Tea and the Turks are inseparable, and it is certain that everyone who visited Turkey has drank the famous Turkish tea with its narrowed cups with soft edges, without which the life of the Turks is not equal and upright.
But why are the cups so narrow? In fact, we do not have a definitive answer, but there are several sayings and hypotheses, which we present to you below.
The strongest opinion connects the distinctive shape of the tea cup and the tulip, the symbol of the Ottoman Empire and which is still strongly present in Turkey, as it organizes an annual festival for this beautiful flower in the month of April / May.
Another opinion connects the shape of the cup and the pear fruit. Is it a coincidence that these cups are called “armodi” in Azerbaijan, meaning pears (which is Armut, in Turkish).
Another opinion connects the shape of the cup and the pear fruit. Is it a coincidence that these cups are called “armodi” in Azerbaijan, meaning pears (which is Armut, in Turkish).
A third opinion says that the issue is related to the ease of holding the cup and its temperature in cold regions. The upper part of the cup, which is wide, allows the tea to cool down quickly, while the tea in the lower, narrow, section remains hot. That way, we can start slowly sipping the tea without it cooling down all at once.
Some experts have said that the shape of the cup is similar to some of the old jars and may have been to retain the flavor of the tea just as the wine jars retain their flavor. So the bottom of these cups also retains the flavor of the tea to the very last point.
Poetry also has its interpretation. Some see that the shape of the cup is reminiscent of a woman’s body. This theory is supported by the Turkish name of the cup, ince belli bardak, which literally means “the cup with a slender waist.”
In fact, we find traces of this cup in the painting “Samovar” by Turkish artist Khoja Ali Reza Effendi (1858-1939), which he painted about 90 years ago. We also know that there was a glass factory in Beykoz (Istanbul), at the beginning of the last century, and that he was the first to invent and market the cup without a hand holding it and without a base for the saucer under it. The shape of the cup has become more practical and it is more comfortable to hold it in the palm of the hand.
As for the delicacy of the glass, the stirring of sugar with a small spoon on its edges creates an atmosphere of intimacy that cannot be compensated for in the sessions of friends and loved ones
