Fal has a long and colourful history. Jeff Gibbs investigates.


There's an old saying in Turkish: Fal inanma, falsız kalma!  Don't believe in fortunes, but don't get stuck without one.  Most people insist kahve falı (coffee grounds fortunes) are an utter crock, but no one wants to be left out when the coffee witch starts prophesying.  Having your grounds analyzed is a time-honoured Turkish tradition, and it is the rare foreigner who has not had a Turkish friend spin stories about the future from smears of high-octane caffeine sludge.  But there are readers and there are readers in Turkey, and two cafes in Istanbul are renowned for their fortunetellers. 

Kahve falı, or just fal, has been flourishing in Istanbul since the fifteenth century, but the city's most well regarded 21st century coffee prophets scry at Melekler Kahvesi off Istiklal.  Melekler (Angels) is located down a side street in a building reminiscent of a run down 19th century Chicago hotel.  The walls are covered with Dali paintings and the high ceilings have an Art Deco flair.  The place is self-consciously hip.  Scruffy waiters sport headsets, wear ripped jeans, and have an air of self-importance that dares the customer to interrupt them.  There is an extensive menu with decent food and an abundance of games.  Readings should be arranged upon ordering your coffee--many of the fortunetellers speak English; just let your waiter know.  But be warned, the place is busy.  Big time Turkish celebrities frequent Melekler, along with all the fans hoping to catch sight of them, so there can be quite a line.  The first time I went with a Turkish friend; a coffee and a reading cost ten lira and I waited forty-five minutes for my turn.  The second time, with a fellow foreigner, it took an hour and a half and cost twelve, so there appears to be room for negotiation.

Up the same road is perhaps the second most respected place for fal, the Cine Majestic, a cafe above the theatre of the same name.  Coffee and a reading cost only eleven lira, and the place is definitely more laid back than Melekler, with games, floor cushions, big screen TVs, food, and nargile--in short, a full supply of Turkish keyif.  Though the readers don't speak English, one of the waiters can easily be summoned for an interpretation.  My girlfriend's sister swears by a guy named Emre, who scried my past and present with alarming accuracy, but seemed like he was reaching when it came to my future.  Apparently, I'll be buying a mansion in Cihangir soon! 

There are few things aficionados advise before having your fortune told.  The first is that you should always sip from the same spot on your cup.  Also, you should be in a relaxed mood.  When you've drunk your coffee down to the grounds, put your saucer over the mouth of the cup and make a wish. With your thumb on top of the saucer and your fingers on the bottom of the cup, circle it in front of your chest three times.  Some insist it must be turned counter-clockwise, others clockwise, but apparently to move it toward you (clockwise) is to make the fortune about your private, internal self; the other way leads to a more general fortune.  Once you have finished, flip the cup and saucer in one quick motion being careful not to separate the two.  Now you must wait for the cup to cool.  Many people put a piece of metal such as a coin on top of the cup.  This not only speeds the cooling process, but also wards off evil omens fomenting inside.

All of my readers said they listened to their intuition to divine the shapes formed along the cup walls, but there is a general method to scrying.  The handle of the cup represents the seeker.  An imaginary line is drawn horizontally across from the handle to the other side.   Another is drawn from top to bottom so that the cup is divided into four parts.  What these four parts mean is open for interpretation--with every Turkish friend swearing that theirs is the only correct method.  Most people say the shapes to the right of the handle have positive meanings, while the shapes to the left have negative.  Shapes in the upper half of the cup can refer to the near future, while shapes in the lower half refer to the far future.   Another tradition says the top half is the future, and the bottom half is the past.  Readers turn the cup clockwise and start either from the handle or from where your lips touched.  The saucer is read last.  It both reinforces the fortune in the cup and tells about your home life.  Don't forget to tell your reader, ağzına sağlık, "health to your mouth", at the end!

Though most real fortunetellers go with their gut, there are a few standard interpretations floating around in the folklore.  A knife means that someone around you is dangerous; be careful!  If you see a wine glass, then a well-protected secret will soon be discovered.  A cradle means that you will get married soon if you are single.  If a large chunk of grounds falls to the saucer when the cup is opened, it means a great burden will soon be lifted.  If it is difficult to separate the saucer and cup, it should not be forced.  This is called "The Prophet's Fortune" and means your wish will easily come true if you don't break the seal.  If the reader says "içine kabarmış" (the grounds are puffy) upon lifting the plate, it indicates a negative situation.  "Ay doğmuş" (a moon is born) shows a positive one.

According to writer Yahya Kemal, coffee is more than a drink in Turkey; it is a civilization unto itself.  If so, fal is a crucial part of that civilization, a spooky finale, and an experience with one of Istanbul's elite fortunetellers is not to be missed.

Melekler Kahveler
Ayhan Işik Sokak ÷zverim Apt. No: 36 Istiklal Caddesi Beyoğlu
Tel (0212) 251 31 01

Majestic
Ayhan Işik Sokak No: 10
Tel (0212) 204 97 07