An otherwise unassuming courtyard in Ballston has taken on a new life thanks to a Turkish coffee cart and the vision of a local business owner and creative.
Isa Seyran‘s “Ballstonian: Urban Oasis” introduces rich red pillows, intricate Turkish carpets, tables, cushions, stools and a red coffee cart — which has called Ballston home for about a year now — to the courtyard near 4075 Wilson Blvd. The space is located between outdoor seating areas for Poppyseed Rye and the now-closed Rustico.
It’s a place for passersby to take off their shoes, relax and find new insights in the neighborhood where Seyran has resided since 2000, after moving from Turkey.
“That’s what I’ve noticed, there’s not a place for people to slow the time a little bit,” Seyran told ARLnow. “I want to create an oasis for people to come, relax in comfortable cushions, have a [few] cherries and nuts and Turkish delights, coffee and tea, and then pick up a book, slow the time and gain some wisdom.”
At either side of the courtyard, bookshelves contribute to one of Seyran’s intentions for the space: literary roundtables for works that have stood the test of time, like “The Iliad,” “The Odyssey,” the “Epic of Gilgamesh” and “One Thousand and One Nights.”
Seyran is a creative at heart. He has written a book, made two films and translated poetry. He dreams of using the courtyard for cultural seminars, recitals and eventually, an urban film festival.
“The idea was never just making a cup of coffee on the side of the road,” Seyran told ARLnow. “I’m nothing and nobody without culture. This was always in the works.”
Since late July, Ballstonian regulars now gather and sit close to the ground on red cushions, and optionally remove their shoes, to enjoy Seyran’s authentic Turkish coffee and chai, as well as baklava, Turkish delight and new Mediterranean plates on the menu.
“In Anatolian culture, you sit very close to the ground. It humbles you,” Seyran said. “It reminds you of where you come from and where you’re going to go.”
Further down the road, Seyran dreams of adding water features, more flowers, a stage and an arch entrance to the courtyard.
“This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Seyran said. “When I’m done with it, it’ll be really wonderful.”
Seyran said he has county permission to use the space — which was previously set aside for special events and, before that, an interactive water feature — until the end of the year.
“[Arlington County] really loved and embraced the idea,” Seyran said. “The county said we could always extend it, and my goal is to make this permanent, if not here definitely somewhere around here.”
Ballstonian: Urban Oasis’s first event, a Turkish coffee fortune-telling ritual, will take place this Saturday, Aug. 10 from 9-11 a.m.
“It’s an ancient ritual in Middle Eastern cultures, especially in Turkey, to read fortunes from coffee grounds,” Seyran said.
Seyran’s Urban Oasis is open from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Tuesdays, from 8 a.m-3 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
