Coffee wasn't just a passing beverage when it first appeared; it was a social and political phenomenon that sparked much controversy. Whenever coffee entered a new region, its reception was not smooth, and it often faced resistance from religious or political authorities.
1. Mecca - 1511 AD: The reign of Khayr Bey
- In 1511, the governor of Mecca, known as Khayr Bey, intervened and imposed a ban on coffee and its coffeehouses, confiscating and burning the beans sold in the markets. The stated motive was that coffee stimulated thought and gatherings against the authorities.
- But the decision did not last: a decree was later issued by the Sultan of Egypt to lift the ban, scholars and influential people intervened, and coffee shops resumed normal operations.
- These bans were often symbolic or temporary, and did not have strong enforcement tools in the deep community.
2. Cairo 1532 AD
- After coffee spread to Egypt, authorities in Cairo attempted to impose a ban on coffee shops and coffee stores, raiding and destroying coffee stocks.
- This ban was also not fully enforced, and the situation returned to pre-ban status after a short period.
3. The Ottoman Empire: Istanbul and several attempts on coffee shops
The case of Murad IV (1633 AD)
- The most famous ban came under Sultan Murad IV , who in 1633 declared a ban on drinking coffee and being in coffee houses in public.
- It is said that he would personally roam the streets of Istanbul in disguise, arresting violators and imposing strict punishments, which could include flogging or execution.
- The stated reason: The belief that cafes are hotbeds of discussion and rumors.
- The ban remained in effect in a number of cities and states internally even after Murad's reign.
4. Ethiopia – Orthodox Church
- In Ethiopia, the Orthodox Church had a conservative stance on coffee in ancient times, describing it as a “Muslim drink” or one with undesirable religious associations in some traditional Christian circles.
- In the 19th century, with the shift of political power toward a centralized state, the situation gradually changed, and coffee drinking began to spread among all segments of society. Emperor Menelik II is credited with encouraging coffeehouses and removing some restrictions.
Attempts to ban in Europe on charges such as (Muslim drink)
In Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, coffee was described in contradictory terms:
Some Catholic clergy in Italy called it the “drink of the Muslims” because it came from the East via the Ottomans, and they feared it would be a means of “contaminating the faithful” with non-Christian customs.
In contrast, some Protestant preachers described it as “the drink of the infidels” because it came from non-Christian lands.
In Rome, the issue was brought to the attention of Pope Clement VIII (circa 1590 AD) , who was told that it was “the devil’s drink that Muslims drink.” He asked to taste it himself, was impressed, and said something like:
“This drink is so delicious that it would be a mistake to leave it to the infidels alone.”
Then it was officially allowed to be drunk in Catholic Europe.
Coffee was first viewed as an “exotic,” “Oriental,” and “Muslim” drink, before becoming a symbol of modern European civilization.
The following is what happened regarding the prohibition and ban on coffee:
1. England — Reign of Charles II (17th century)
- In England around 1675, King Charles II attempted to issue a decree punishing coffeehouses for their role in spreading rumors and political agitation.
- But the decision was not implemented and was dropped before it took effect, because the cafes quickly became a cultural and social force.
2. Sweden — Five Prohibitions (1750–1823)
- In Sweden, coffee was restricted and banned several times (in 1756–1761, 1766–1769, 1794–1796, 1799–1802, and 1817–1823).
- In some cases, the ban was partial (restricting consumption or imposing heavy taxes), accompanied by patriotic messages urging citizens to encourage the consumption of local products instead of imported coffee.
- King Gustav III commissioned a medical experiment between twins: one would drink coffee and the other tea throughout their lives, to measure the effect on health. The experiment did not prove that coffee was clearly harmful.
- The laws were met with both public interest and dissent. Coffee consumption continued in some areas, and the ban was subsequently re-imposed.
3. Prussia / Germany
- In Prussia, under Frederick the Great and some other German state rulers, they tried to reduce coffee consumption and imposed very high taxes on its import or roasting.
- A team of “coffee sniffers” was created, individuals tasked with sniffing out homes, bakeries, and other places where coffee might be brewed illegally.
- In fact, the trick was easy, and the ban practically failed; coffee eventually became an established part of European culture.
4. Church attempts in Christianity
- In Europe, some churchmen, in the early days of coffee's spread, described it as a satanic drink or a new beverage that was harmful to the soul, and called for its prohibition or the refusal of its use in places of worship.
- A popular (but unconfirmed) legend is that Pope Clement VIII received complaints that coffee was the devil's drink, so he ordered it tested himself. He was so impressed that he baptized it instead of banning it. Many historians consider this story to be a folk tale and not historically documented.
Despite the bans, controversy, and cultural clashes that coffee faced in its early days, it did not decline, but rather imposed itself forcefully on all peoples.
From Mecca to Istanbul, from Vienna to London, authorities tried to restrict it, but coffee always won with its aroma and social charm.
Since the seventeenth century, coffee houses began to spread across Europe at an astonishing rate, transforming them into centers of thought, culture, and literature, to the point that coffee was called the “drink of enlightenment.”
In the following centuries, coffee became the second most consumed beverage in the world after water —in some countries, even surpassing it in daily attendance and social rituals.
A drink they tried to ban... but it became a global language that brings people together every morning.