoubtedly craftsmanship. This heritage, handed down from father to son, from master to apprentice, continued in the ancient city of Mardin until the middle of the twentieth century.

The various products grown in these fertile and rich lands have been a source of life and flavour for the tribes living in this geography for centuries. This is true of the entire geography, from east to west, from north to south. The contribution of Mesopotamia to the development and spread of all crafts in this geography cannot be denied. In fact, the social, economic and administrative data of the city of Mardin at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the Davut Selim brand was born, is in good condition. At that time, Mardin was a sanjak under the province of Diyar-ı Bekr. In the province’s 1901 Salname (administrative and economic yearbook), some of the crops grown in the province were listed as follows (the figures given in qiyyah or okka are now converted to kilograms)

Wheat 1600 tons     Tobacco 120 tons     Rice 100 tons

Barley 700 tons     Cotton 150 tons     Olives 200 tons

Chickpeas, lentils, etc. 350 tons     Mahlep 370 tons     Sesame 900 tons

Bıttım (wild peanut) 490 tons     Apricot 425 tons    Almond 50 tons

Fruits and vegetables 2300 tons     Grapes 1650 tons     Walnuts 300 tons

In 1903 and 1905, there were six districts and 1139 villages under the sanjak of Mardin. The city centre had 12 neighbourhoods, more than 5000 households, more than 1000 shops and stores, 20 mosques, 45 masjids, 10 churches, 3 madrasahs, 1 inn, 5 baths, 1 Muslim school (idadi), 7 Christian schools and 1 hospital. It is mentioned that there were many handicrafts in the city at that time, the most important of which were: chickpea making, halvah making, jewellery making, tailoring, leatherwork, stonemasonry, shoemaking, weaving, carpentry, pottery, pallet making, felt making, etc. These crafts were practised by Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and craftsmen competed to produce the best and most beautiful crafts. At that time, Mardin was not only a city where agricultural products were marketed and exported to the region, but also a centre where craftsmen produced for the region.

Davut ibn-i Selim (Davut son of Selim), the creator of the Davut Selim brand, was born in 1890 in the Camii-Kebir (Ulucami) district of the ancient city of Mardin in a house built in the XIII century. His father was Selim, his mother was Vesile and his siblings were Şeyhmus, Hasine, Fadile, Ayşe and Hasibe. His father Selim was a tobacconist and also grew fruit and vegetables in the vineyards and gardens of his ancestors’ Ravza near the city. He memorised the Qur’an at an early age under the supervision of his aunt, who was a Qur’an teacher in the same house where they lived. He was also very interested in handicrafts at that age. When he was only 6 years old, he was apprenticed to the Syrian chickpea master Stefan. After working for his master for 8 years, in 1904, when he was only 14 years old, he convinced his father, Selim, to start his own business. The knowledge and skills he acquired as a child show how intelligent and talented he was. It was at this age that he began to be recognised in the market for the chickpeas he produced. In 1910 he was a young man of military age. He became a well-known master in the city for the quality of his chickpeas and tahini halva with molasses (Halavit dibsiye). Around this time, he interrupted his work for a while due to his military service. Leaving his earnings to his mother, he joined the Iraqi front of the Ottoman army and served as a cavalryman in Baghdad for many years. His brother Şeyhmus began his military service on the Eastern Front two years later. In 1919, he completed his military service and returned to his home town of Mardin. He was very sad to hear that his father Selim had died and that his brother Şeyhmus had died of an incurable disease contracted during his military service. At that time, he joined the militia that was formed in the city against the threat of French occupation. When this situation ended, he opened his shop in the Cow Bazaar in 1920 and started working again. These years were years of poverty and lack. He married Lütfiye Hanım in 1921 and Methiye, Hamdiye, Gülçin and Remziye were born out of this marriage. He lived with his mother and sisters in the same house. It was also a time when the purchasing power of the city and its people was decreasing. Despite all these negative factors, she continued her business and offered beautiful and high quality products for sale. He never compromised on his craftsmanship and the quality of his products. He did not abuse his reputation and fame. Although the opening date of the company he set up in his own name is 1904, if we subtract from the years of service the 10 year break due to force majeure caused by his military service, it is considered more accurate to record the establishment as 1914.

