The history of coffee is a rich tapestry woven across centuries and continents, beginning in ancient Ethiopia and Yemen and evolving into one of the world’s most consumed beverages. credible evidence points to its use as a stimulating drink in the mid-15th century in Yemen, particularly among Sufi monasteries
From Ethiopia, coffee beans were likely exported to Yemen by Somali merchants from Berbera and Zeila. In Yemen, Sufi mystics used coffee to aid concentration during prayers and to stay awake during nighttime devotions By the early 16th century, coffee had spread to the Levant, including Mecca, Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). The first coffeehouse, Kiva Han, is believed to have opened in Constantinople in 1475. These early coffeehouses, known as qahveh khanehs, became vital social and intellectual hubs, often referred to as “Schools of the Wise” where people gathered to converse, play games, listen to music, and discuss news and politics
The practice of brewing coffee as a beverage is believed to have begun in Yemen, where Sufi Muslims used it to stay awake during nighttime prayers and vigils. From Yemen, coffee quickly spread throughout the Islamic world, becoming a popular drink and a central feature of social life in cities like Mecca, Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, and Istanbul.
When coffee arrived in Europe in the 16th century, it was met with suspicion due to its association with the Islamic world, with whom Christian Europe had been at war for centuries. Some even referred to it as “Satan’s drink” or “the devil’s drink.” Pope Clement VIII (1536–1605) played a pivotal role in its acceptance in Europe. His advisors urged him to ban the controversial beverage. However, before making a decision, Pope Clement VIII decided to taste it himself. Upon tasting the coffee, he was reportedly delighted and declared, “This devil’s drink is so delicious. We should cheat the devil by baptizing it.” Another version of the quote attributed to him is, “Why, this Satan’s drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it.” This papal blessing removed the religious stigma associated with coffee, paving the way for its rapid spread and popularity throughout Europe and eventually the world.
Coffee reached Europe primarily through commercial Mediterranean trade routes via Venice. Venetian merchants played a significant role in popularizing coffee among the wealthy. The first European coffeehouse outside the Ottoman Empire opened in Venice in 1645. Initially, some members of the Catholic Church opposed coffee, calling it the “Devil’s drink,” but Pope Clement VIII reportedly tasted it and gave it his blessing around 1600, boosting its acceptance.
The Dutch were instrumental in expanding coffee cultivation beyond Arabia. In 1616, Pieter van den Broecke smuggled coffee bushes from Mocha, Yemen, to Amsterdam, where they thrived in botanical gardens. This led to the establishment of coffee plantations in Dutch colonies like Java (Indonesia) and Ceylon (Sri Lanka) by the mid-17th century, making them major suppliers to Europe. The term “Java” even became a colloquial name for coffee.
Coffee arrived in England with the opening of the first coffeehouse in Oxford in 1650, followed by London in 1652. These establishments became important centers for social and political discourse, earning them the nickname “penny universities” . In France, coffee was introduced in 1669 by Soleiman Agha, the ambassador from Sultan Mehmed IV, and public coffeehouses soon followed. Germany saw its first coffeehouses in North Sea ports in the late 17th century, and coffee became a cultural staple, even inspiring Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Coffee Cantata”.
The introduction of coffee to the Americas began in the early 18th century. Gabriel de Clieu brought coffee seedlings to Martinique in 1720, which flourished and led to the spread of coffee cultivation throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. By 1788, Saint-Domingue (Haiti) supplied half of the world’s coffee. Brazil’s coffee industry began in 1727 when Francisco de Melo Palheta smuggled seeds from French Guiana Brazil became the world’s largest coffee producer by 1852 and has maintained that status ever since, dominating global production for a century. The expansion of coffee cultivation in Latin America often involved the displacement and exploitation of indigenous populations and reliance on slave labor, particularly in Brazil until 1888.
In the United States, coffee gained significant popularity after the Boston Tea Party in 1773, as drinking tea became unpatriotic during the American Revolution.
Today, coffee is a global commodity, with Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia being the leading producers. The industry is valued at hundreds of billions of dollars annually, though coffee farmers often face poverty. The two most commonly cultivated species are Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora (Robusta). Arabica, known for its superior flavor, originated in the southwestern highlands of Ethiopia and Sudan, while Robusta is native to central and western Subsaharan Africa.
The word “coffee” itself has an interesting etymological journey. It entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch koffie, which was borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish kahve. Kahve in turn came from the Arabic qahwah (قَهْوَة) . While some theories link qahwah to the Kaffa region of Ethiopia.
The history of coffee continues to evolve, with innovations like instant coffee (invented in the late 19th century) and decaffeinated coffee emerging in the 20th century. The rise of specialty coffee and the “third wave” movement in recent decades has brought a renewed focus on single-origin beans, ethical sourcing, and meticulous brewing methods, further cementing coffee’s place as a cultural and economic powerhouse worldwide.
SCIENTIFIC AND ISLAMIC RESEARCHES 