TURKISH COFFEE; A LONG HISTORY, TRADITION AND CULTURE...

The smell of freshly roasted and freshly brewed coffee takes over capital Ankara this weekend with the Ankara Coffee Festival at the city's Bilkent Station.

Visited by thousands of coffee lovers last year, the event will bring together local and international coffee shops, producers, retailers and chocolatiers.

With its long history in Turkey, coffee has always had a place in local households.

"Coffee means for me a friendship on sleepless nights while I'm studying," said Pelin, a student who attended the first day of the festival.

With the spread of coffee shops across the country, the society's taste for coffee expanded from a Turkish cup of coffee to freshly brewed coffees prepared by experienced baristas.

Hülya Aktağ, a lifestyle blogger, said coffee for her means addiction, happiness and something that helps her calm down.

"If I don't drink one or two cups of Turkish coffee per day, I get a headache," she added.

"It's especially nice to have a cup of coffee before you go to classes, and the chats which come along with it are also very nice," said Ege Polat, a law student.

With different beans from regions across the world, coffee is not only a drink but also an international taste experience.

"I feel like the soil of different countries across the world comes to me when I'm drinking coffee," said Gamze, another student.

Apart from an opportunity to taste different kinds of coffee, the festival also offers the latest updates on coffee movements and lifestyle trends.

It also organizes a number of interactive workshops, panel sessions, live concerts, art exhibitions and many other surprise competitions.

During the three-day festival, coffee lovers will get the opportunity to have a peek inside the world of coffee roasting and brewing.

Source: Daily Sabah