Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Dreamy Visit to a Historic Turkish Coffee Shop

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Starting point is 00:01:18 Welcome to get sleepy. Where we listen, we relax, And we get sleepy. My name's Thomas and I'm your host. It's a pleasure to have your company once again. Tonight we'll be visiting the Turkish city of Gaziantep, home to one of the world's oldest coffee shops, Tamiscavesi. You can still enjoy a coffee here in this place today. A big thank you to Kayla for writing this one.

Starting point is 00:02:03 which I'll be reading for all of you. If you'd like to support us in the most effective and direct way possible and get some great benefits for yourself in return, we'd love for you to try Get Sleepy Premium. As a premium member, everything is completely ad-free and you'll have access to our entire catalogue of well over a thousand episodes, including all our weekly premium bonus episodes that come out to everything, Thursday night. Like tomorrow, when Nikki will guide us through a peaceful meditation,

Starting point is 00:02:42 inspired by the quiet beauty of the moonflower. For more information and to join us tomorrow night, head to get sleepy.com slash support, and I'll pop the link in the show notes too. Thanks so much everyone. So, it's time to get nice and cozy in bed now. ready to enjoy tonight's story as you gently make your way towards sleep. If you're feeling at all anxious about getting to sleep or staying asleep, just give yourself time and patience. Don't put any pressure on getting to sleep. Forcing it never works.

Starting point is 00:03:41 It only creates pressure and an even bigger obstacle for your mind to get past. So instead of trying to sleep, just listen along tonight and focus on giving your body a chance to feel rested and relaxed. That's something you do have control over. You can encourage a greater sense of presence by slowing down your breathing. breathing, inhaling deeply and easing the air back out for a little longer than the in-breath. Feel the way your body moves with the breath and how your nervous system seems to respond, slowing down with every gentle exhale.

Starting point is 00:05:02 bit by bit. Feel any tension, anxiety or stress melt away. Each cycle of the breath takes you another step further into rest and relaxation. Enjoy that blissful ease and just continue to breathe deeply and naturally. Now, as you continue to relax, let's turn to our story. Coffee houses have a long history of being places of community and connection. I'm delighted to accompany you on this relaxing visit. So, let's begin. It's a chilly way. It's a chilly, Winter morning in Gaziantap, the city is scattered over limestone hills near the Sejure River, a tributary of the Euphrates. In the ancient world, Gaziantap was on the Silk Road, the famous trade route between Europe

Starting point is 00:07:07 and Asia. Many people would stop here to spend a few days resting and trading spices and other goods. As you wander the historic streets, you can see the remnants of the ancient city in pottery fragments and ruins of old buildings at archaeological sites. In the Middle Ages, the city changed hands many times. It then became a part of the Ottoman Empire, right around the time that Tamis Kavasi, the cafe you'll be visiting today, started serving coffee. Gaziantap continued to be a cultural crossroads, where people would stop to enjoy a hot drink

Starting point is 00:08:15 in a coffee house, or Kavahana. They would catch up on the latest news in ideas, art, and daily life. During this time, Gaziantep became known as a city that was strongly rooted in Turkish culture and traditions. Following the winding streets of the city centre, you wander through covered markets, selling local wines, halva, bucklevard and pistachios. The smells, sights and sounds are enticing. But getting lost in the markets will wait for another time.

Starting point is 00:09:17 Today you've come for the coffee. You arrive at a building with tall ceilings and stained glass windows. Tammis Kavesi, there's a plaque outside, marking this place as a historical building. You push open the wooden doors and step inside to be greeted by the smells of freshly brewed coffee. Traditional Turkish music mingles with the lively chatter of people enjoying a morning with friends, with high wooden ceilings and thick stone walls. It feels like this is a place where time stands still, despite renovations to keep the building in good shape.

