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Their shelves are lined not with books, but with olive oils. Here, reading means tasting. Every bottle tells the story of a different landscape; every drop, a culture stretching back thousands of years. In Orhanlı Village, part of the Seferihisar district of Izmir, at Turkey’s first Slow Food Farm, the Sevilma Garden, a library unlike any other in the world welcomes visitors: the Yücel Sönmez Olive Oil Library. On 29 March 2026, in collaboration with the Slow Food Mahal community, it will open its doors […]

3rd Orhanlı Village Erkence Olive Festival 1 November – Seferihisar Orhanlı, Izmir You are invited to an unforgettable experience organised as part of the 3rd Orhanlı Village Erkence Olive Festival. Are you ready to witness the ancient story, stretching back thousands of years, behind the olive oil you see on supermarket shelves – all in a single day? How about experiencing the Harvest, Tasting and Pressing all in one day? That unique journey from the soil to the drop […]

3rd Orhanlı Village Erkence Olive Festival 31 October – Seferihisar Orhanlı, Izmir 3. Are you ready for an unforgettable experience brimming with flavour, culture and nature at the Olive Oil Library and Tasting Workshop we’re organising as part of the Orhanlı Village Erkence Olive Festival? Step inside the world’s first and only library without books! Home to 70 different varieties of olive oil from regions stretching from Anatolia to America […]

Have you ever wondered about the story behind a bottle of olive oil when you hold it in your hand? Which tree it came from, how it was harvested, in which orchard it grew, how it was pressed, and what journey it undertook before reaching your table… In Orhanlı, part of the Seferihisar district of Izmir, you can set off on a delightful journey to the very place where this story begins. The Sevilma – Ercan Baba Olive Oil Factory and Factory Shop offers not only olive oil […]

  We’re setting off on a culinary journey from sourdough to bread. You’re invited to an unforgettable Seferihisar day where we’ll savour nature’s bounty, the aroma of sourdough bread and the ancient heritage of the olive! We’ll meet at 11.00 am and begin by discovering the story of how olives are transformed into oil at the Ercan Baba Olive Oil Mill. We’ll visit the Yücel Sönmez Olive Oil Library – the world’s first olive oil library – and the Sevilma Garden. Afterwards, we’ll explore sourdough […]

On Saturday 4 April, we’ll be meeting at the Seferihisar Garden—Turkey’s first Slow Food Farm—at Sevilma. Throughout the day, we’ll explore agroecology, the concept of production in harmony with nature, and how we can design a farm by interpreting nature. In this workshop, we will approach farming not as something in opposition to nature, but as a way of life established in harmony with it. Together, we will observe how water, soil and biodiversity are integral parts of farming; […]

Placing harmony with nature, good food and cultural diversity at the heart of its production, Sevilma is launching the world’s first Olive Oil Library, transforming olive oil culture into a multi-layered experience. The library will be named after the journalist Yücel Sönmez, who passed away in June 2025. Located in the village of Orhanlı, within Turkey’s first Slow Food Farm, the Sevilma Garden, this special venue will open its doors on 29 March 2026 to Slow […]

1 March 2026 | Time: 14.00 Seferihisar Sevilma – Ercan Baba Olive Oil Factory We’ll be meeting on Sunday, 1 March, at the Sevilma Garden, Turkey’s first Slow Food Farm. Throughout the day, we’ll explore the ancient herb culture of the Aegean and cook the herbs we’ve gathered, pairing them with Sevilma olive oils. In the evening, we’ll set up our table in the unique surroundings of the Ercan Baba Olive Oil Mill and savour the flavours of the herbs we’ve cooked. In this workshop; […]