Zeynep Beren Kadioglu

For centuries, the sini, a low, circular copper floor table, was central to Turkish communal dining. Meals around the sini were more than nourishment, they were ceremonies of connection. However, during the 19th century, Ottoman palaces embraced Western dining practices, replacing sini tables with Western four-legged tables. Its decline marked a loss of the communal spirit it once embodied.

The SOFRA project interprets the floor eating traditions by reintroducing the cultural and social values of the floor table into the streets of London. By inviting the Turkish diaspora and local communities to gather around the sini once more, the project celebrates food as a shared experience, fostering connection and belonging through communal dining.