Starting point is 00:10:27 The ambience probably hasn't changed much in the last 400 years. In the centre of the cafe on the black and white tiled floor is a wood-burning stove. It gently crackles, keeping the place warm on a cool winter's day. Tamascavesi, meaning coffee roasting place, began serving coffee in 1635. It's thought that coffee, which originated in Ethiopia, made its way to the Ottoman Empire through Middle Eastern traders. But nobody knows for sure exactly how the bean made it to Turkey, and became such a staple of its culture. In the time of the Ottoman Empire, coffee was important,

Starting point is 00:11:39 both for court life and for the general public. You can imagine traders, artists, and academics and nobility, gracing this cafe. Endulging in philosophical debate or literary criticism, while enjoying warm cups of dark coffee. Walking over to the counter, you notice that the walls are filled with portraits of famous people from the region. The coffee house was originally built entirely with stone columns, and it's nice to see some of the old architecture maintained in the building today. At the counter, you're greeted by a smiling man who helps you find a seat. You choose a table on the upper balcony, so that you can take in everything that's happening in the cafe from above. It's also near the window so you can enjoy the sunshine and the bustle of the street outside.

Starting point is 00:13:08 You ask for a recommendation and the waiter smiles. He's delighted to be able to share his knowledge of Turkish coffee. He invites you downstairs for a moment to the kitchen so you can see how his favourite cup of coffee is made. You follow him downstairs, past long benches, piled with red and white cushions, and a column painted with the Turkish flag, stoves sizzle with coffee, which almost bubbles over the rims of pots. The smell here where the coffee is brewed,

Starting point is 00:14:05 is strong and delightful. The waiter tells you that the best way to understand the uniqueness of Turkish coffee is to watch them making the perfect cup. Like many other coffee traditions from the Arabic and Mediterranean worlds, the coffee is brewed with the grounds still in, in a small copper pot called a jesvah, The waiter boils some water over a gas stove. You hear the gurgle of the liquid and watch him add a scoop of finely ground coffee.

Starting point is 00:15:01 There's no specific measuring cup, only the intuition of how much to add from years of making coffees like this. In the cafe and at home, the waiter's eyes twinkle. as he adds the perfect amount of coffee grounds. Like he's showing you a secret trick, you notice the copper detailing behind the stove, a rich panel showing the history of the cafe, the waiter sprinkles a little bit of ground cardamom and sugar into the pot,

Starting point is 00:15:51 telling you that this is his favorite way to drink coffee. Then he turns down the heat and gently stirs the contents of the pot. The smell fills your nostrils, rich, bitter and a little bit sweet. Next, you watch him do the coffee pot dance. When the brew starts to foam, he takes it off the heat until it bubbles back down. and then places it back on the stove, waiting for it to bubble again. He repeats this a few more times before finally removing the coffee and pouring the dark, steamy brew into a ceramic mug.

Starting point is 00:17:00 He puts the cup in a beautifully ornate silver holder. It's engraved with the landscape of this region of turkey, and the word, tamis. It's a small cup, just a little bigger than an espresso shot, but much smaller than your average mug of coffee, but the waiter assures you, the coffee is strong and rich. Besides, he says, you don't want to drink too much of this brew. Afterwards, you should try a cup of their famous pistachio coffee. He fixes a silver lid on the cup, just as beautiful as the body, and places it on a small silver saucer.

Starting point is 00:18:03 He takes a couple of pieces of red and orange Turkish delight, and puts them on another silver a plate, sweets like Turkish Delight and Baclavar, are perfect accompaniments to a bitter cup of coffee. From beneath the counter, the waiter pulls out another beautiful piece of Turkish coffee equipment. It's a silver tray, with four thin arms, which sprout up from each side, and meat together at the top for carrying. He places the coffee and sweets on the tray and then scoops dried nuts and legumes into a bowl, also putting that on the tray.

Starting point is 00:19:12 Lastly, he fills a small, narrow glass with water, telling you that this is an important part of Turkish coffee tradition. Their coffee can be intense in flavour, and having some water after a sip of the hot drink can help cleanse the palate for your next sip or drink. Drinking water before your coffee can also help reset your taste buds, so you get the full enjoyment of the flavour. There's also a tradition of using the water to make the coffee last longer. Once your cup is about halfway empty, you can add some of the water.

