The History of Turkish Coffee

The History of Turkish Coffee

From frolicking goats to UNESCO heritage – how the world’s most enchanting brew came to be...

The History of Turkish Coffee is Brewed in Mystery and Steeped in Legend

While many tales exist, we at the Turkish Coffee Club have our own favourite "The History of Turkish Coffee" version, which we would be delighted to share with you — one passed down with a wink, a sip, and a reverence for this magic green bean.

Kaldi and the Dancing Goats

Our journey begins in 9th-century Abyssinia (modern-day Ethiopia), where a young goat herder named Kaldi noticed something unusual. After nibbling berries from a certain bush, his goats would burst into energetic fits — leaping, dancing, and refusing to sleep.

Curious, Kaldi brought the berries to a group of Sufi monks. Upon trying them, they found themselves able to stay awake through long hours of night worship. Word spread. The berries were declared a sacred gift — and so, in the highlands of Kaffa (sound familiar?), the roots of coffee culture took hold.

From Berry to Brew

Fast forward to the 14th century, where another key figure enters the story: Shehab Eddin, a Yemeni mufti. After learning of the powerful red berries during a visit to Abyssinia, he brought them back to Yemen. There, the beans were roasted, ground to a fine powder, and brewed into a drink — and coffee as we know it began to take shape.

Sufi dervishes found the drink helped them stay focused during meditations, and its popularity soon spread through Yemen and beyond. The Yemeni port of Mocha became the first major coffee export hub. (Yes — that Mocha.)

The Arrival of Coffee in the Ottoman Empire

In 1517, coffee arrived in Istanbul. Özdemir Pasha, the Ottoman Governor of Yemen, introduced the drink to Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. With the Sultan’s seal of approval, coffee quickly took root in Turkish life.

The Ottomans refined the brewing process — grinding beans to a powder, gently simmering them in a cezve, and serving them in small cups with a thick, velvety foam. This method became so iconic that it earned its own name: Turkish Coffee.

Istanbul’s First Coffee Houses

Inspired by earlier cafés in Damascus and Cairo, Istanbul opened its first coffee houses in 1555. According to Ottoman historian İbrahim Peçevi, two men from Syria — Hakam from Aleppo and Shams from Damascus — launched the first establishments in the bustling district of Tahtakale.

These spaces became cultural hubs. Shadow puppet shows, storytelling, poetry readings, and backgammon games thrived. Coffee was no longer just a drink — it was a reason to gather, talk, and think.

Coffee Reaches Europe

Coffee entered Europe through trade, but its widespread adoption followed a more dramatic tale. During the failed Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683, retreating Ottoman soldiers abandoned sacks of unfamiliar dark beans.

While many Viennese thought it was camel feed or gunpowder, one man recognised their value. Franz Georg Kolschitzky, a Polish army officer who had lived in Istanbul, took the beans and opened Central Europe’s first coffee house. Vienna never looked back.

London's Boisterous Coffee Scene

By the 17th century, London was hooked. But the English coffee house was far from serene — they were loud, smoky, and bursting with debate. Wooden signs shaped like Turkish coffee pots hung over doorways, guiding patrons by both sight and the smell of roasting beans.

It’s said these houses were the birthplace of tipping: patrons dropped coins “To Insure Prompt Service” into tins — the origin of the word “TIPS".

Penny Universities and Power Hubs

London’s coffee houses became known as “penny universities” — for the price of a cup, a man could learn more from conversation than from a month of reading.

Some houses became institutions:

• Jonathan’s Coffee House evolved into the London Stock Exchange.

• Edward Lloyd’s became the famous Lloyd’s of London insurance marketplace.

  
  

Brewing Meets Innovation

Europeans, ever impatient, sought faster brewing methods. By the 19th century, coffee was evolving fast:

• French Press and Espresso machines emerged

• Instant coffee was invented in 1901 by Japanese-American chemist Satori Kato

• Decaf coffee followed in 1903, thanks to German importer Ludwig Roselius

• Cappuccino debuted in Italy in 1946 via Achille Gaggia

But the Turks weren’t done.

In 2004, Turkish appliance maker Beko released the world’s first semi-automatic Turkish coffee machine. A decade later, in 2014, UNESCO recognised Turkish Coffee as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A Legacy in Every Cup

As with all history, stories vary — and coffee’s origin is no exception. But what matters most is what binds them: connection, culture, and community.

So, let’s sit. Let’s sip. Let’s share a Turkish coffee and talk.

Afiyet olsun.