More Than Caffeine: The Untamed History of Turkish Coffee

“The heart seeks neither coffee nor the coffeehouse; the heart seeks friendship, coffee is merely the excuse.”

This old Turkish proverb nails the essence of what we are dealing with here. When we talk about the history of Turkish coffee, we aren’t talking about beans and hot water. We are talking about diplomacy, rebellion, and the original “Social Network” of the 16th century.

For over 500 years, Turkish coffee has been the glue holding this society togetherearning its spot as an official UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage treasure. But how did a muddy brew from Yemen transform into a global phenomenon that caused Sultans to issue death warrants? Let’s strip away the myths and look at the reality.

The Origin: A Gift for Suleiman the Magnificent

Forget the fairytale about the dancing goat herder in Ethiopia for a moment. The documented history of Turkish coffee begins in the Ottoman Empire, specifically in the 1540s. The man we have to thank is Özdemir Pasha, the Ottoman Governor of Yemen.

He observed how the locals brewed a drink from coffee cherries to stay awake during all night prayer vigils. Recognizing the potential power of this stimulant, he brought the beans to the court of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in Istanbul.

Inside the Topkapı Palace, the brewing method was refined into an art form. The beans were roasted, ground into a fine powder, and slowly cooked in a special pot (cezve) over charcoal ash. The result was thicker, frothier, and more intense than anything the world had tasted. It didn’t take long for the influential Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana) to become addicted to this new black elixir.

The First “Social Network”: Hakam and Shams

While coffee remained an elite luxury within the palace walls, something revolutionary happened in 1554. Two merchants, Hakam from Aleppo and Shams from Damascus, opened the history’s very first coffeehouse in the Tahtakale district of Istanbul.

This was a massive cultural shift. Before this, people gathered in mosques (for prayer) or homes (for privacy). Now, there was a public secular space where poets, scholars, and chess players could congregate. These venues became known as Mekteb i İrfan (“Schools of Knowledge”).

Men drank coffee, played backgammon, andmost dangerouslyexchanged news and gossip. If you are looking to launch your own venture in this historic city today, understanding this legacy of trade is vital. For modern entrepreneurs, checking our guide on Starting a Company in Turkey offers a glimpse into how the bureaucratic landscape has evolved since Hakam and Shams set up shop.

Why Coffee Was Banned (and Punishable by Death)

Where people talk freely, they eventually criticize the government. This did not sit well with the monarchy. Coffeehouses quickly turned into hotbeds for political discourse and dissent against the Sultanate.

The most notorious enemy of the bean was Sultan Murad IV (reigned 1623-1640). He viewed these caffeinated gatherings as a direct threat to his power. His response was brutal: He banned coffee, tobacco, and alcohol entirely. Historical records claim he would disguise himself at night, patrolling the streets of Istanbul with a large sword. Anyone caught sipping coffee faced immediate execution.

It wasn’t until later religious scholars, like the Grand Mufti Bostanzade Mehmed Efendi, stepped in that the madness ended. He issued a famous fatwa declaring that coffee was not haram (forbidden), but rather useful and desirable. He even wrote poetry praising the drink, allowing the coffee trade to flourish once again.

The Export to Europe: How Turks Woke Up the West

Ironically, Europe owes its entire café culture to the Ottoman Empirepartly through trade, and partly through war.

• Venice (1615): Venetian merchants imported the beans to Italy. By 1645, the first European coffeehouse opened its doors there.
• England (1650s): A Turkish merchant named Pasqua Rosée set up the first coffee stall in London.
• Paris (1669): The Ottoman Ambassador Süleyman Ağa made coffee drinking fashionable among the Parisian aristocracy.

Here is a fascinating historical nugget: After the failed Second Siege of Vienna in 1683, retreating Ottoman troops left behind sacks of coffee beans. The Viennese initially thought it was camel feed and planned to burn it. However, a military officer named Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki recognized the aroma. He took the beans, added milk and honey to soften the bitter taste, and inadvertently invented the Viennese Melange.

Coffee Cultivation in Turkey: A Modern Shift

For centuries, “Turkish Coffee” referred only to the preparation method, while the beans were imported from Yemen or, later, Brazil. In fact, Brazil only started growing coffee in 1727 (smuggled in from French Guiana) before becoming the Ottoman Empire’s main supplier in the 19th century.

But the narrative is changing in the 2020s. Thanks to climate shifts and advanced agricultural technology, Turkey has successfully begun growing its own coffee. In southern regions like Mersin and Antalya, pilot projects supported by institutes like BATEM are now producing coffee from 100% domestic beans. It is still a niche market, but if you are food scouting in the region, it is worth looking for.

A Ritual That Binds

Coffee in Turkey is deeply rooted in social ritualsfrom fortune telling in the grounds (fal) to the high stakes drama of marriage proposals.

When a groom’s family visits to ask for the bride’s hand, the prospective bride must serve coffee. Tradition dictates that she puts salt instead of sugar into the groom’s cup. If he drinks it all without grimacing, it proves his patience and deep love for her. If you are planning your own nuptials here, be sure to read our guide on Getting Married in Turkey, because navigating the bureaucracy is often harder than drinking the salty coffee.

Whether you are hunting for the perfect copper pot while Shopping in Edirne or simply enjoying a cup at home, remember: You are holding 500 years of history in your hands. It is a tradition as complex and woven into the culture as a fine carpet.

Bon appétitor as we say here: Afiyet olsun!