: Izmir – rich in Turkish history and coffee

Izmir – rich in Turkish history and coffee

You either love it or hate it, but one thing is for sure, drinking a real Turkish coffee will, as they say, “put hairs on your chest”. Coffee houses have a long history, and have been for generations the social places where people met to talk, read, listen to music, pass on the news and to sometimes foment rebellion.

The first london coffee house - Picture Credit: sleepymyf

But did you know that London’s first coffee house was opened by Pasqua Rosee in 1652? Rosee was servant to an English trader in Turkish goods named Daniel Edwards. They met in Izmir, in Turkey, and Rosee was brought back to London to prepare his master’s favourite drink, the mud-like rich tasting coffee.

Rosee was encouraged by Edwards to set up shop and by 1675 there were more than 3,000 coffee houses in England, and Rosee set up his first coffee shop in Paris in 1672. Nowadays trendy coffee shops abound on the high street, serving the popular milky lattes and frothy cappuccinos.

Rich Turkish Coffee - Picture Credit: NotTheTupolev

But Club La Costa guests on holiday in Turkey should head for Izmir, where you can sit just feet from the Aegean Sea, bathed in cooling breezes, and try out the real Turkish traditional drink for yourself and reflect on the town’s historical link with England. Finely powdered roasted beans are boiled in a pot, and the coffee settles into a thick sludge. After the first few potent sips you come to the residue – popular for foretelling the future.

Izmir’s palm-lined promenade is filled with bustling bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Over millennium the town has been home to most of the great ancient empires – the Persians, the Romans and the Ottomans have all seen their empires rise and fall here. This prosperous, lovely place with its colourful and rich history is called “Beautiful Izmir” by the Turks themselves, and it has much more to offer the visitor than merely being the airport gateway to Kusadasi.

At just 80km from Kusadasi by road, or a tourist boat trip away, it offers a fascinating day out for guests at Club La Costa’s Kusadasi Golf and Spa Resort.