Turks love their hot drinks. Whether it is coffee or tea, most Turks have to drink at least one cup of a hot drink to start the day. However, the hearts of Turkish people truly lie with Turkish coffee. The drink has captivated the hearts and taste buds of generations, infusing flavor and meaning into the social experience in equal parts. And thanks to its unique taste and traditional presentation, Turkish coffee received a spot on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2013.
Living in the southern province of Osmaniye, art teacher Mesude Işıklı was so fascinated by Turkish coffee that she decided to collect Turkish coffee cups. After a friend gifted her an antique Turkish coffee cup as a present, she made it her mission to collect the largest number of coffee cup styles in the world.
For the last 12 years, Işıklı has managed to collect more than 3,000 Turkish coffee cups in different shapes and sizes, most of which are antique. Işıklı's collection features new types of coffee cups as well as those more than a century old.
Although there is no section in the Guinness Book of World Records for Turkish coffee cups, Işıklı is not the only one fascinated by vessels for drinking coffee. The largest collection of coffee mugs belongs to Bob Thomson in the U.S. with 6,352 different mugs, which he has been collecting since 1995. His collection was registered by Guinness in 2006.
However, Turkish coffee cups are unique in their shapes but most importantly their ornamentation. The cups are typically made of porcelain and adorned with stunning designs and uniquely Turkish motifs such as tulips or kilim patterns. The most cherished ones are those made of thin porcelain and painted by hand.
