Well before the Dutch spread coffee from Yemen and West Africa across the world, coffee was already being consumed in the Arab world. The Ottomans brought the wonderfully fragrant spice to Istanbul, where drinking coffee became a cultural activity. Turkish coffee, a beloved and reviled but still popular drink.
Rise of coffee in Turkey
Until the 16th century, coffee was only known in the Arab world. Coffee came to the capital Istanbul due to the Ottomans’ vibrant trade with the Middle East. The first coffee houses in the city opened in 1554 during the time of Sultan Süleyman the Just. In the early days, coffee houses were only accessible to the intellectual elite. Both during the day and at night, the coffee houses were a meeting place for important and/or business conversations. According to historians, important political decisions were even made in the coffee houses.
The first coffee house
Halebli Hakem and Şems from Syria opened the doors of the first coffee house in Istanbul in 1554. The coffee house was located in Tahtakale. Then and now it is still a busy trading center, located between the Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşısı) and the Food Market (Mısır çarşısı) in the Eminönü district. The coffeehouses of Halebli Hakem and Şem from Syria quickly became extremely popular among the city’s notables and government. The coffee houses offered the opportunity to read a book in the open air, play a game of chess or have a nice get-together. Once Turkish coffee became known among the common people, the spread of coffee houses increased enormously. Within a short time there were coffee houses all over the city. In the beginning, the coffee houses were a real asset to the city. A lot of important topics could be discussed in a relaxed manner and many state decisions were taken while enjoying a cup of Turkish coffee . In the first coffee houses people sat in comfortable positions on low long benches without backs or side rests, a so-called ‘sedir’. To make drinking coffee even more pleasant, these benches were placed around a central fountain, so that people could optimally enjoy their coffee to the sound of the splashing cool water and converse without others hearing what was being spoken. The interior of the coffee houses at that time was richly decorated with wood carvings, mosaic, marble and glazed wall tiles. The very first coffee cups had no ears. To prevent the coffee drinker from burning his hands, the cups were placed in richly decorated holders of precious metal or horn. The cups themselves were made of Meerschaum earthenware and Iznik or Kütahya porcelain.
Closing the coffee houses
The heyday of the coffee houses did not last long. In 1631, a large part of the city of Istanbul was destroyed by fire. When research shows that this was caused by drunken soldiers, a total ban on the sale of alcohol, tobacco and coffee was issued by the then Sultan Murat the 4th. The coffee houses were no longer the meeting centers for high-level intellectuals. In addition to Turkish coffee, alcohol was served, gambling, criminal activities were planned and occasionally there was even a death. For that reason, Sultan Murat ordered the 4th to close all coffee houses. Illegal coffee houses were severely punished.
Over time and with the change of Sultans, the ban on coffee houses relaxed. At the end of the 17th century, some operators cautiously started opening coffee houses again. They had most of their customers from the Janissaries (the Sultan’s elite corps). The Janissaries then turned their regular coffee house into a kind of clubhouse and people were not allowed in if they were not a member. For the first decades, the coffee houses were cozy, stylish meeting places for the Janissaries. But again things are going wrong in the coffee houses. As the force became impoverished, the Janissary’s mentality changed and soon the coffee houses became places of crime and now also prostitution. From above, all Janissary coffee houses are closed. Other coffeehouses are tolerated under strict control in the Ottoman Empire in 1800.
New tradition
In the 19th century, when plenty of coffee houses opened in various parts of the city, a new tradition emerged. Towards winter, or in the weeks before Ramadan, the coffee house was decorated with paintings on paper, prints and streamers. Musicians were attracted and the bagpiper in particular was a permanent fixture in the coffee house at that time. In this way, the coffeehouse owners tried to breathe new life into the coffeehouses. And she succeeded. In just a few years, coffeehouses became more popular among the common people than ever before. After dinner the people gathered in the coffee houses and enjoyed the entertainment on offer. In addition to the bagpiper, other musicians later also got a chance. The people sang and the puppet theater also found an enthusiastic audience. During the night, when the mood became a bit more serious, the poet or elocutionist came to the fore and kept the customer captivated for several nights until the early hours with follow-up stories.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the image of Turkish coffee houses changed again. They increasingly became a meeting place for the middle class. At the end of the 19th century, the Kıraathane’s (literal translation is place where one can read or acquire knowledge) were slowly emerging. These were a different type of coffee houses than before. There was no music or entertainment here and people could read a book or newspaper while enjoying a cup of Turkish coffee or tea. For the most part, these places were visited by writers, journalists and the upper middle class. The Kıraathane’s took on a political flavor, it was a place to debate politics and even parties were formed in the Kıraathane. In yet other Kıraathane’s the discussion was mainly about religion. The Kıraathanes in the old city became known for their high-level chess games. Customs activities were even started in a newly opened Kıraathane in Galata around 1850-1860.
Today, the coffee houses of yesteryear have become more like tea houses, and Turkish coffee is no longer central. Mainly card games, Backgammon and Okey are played.
New generation of Turkish coffee houses in the 21st century
Nowadays, there are modern cafes throughout the city where you can enjoy an excellent cup of Turkish coffee . From an average of various sites about the best place to drink Turkish coffee, the following three catering establishments are the best for an authentic cup of Turkish coffee .
- Mandabatmaz, near Galatsaray Square on Istiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu
- Şark Kahvesi, in the Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşısı) in Beyazıt
- Nev-i Café, located on the Golden Horn in the Balat district of Fatih
There is still a coffee roasting company located in the district where it all started 460 years ago. The current roastery, Mehmet Effendi, dates from 1871. From the Galata Bridge, with the Yeni Cami and the Spijzenmarkt on your left, walk into the ascending street. The smell of freshly roasted Turkish coffee will guide you the rest of the way.