Starting point is 00:20:11 Refilling it closer to the top, the waiter leads you back to your table. Elegantly carrying your tray of coffee and nibbles up the stairs, you settle into your seat. The winter sun from outside, feeling warm against your cheek. The waiter places everything on the table, setting down each item with a gentle clink. He smiles and tells you to enjoy the coffee. You lift the small cup comfortably, the silver holder stopping your hands from getting too hot, and smell the fragrant coffee. You relish its scent.

Starting point is 00:21:18 and the bit of steam against your face, knowing that you have the rest of the day to enjoy being in this place. There's no need to rush. You take a small sip of the coffee and let it rest on your tongue for a moment, savouring the subtle sweetness of the cardamom and sugar against the bitter coffee flavor. Before swallowing, a smile forms on your face. It's such a satisfying brew. You take a small sip of water to refresh your palate and look a little more closely at your surroundings. You notice that it's more than just the architecture that makes this building special, Beautiful chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and artifacts from days of the past are displayed around the cafe. A brilliant dollar, a coffee pot, is on show in the corner, and old lamps and instruments sit on different shelves around the cafe.

Starting point is 00:22:54 There's also a shelf dedicated to hooker pipes. Once an activity that often accompanied a fresh cup of coffee and a chat with friends, you take another sip, enjoying the combination of flavors, and then you enjoy a small bite of the gel-like Turkish delight, which is covered in white-powdered sugar. Your waiter was right. The sweetness perfectly balances out the bitter taste of coffee. You enjoy slowly sipping on your coffee and tasting Turkish delight. Watching the day unfold before you, a few solo travellers sit at tables, drinking coffee and flipping through the pages of their guidebooks. A couple strolls in,

Starting point is 00:24:19 settling down with plates of sugar-coated baklava. And another group of friends chat boisterously over cups of Turkish tea, taking another sip of coffee. You see waiters weaving through tables with their silver trays, serving hot cups of coffee and tea, along with pastries, sweets, and savory snacks. You continue taking slow sips of your drink, each time noticing a new detail in your surroundings. It's not often you get to just sit and enjoy a drink this slowly. You relish being in this place, where coffee is rarely taken to go or drunk at a desk. Here, it's always enjoyed at leisure.

Starting point is 00:25:35 Perhaps with a good book, the company of friends, or just the enjoyment of being alone with your thoughts. Your waiter comes by to check in on you, and to see a good one. if there's anything else you'd like, you're nearing the end of your drink. So you ask if he recommends trying the pistachio coffee, or perhaps a cup of tea. He offers to bring you half a cup of each, so you can try both. But first, he wants you to finish your current drink, so he can show you a fun Turkish coffee tradition. Reading your fortune from the remaining grounds. The practice is called tassiography and is similar to traditions that read fortunes in tea leaves.

Starting point is 00:26:50 He says that it's very important you never read your own fate in your cup, but he enjoys doing readings for customers and friends. First, he asks you. to think about an intention for the reading. Perhaps a question that's been nagging at you, or a part of your life that you've had on your mind a lot lately. Next, he asks you to turn your cup over onto the plate. He swirls it around a few times, loosening the grounds, so that they'll fall down the sides of the cup. While you wait, He tells you more about Turkish coffee.

Starting point is 00:27:51 It's especially important in wedding ceremonies. According to one tradition, the bride should prepare coffee for the family of her husband to be before the wedding. She should prepare everyone's coffee with sugar, except for the cup of the groom. That should be seasoned with salt, pepper, or a pungent herb, if he's able to drink the whole cup without showing any discomfort. He has the grit to be a good husband.

