Discover the secrets to the national drink of Turkey, on a half-day coffee tasting tour and lesson in Istanbul. Your coffee adventure begins at a museum with exhibits dedicated to the history of Turkish coffee. Learn why it became Turkey’s national drink after the Ottomans brought the 1st beans from Egypt in 1519. Hear about the 1st coffee shops that opened in the Eminönü district just a few years later, and the prohibiton decrees set by some of the Ottoman sultans. Next, learn how to make the perfect Turkish coffee in an historic coffee shop. Follow the “Coffee Route” of the city center, going down tiny streets to interesting old bazaars and storage buildings. Pop into some of the most historic coffee shops en route to get your caffeine fix.