Known as the cook who invented döner, Kastamonu döner maker Hamdi Usta entered history 169 years ago with a photograph taken by James Robertson in 1855, which is considered the first döner kebab machine. This photograph has the distinction of being the first visual document showing döner making during the Ottoman Empire.
As a chef from Kastamonu, Hamdi Usta gained great fame both in Kastamonu and throughout the country thanks to his invention, the döner. The idea of cooking döner vertically emerged with Hamdi Usta's innovative approach, and this method quickly became widespread and was effective in the popularization of döner.
Previously, Turks used to make döner and lamb rotisserie horizontally. Cooking this way has become more convenient..