Spread of coffee

The history of coffee: From Arabia to Europe

Coffee's journey to Europe likely began between the 11th and 13th centuries. The first coffee plants and knowledge of their invigorating effects reached Arabia via slave traders. There, the Arabs experimented with the exotic bean and developed the world's oldest roasting tradition. Coffee quickly became extremely popular in the region. It was first cultivated and grown on plantations in what is now Yemen.

The trading center of the Arab coffee monopoly was the port city of al-Mukha, also known as Mocha. Particularly in the 16th century, coffee, as a revitalizing alternative to alcohol, which was forbidden in Islam, conquered the entire Arab and Ottoman empires.

The first documented coffeehouse opened in Mecca in 1511. Coffeehouses quickly sprang up in Syria, Asia Minor, Egypt, and other regions, becoming social hubs for the upper classes until their temporary prohibition at the end of the 16th century. Here, friends, business partners, and families gathered to enjoy coffee and exchange news.

Despite the strict prohibition and persecution of "coffee lovers" that continued until 1839, coffee culture survived in the Ottoman Empire. Eventually, coffee reached Europe, where it won people's hearts and established European coffeehouse culture – a cultural heritage that endures to this day.