Arabian Wine
Consuming coffee in the religious communities of Islam followed the example the mufti of Aden. This tale, written by an Arab in 1587, explaining the use of coffee and its development in Middle East, tells the journey of a mufti from Aden, visiting Persia, in the middle of the 15th Century. The mufti met there some colleagues, drinking a coffee. When he came back to Aden, considerably weakened by his trip, the mufti recalled this dark beverage his friends were drinking and asked to have some brought to him. He finally figured out that drinking this beverage was getting him happier and more energized and allowed him to stay awake without side effects.
The first ones adopting the coffee ritual were the communities of Aden. This ritual spread all across Arabia and other religious communities followed their example and adopted coffee. Wine, forbidden by Mohammed's laws, the muftis started to drink coffee, not considered as a prohibited substance and inherited of the name "Arabian Wine". Coffee was drunk in the mosque following a hierarchic procedure; the imam was serving his dervishes and then was offered to the faithful Islamists assisting to this ritual. The consumption of coffee, done playing religious music, became a ritual considered pile and salutary, so that the number of people coming to the mosque increased considerably.
The religious authorities wanting to control this tendency, decided to limit the consumption of coffee only to the monks during the praying times, at night. The people, considering that this beverage helped the exchange of ideas and agreeably stimulating the body and soul, started to sell it in the region, which brought lot of different people: students, travelers and night-shift workers. The personal consumption of coffee grew and people drank coffee mostly during the month of Ramadan.
Soon enough, the tradition of the coffee ritual expanded to the Mecca and to the others big cities. That's how coffee made his way all across Arabia, then to Egypt and Syria, then to Spain, India and North Africa; wherever the Islamic armies were going, coffee was coming with them and was introduced in every country where they fought.
Coffee became so present in the Islamic communities that the citizens drank coffee at home or at different assembling places, opened especially for the consumption of coffee. Then coffee became a note in wedding agreements: the husband has to give his wife as much coffee as she wanted. A divorce could be given to the wife if her husband would not respect this condition.
The first ones adopting the coffee ritual were the communities of Aden. This ritual spread all across Arabia and other religious communities followed their example and adopted coffee. Wine, forbidden by Mohammed's laws, the muftis started to drink coffee, not considered as a prohibited substance and inherited of the name "Arabian Wine". Coffee was drunk in the mosque following a hierarchic procedure; the imam was serving his dervishes and then was offered to the faithful Islamists assisting to this ritual. The consumption of coffee, done playing religious music, became a ritual considered pile and salutary, so that the number of people coming to the mosque increased considerably.
The religious authorities wanting to control this tendency, decided to limit the consumption of coffee only to the monks during the praying times, at night. The people, considering that this beverage helped the exchange of ideas and agreeably stimulating the body and soul, started to sell it in the region, which brought lot of different people: students, travelers and night-shift workers. The personal consumption of coffee grew and people drank coffee mostly during the month of Ramadan.
Soon enough, the tradition of the coffee ritual expanded to the Mecca and to the others big cities. That's how coffee made his way all across Arabia, then to Egypt and Syria, then to Spain, India and North Africa; wherever the Islamic armies were going, coffee was coming with them and was introduced in every country where they fought.
Coffee became so present in the Islamic communities that the citizens drank coffee at home or at different assembling places, opened especially for the consumption of coffee. Then coffee became a note in wedding agreements: the husband has to give his wife as much coffee as she wanted. A divorce could be given to the wife if her husband would not respect this condition.
Persian coffee houses
It has been told that, before it has spread all across Arabia; coffee culture took its roots in Persia, in very elegant and spacious coffee houses, in the luxurious part of Persian cities. The Persian warriors, who had stopped Ethiopians to set up in Yemen, would have taken the habit of eating theses cherries that came from the natural coffee tree cradle. The Mufti of Aden legend also refers to coffee consumption in Persia in the 1400's.
The coffee houses became so popular that mullahs- legal and religious business experts- were invited to entertain the customers with the discussions about poetry, History or law. They were sitting on high chairs in the middle of the room, from where everybody could hear their stories.
The coffee houses became so popular that mullahs- legal and religious business experts- were invited to entertain the customers with the discussions about poetry, History or law. They were sitting on high chairs in the middle of the room, from where everybody could hear their stories.
Coffee in Turkey
The first two cafés of Constantinople opened up around 1554, luxuriously decorated of carpet and sofas, were chess amateurs as well as educated people would meet. Many other cafés opened up shortly after, always full with customers appreciating stories, poetry, music and dance. The coffee houses clientele's social status is not defined, but some think that only the lower classes would meet there but others say that it would regroup all the classes, not knowing if they were all mixed together or separated.
The Turks were drinking their boiling coffee into china glasses: a cup without the handle. Coffee, as hot as possible, was noisily sipped, even lapped up, so the consumers could spend up to an hour drinking the same cup of coffee. This amusing sound, coming from a hundred of drinkers, sipping their coffee at the same time, was very entertaining for the strangers, beneficiating of a coffee caba, free of charge.
The Turks were drinking their boiling coffee into china glasses: a cup without the handle. Coffee, as hot as possible, was noisily sipped, even lapped up, so the consumers could spend up to an hour drinking the same cup of coffee. This amusing sound, coming from a hundred of drinkers, sipping their coffee at the same time, was very entertaining for the strangers, beneficiating of a coffee caba, free of charge.