Starting point is 00:28:40 You smile at the story. Reflecting on all the ways coffee has infused itself in the traditions of this country over the last 400 years, the cup is now ready to be read, and you're waiting. turns it over. He points to the silver plate, which is now covered in coffee grounds. When a large part of the liquid stays on the saucer, he tells you, it means your worries are leaving. Let them go, and you will move forward with more lightness and joy. Looking inside your cup, he smiles. Positive and interesting things are going to happen in your life. There may be times of change coming, but it's the kind of change that leads to growth in the relationship with those you

Starting point is 00:29:58 love, in your job and in your inner world. Your relationship with yourself, it's a time to time to take risks, he tells you, to go after the thing you've been thinking about for a while. The time to do it is now. You thank him for the reading, mulling over what he's said with a grin. You're reminded of an old saying, the only constant in life is change. The waiter clears the table and then goes off to prepare your next cups. You hear the soft sound of coffee brewing below and the stove grunting with wood as you look out of the window.

Starting point is 00:31:10 The sun is starting to sink a little lower in the sky. These are short winter days. But there's still plenty of time to enjoy this place. bundled in thick sweaters, jackets and hats. People wander the streets below, gazing into shop windows and admiring the historic building of the coffee house. Closing your eyes, you imagine what it must have been like 400 years ago when coffee was first becoming a popular drink in the region.

Starting point is 00:32:00 How exciting it must have been to get to try something completely new, and how beautiful that coffee brought with it, so many rituals that support community connection and cultural traditions that are still alive and well to this day. The waiter returns with the two new beverages and a sticky piece of baklava, made freshly in-house. The tray glistens in the lowering sun as he places everything in front of you. Then, with a smile, he leaves you with your thoughts, starting with the pistachio coffee. You again close your eyes and take a sip. The rich flavour is a little sweeter than your last coffee.

Starting point is 00:33:21 It has a delicious, nutty aftertaste that goes perfectly with the flaky, sticky baclavar. Once again, you enjoy alternating between the two. Relishing the exchange of flavors, coffee houses were once a place to slow down, to engage in conversation and enjoy the arts of deep thinking. creativity and pleasure. You think about how wonderful it is that a place like this still exists today. Suddenly, the music in the cafe shuts off and you open your eyes to look around. A band with traditional Turkish instruments has just entered. They're carrying a small canon, a string instrument with a rich sound, along with a lute and a wind instrument called a zorna.

Starting point is 00:34:50 They begin playing a tune, and some of the people in the cafe clap along. You watch the band dancing with their instruments, faces full of joy. You continue enjoying the flavors of your drink, as these new, rich sounds, join the music. the rhythm of the bubbling water, the crackling stove, and the coffee house chatter. You tap your foot in rhythm to the song. It's both happy and soothing, making you feel perfectly at ease in this place where you've spent such a wonderful day. Once you finish the pistachio coffee, you flip it over on your saucer.

Starting point is 00:35:54 wondering what these grounds might have to say, but you're in no rush to find out. You're enjoying being fully immersed in the present moment. You sample the tea next, served in a small glass cup. It has a light flavour that perfectly washes down the last bite of the baklava, sending warmth through you, as you lean back in your chair and enjoy the beats of the music. After spending the day here, you not only feel more connected to Turkish coffee culture, but also to the history of coffee and coffee houses as a whole. You've experienced this place in much the same way as others have been doing so,

Starting point is 00:37:06 for a few hundred years. As the sun starts turning the sky pink, you pull out your book to enjoy some reading as you finish your tea, a peaceful end to an enchanting day. You turn each page slowly, savouring the moment. After a while, you put the book down. Once again, you turn each page slowly, you Take in all the sights and sounds of this beautiful, historic place. The traditional music plays quietly, creating a background track for murmurs of friendly conversation, water boils and steams, and dishes clang. All adding to the rhythm this coffee house has held for hundreds of. hundreds of years. Before leaving, you inhale the wonderfully intoxicating smell of coffee. You smile,

Starting point is 00:38:41 you smile, feeling perfectly peaceful in this enchanting place. You may wish you could stay here all night. You feel your eyes getting heavy and your muscles relaxing. It's time. It's time to head home and sink further into relaxation.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - A Dreamy Visit to a Historic Turkish Coffee Shop

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