Arabs Monopoly of Coffee in 16th Century
Up until the 16th century the Arabs tried so hard to maintain their monopoly of coffee production that travelers from other countries never even mentioned coffee in the accounts of their trips.
The crusaders made no mention of coffee upon their return to the Western world.
In 1555, Schems and Hekem, Syrians coming form Damascus and Aleppo, opened their first two public cafés in Istanbul in the quartier of Takhtacalah. Their clientele – poets, scholars and gamblers – ensured their success in such a short tine that Turks merchants quickly opened up several other shops.
In order to retain control of this monopoly, the Arabs only allowed exportation of coffee seeds in which sprout capability had been destroyed by boiling water and from which the covering parchment had been removed.
However, it was impossible to maintain absolute control over the comings and goings of great numbers of traveler, specifically during pilgrimage to the Mecca.
Thus, a Hindu pilgrim name Baba Budan succeeded in bringing back to Mysore seeds from the coffee tree. He planted them in front off his hut in Chicmaglur in the mountain of Mysore, a state in India which extends over part of the coast of Malabar and southern Deccan.
The first exportation took place in the 17th century but the exact date is unknown.
Arabs Monopoly of Coffee 16th Century
