Lahmacun is the Turkish flatbread topped with minced meat and herbs that is often called Turkish pizza.
Its thin dough is spread with a mixture commonly containing minced beef or lamb, onion, garlic, tomato, red pepper, parsley, and spices such as paprika or chilli. It is baked until the topping cooks and the edges become crisp, then often rolled around parsley, onion, tomato, pickles, or other vegetables.
Although strongly associated with Turkey, lahmacun belongs to a wider Middle Eastern food tradition. Related versions are known across the Levant, where the Arabic name lahm bi ajin means “meat with dough.” A 13th-century Aleppine cookbook records a recipe for minced meat spread on dough and baked.
The pizza comparison refers mainly to its round shape and baked topping. Traditional lahmacun is thinner and generally contains neither cheese nor tomato sauce, making it distinct from most pizza. Börek, gözleme, and pide are different Turkish dough foods.