Between 1923 and 1925, he continued his business and served in the Republican Army for two years by transporting military supplies, food and ammunition with 4 mules he bought and a labourer he paid himself. He founded his company in 1926 and registered it in Mardin Chamber of Commerce under number 7. He added molasses halva with walnuts (halavit cevziye) to tahini halva with chickpeas and molasses and continued his way with confident steps.

Davut Selim was a master of a very difficult craft. It was a craft in which knowledge and skill were added to wrist and physical strength. There were no machines, gas or electricity. Molasses was cooked on a wood fire and chickpeas were roasted. Akras worked with the head grocers who brought the molasses from the village and the chickpeas from the plain to the market. He bought tahini from his close friend Şammas Bahde (Tahincioğlu), who made tahini from sesame seeds grown in the region. He carefully selected the raw materials for his products and always bought high quality, beautiful and expensive products. This meticulousness in his art was reflected in the products he produced and rightly made him famous in the city and the surrounding villages and kazas. In addition to his name in business, his work ethic and honesty also played an important role in his reputation. In 1930, he moved from his shop in the Cow Bazaar to a slightly larger workplace in the Shaarlar Bazaar. Longing for a son, he married Nazliye for the second time in 1931 at the insistence and urging of his mother and had children named Mehmet, Enver, Enis and Şükran. In 1934, she adopted the surname Ayla in accordance with the 1934 law on surnames.

In 1950, Mehmet was 18, Enver was 12 and Enis was 7. While Mehmet and Enver continued to work with their father, Enis went to primary school. The variety of products sold in the shop increased; pumpkin seeds grown in the Mardin region, almonds, pistachios, bıttım, dried figs, raisins, walnuts, grape pulp, walnut sausage, molasses halva with walnuts, molasses halva with tahini, clove-scented mountain chickpeas, double-roasted (tahmisteyn) chickpeas, broken (insos) chickpeas began to be offered to customers. The tahini halva with molasses was produced and sold during the winter months, while the molasses halva with cinnamon and walnuts was produced and sold only in December. This type of halva was very popular with non-Muslims, one of the main ingredients of Mardin. 

In 1951, Davut Ayla bought the ownership of a place consisting of 4 shops in the same bazaar, now known as the Central Branch, where he continued his activities by separating production and sales. In 1954, his eldest son Mehmet Ayla finished his military service and during this time Enver Ayla, despite his young age, was very successful in sales in the absence of his older brother. In 1961, Enver Ayla finished his military service and returned to the business. During these years, with the development of the sugar industry in Turkey, they started to produce tahini halva from sugar and also added almond sugar and chickpea sugar to their product range. With these developments, Davut Ayla retired and handed over the business to his children. In 1961, Mehmet Ayla married Mrs Aysel and Mahmut, Şeyhmus, Atilla, Nazan and Feyzan were born. In 1967 Enver Ayla married Mrs Nahide and Suleyman, Davut, Levent, Nesrin and Nermin were born. In 1971 they opened their 2nd shop in Cumhuriyet Square. 1 year later Davut Ayla passed away. As one of Davut Ayla’s wishes was that all his grandchildren should learn this profession, his grandchildren also grew and developed in this profession. In 1988, the variety of almond sweets made from almonds unique to the Mardin region was increased and offered to the taste of customers. Mehmet Ayla retired in 2000, handed over the business to his children and passed away in 2017. Enver Ayla passed away in 2006 before he could enjoy his retirement, so his children took over the flag. In 2010, customers were offered coffee blends with authentic local herbs. Davut Selim brand has been operating for more than 100 years with its 3rd generation grandchildren by increasing its quality product range day by day with a production place in organised industrial zone, 2 sales points in Old Mardin, 1 in Yeni Mardin, 1 in Kızıltepe and online sales.