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Monday, September 12, 2011

Mandabatmaz

image via evimistanbul.com
I read lots of stuff about Turkey. Lots. Of. Stuff. Sometimes I come across things I don't understand. Maybe someone out there does. I usually ask my husband.

Mandabatmaz? WTF is a manda and why doesn't it sink? Clearly there's an idiom in this word.

His response: Shrug. IDK.

Google translate: Buoyant Buffalo.

Picture: Buffalo in a coffee cup? Still not making any sense. Feel free to chime in now, if you have any ideas...

aysun-tinypiccomrakcw0y.blogspot.com
Whatever the word means, the Mandabatmaz coffee shop is the epitome of a "hole in the wall". So if you're in Istanbul, find Beyoglu, Istiklal Caddesi and look for an alleyway with unusual amounts of foot traffic, and follow the incredible coffee aroma.

Custom roasted coffee beans, a copper cezve, combined with a careful twist of the wrist and you have what is known to be the best Turkish coffee in the city. The shop is featured in all sorts of guides and it's a must-do. Coffee readings not included.


The first scene of Burnt Amber is in a place kind of like Mandabatmaz, but I took plenty of creative liberties with the decor. My coffee shop was purely my imagination. It's nice to see the vision isn't so far from reality.

Related Articles:

$100 Weekend in Istanbul Frugal Traveler, The New York Times
Mandabatmaz: Grounds for Celebration IstanbulEats.com
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6 comments:

  1. Old KittySeptember 12, 2011 at 9:07 AM

    Oooohhhh!! I can smell the coffee aroma wafting along that gorgeous alleyway!!

    Erm.. maybe the buffalo says - coffee so powerfully strong it'll knock you out - like a bull in a china shop!

    That's my take on this symbol!

    Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carolyn VSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:33 AM

    The picture is beautiful! Looks like an awesome place to visit.

    Mandabatmaz is a buoyant buffalo? Okay, I don't get it, but it sounds kind of cool. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hart JohnsonSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:44 AM

    Bouyant buffalo!? *snort* Oh, very nice. I like it. I like the idea it is just a quirky random idea, rather than having a specific meaning. And I love little corridor shops like that. They feel like secrets.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LTMSeptember 12, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    HA!! Ha ha ha! I was goin to say, this sounds just like the first scene from Burnt Amber! :D

    awesome.

    I WANT some of that coffee! :d

    ReplyDelete
  5. Deniz BevanSeptember 12, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    Hmm, there's always http://www.eksisozluk.com/show.asp?t=mandabatmaz

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownSeptember 14, 2011 at 7:54 AM

    It sounds like a shop I'd like to check out someday.

    ReplyDelete

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