The Muslim Origins of Coffee: A Brewed Legacy

Coffee’s earliest documented use as a beverage began in the 1400's in Sufi monasteries in Yemen. They used it to stay awake during long nights of Dhikr (remembrance of God) and Qiyam al-Layl (night prayers). The drink was made from roasted coffee beans, a practice that began with the Yemenis, although the coffee plant itself is native to Ethiopia. It was in Yemen that coffee transitioned from simple consumption to spiritual aid.

Under the Ottomans in the 1550's, coffee culture flourished. The first kaveh kanes (coffeehouses) opened in Constantinople, offering poetry readings, chess, music and conversation, becoming the “penny universities” of the Muslim world.

Coffee reached Europe through Venetian trade with the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century. European travellers had seen Muslims drinking this strange, black liquid and brought it home. The first café in Europe was opened in Venice in 1645, and the trend spread like wildfire.

The journey of coffee from the Muslim world to Europe and beyond is a powerful reminder that Muslim contributions to global culture run deep, not just in science and philosophy, but in many everyday things we take for granted.