Coffee History

Discovery of Coffee

The culture of coffee-drinking goes back to the 11th century. It was then that coffee was first imported to Arabia from its original home in Ethiopia. The Persians were enraptured by the invigorating effects of this new "wine of Islam" because real wine was strictly forbidden to Muslims. The word "coffee" comes from the ancient Arabic "qahwah".

In the second half of the 15th century, coffee spread to the Kingdom of Arabia via Mecca and Medina and went on to reach Cairo in 1510.

In the first half of the 16th century, the Osmanic Kingdom reached its zenith. Coffee came to play an increasingly important role in Arabia, Asia Minor, Syria, Egypt and in South Eastern Europe. The first coffee houses were opened in Damascus and Aleppo in 1530 and 1532.

» more