Drawing on the accounts of early European travelers, original Arabic sources on jurisprudence and etiquette, and treatises on coffee from the period, the author recounts the colorful early history of the spread of coffee and the influence of coffeehouses in the medieval Near East. Detailed descriptions of the design, atmosphere, management, and patrons of early coffeehouses make fascinating reading for anyone interested in the history of coffee and the unique institution of the coffeehouse in urban Muslim society.
“Coffee and its ‘house’ became a noticeable and long-lasting fixture in Muslim society and arguably a historical force to be reckoned with..How it all began can be learned form this short book, which is written with great care and full, reliable documentation.”
–American Historical Review
Contents :
Preface
The Great Coffee Controversy
The Coming of Coffee to the Near East
Coffee, Coffeehouses, and the Opposition
Wine, Coffee, and the Holy Law
Lethargy, Leprosy, and Melancholia: Coffee and Medieval Medicine
Taverns without Wine: The Rise of the Coffeehouse
Society and the Social Life of the Coffeehouse
The Coffeehouse: Social Norms, Social Symbols
Appendix: Note on Sources
