Unchanged Taste Since 1843
 
The Güllü Family has been making baklava since the 1800s.
It is known that the first person to start baklava in the family was Hacı Mehmed Güllü, known as "Güllü Çelebi" in Gaziantep.
Güllü Çelebi, who entered the confectionery profession in Gaziantep, went to Aleppo and Damascus, which are the most advanced regions in confectionery, in order to advance in the profession and stayed for six months and learned the intricacies of baklava.
When he returned to Gaziantep, he set up a baklava counter.
After Güllü Çelebi's death, his son Hacı Mahmud Güllü continued his father's profession and started making baklava from thin dough rolled one by one with a rolling pin.
When all four sons of Hacı Mahmud Güllü grew up as baklava makers, baklava became a tradition in the Güllü Family.

Dried baklavas, which were sent to the surrounding provinces in wooden boxes in the 1930s, carried the fame of the Güllü Family out of Gaziantep.
Encouraged by the popularity of baklava, Hacı Mahmud Güllü's grandson Mustafa Güllü decided to bring baklava to Istanbul.
The first baklava shop of Istanbul, opened in Karaköy in 1949, is also the first baklava shop outside of Gaziantep.
Since then, Karaköy Güllüoğlu is shown as the first address of baklava in Istanbul.

In the following years, baklava became widespread in Istanbul; many baklava shops were opened.
Some of them belong to other members of the Güllü Family, and some belong to their masters and sons who were trained by Mustafa Güllü.

While describing the early days of the establishment, Mustafa Güllü could not pass without mentioning the difficulties he had to find customers.
At that time, most of the people of Istanbul did not know baklava.
Those who knew did not like it because they had eaten stale baklava.
Mustafa Güllü, who had taken a lot of trouble to change this opinion, used to describe those days as follows:

“We offered free baklava for a few years. We even had flyers printed and distributed on the streets as invitations for free baklava. The weight of the baklava was 5 liras. We sent baklava from Taksim, Nişantaşı, Şişli to those who ordered by phone without any travel expenses. On the other hand, we tried to promote baklava by showing commercials in Atlas Cinema, advertising in newspapers and magazines, and advertising signs in tunnels and trams. But the real advertisement was made by those who tasted our baklava.”
These efforts of Mustafa Güllü began to bear fruit after 1953.
The shop first; Karaköy moved to Hayvar Han No: 23 address.
In the 1970s, its current location was rented under the multi-storey car park in Karaköy.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu, which started its operations in a small shop in 1949, now owns the world's first baklava factory, and approximately 2.5 tons of baklava is produced daily in the factory at Mumhane Caddesi No: 171 in Karaköy.

Karaköy Güllüoğlu has no outlets other than its two stores under the multi-storey car park and on the ground floor of the factory.
Those who know the taste of their mouth come to Karaköy to eat baklava from all over Istanbul.
Among the customers, there are many regulars of Karaköy Güllüoğlu!

The great master Hacı Mustafa Güllü, who directed the profession of baklava and trained many baklava masters, passed away on February 21, 2012. Four of the five sons of the late Hacı Mustafa Güllü still continue his father's profession.
His eldest son, Nejat Güllü, in 1983, and his other son, Faruk Güllü, decided to leave the company in 1993 and continue the profession on their own.
Nadir and Ömer Güllü brothers stayed with their father in the establishment in Karaköy.

Nadir Güllü had dreamed of a factory-wide workshop since his childhood.
When he took over the business, he rolled up his sleeves to realize this dream and established the baklava factory in Mumhane Street in 1996. Nadir Güllü, who is both the Chairman of the Board of Directors and a baklava master; He continues his family business with his brother Ömer Güllü, his children Ebru Güllü Abanoz, Tuğba Güllü Sürmeli and Murat Güllü.

In 1990, it became a company and became a company called “Güllüoğlu Gıda San. ve Tic. A.S.” The company, which took the commercial title and known as "Karaköy Güllüoğlu", is completely different from other companies with the name "Güllüoğlu".
Karakoy Gulluoglu; The Galata Tower in its logo can be easily distinguished from the others with its Nadir Güllü logo and flavor.

Karaköy, the center of commerce and banking, has also been the center of baklava since 1949.
Karaköy Güllüoğlu is a different color, a different taste in the vibrant life of this district, and is also a part of the neighborhood texture...

A lot of things have become history in Karaköy since 1949, but Karaköy Güllüoğlu has been living for 5 generations...