40 Years Appreciation
It is said that the Turkish coffee house culture began in 1475, soon after the Ottoman Empire Sultan Mehmed II had started to rule Istanbul (Constantinople of the fallen Eastern Roman Empire.) Kiva Han, the 1st coffee shop, was opened by two young Syrians, Hakam of Aleppo & Shams of Damascus. By the end of the 16th century, there were about 600 cafes stood in the capital of the empire. The Turkish people gathered in coffee houses to enjoy SOHBET (chats) with friends & the performance of MEDDAH (storytellers - Compare them with Ancient Sumer narrators, Homer s, druids, Central Asian shamans, Scheherazade s, & RAKUGO-KA.) There is a Turkish proverb that improves that coffee is the very important drink for them:
A cup of coffee is appreciated for 40 years.
(Bir kahvenin kırk yıl hatırı var.)